WHY ARE WE BEHIND IN SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH?

Science was born from the desire to find the truth. The truth is reached by reading, thinking and researching. The combination of personal skill and past experiences is the most important factor in reaching the truth. Investigative thought always tries to find a causal relationship between events, and as a result, an answer to this causal relationship is found either through observation or experiment. Newton's discovery of the law of gravity and Archimedes' discovery of the buoyant force of water have all taken their place in the history of science as the product of this investigative thought. Sometimes the luck factor can be effective in new inventions, but it should not be forgotten that
“Luck favors the mind full”.

In the history of science, human research ability has played an important role. As a result of the research, information was produced, and the information produced opened the door to new research. At the same time, the desired purpose of the research was achieved by transforming the produced information into technology. Technology production and the development level of countries have remained parallel, and countries that transform knowledge into technology and market it have always remained in a dominant position. Countries that import technology have always been dependent on producing countries. Unfortunately, our country has not been able to take a place in the history of science in the last century, and has remained dependent on foreign sources, being in the class of countries that import technology. We can briefly summarize the reasons why our country has not taken part in scientific developments that have developed at a dizzying pace in recent years:

Today, the development level of countries has become measured by the resources they allocate to research and development, patents obtained as a result of research, and publications published in international scientific journals. In developed countries, the share allocated to research and development from the Gross National Product was at least 1 percent. In developing countries, this rate is well below 1 percent. For our country, this rate is around 0.6, which is less than one-third of the European Union average we want to enter. In our time, which is the information age, research has gained a new dimension with the development of information technologies, and the countries that produce and use information technologies have continued to remain at the top.

When our country's historical heritage, geographical location and current manpower are considered, it can be seen that it is far behind where it should be. The major wars, political instability and economic turmoil we have experienced may be responsible for this situation. However, the most important reason can be said to be the inability to create an adequate science policy and not giving due importance to research and development. The fact that we do not have a university in the top 500 in the university rankings and that we are far behind developed countries in scientific citations and the number of patents received reveals the seriousness of this issue.

One of the reasons why our country is not at the desired level in scientific research is that the identity of a research scientist has not yet been sufficiently formed. When it comes to research in our country, the first institution that comes to mind is universities. In fact, the main function of universities is to conduct research. However, in our country's universities, faculty members do not have the opportunity to do research because they are busy giving lectures and reading exam papers. The private sector should also be involved in research activities. In fact, the private sector should be encouraged and forced to engage in research and development activities.

Until recently, the biggest reason for not doing research and development was the lack of support. However, our country, which transferred 248 Million Euros of contribution to the European Union 6th Framework Programme, Only 44 Million Euros of support was received for 370 projects. For this reason, Türkiye decided to participate in the 7th Framework Program after long considerations. Hopefully, Türkiye will be rewarded for its contribution to the 7th Framework Program with the support it will receive for the projects it will undertake. The research project supports of the State Planning Organization and TÜBİTAK are considerable. Despite this, research projects applying to these institutions are not sufficient. The reasons for these need to be investigated and solutions produced.

The situation in the field of medicine is no different from other branches of science. Unfortunately, our country has remained far away from the developments that have developed at a dizzying pace in the field of medicine in recent years. Developments in cancer research, molecular biology, genetics and stem cell research, and endoscopic surgery continue in a competitive atmosphere. But Our country has no place in this race. Technological products resulting from developments can also be acquired by paying a high price. In order for our country to participate in the scientific race, it must prioritize research and development activities in the field of medicine.
SOLUTION SUGGESTIONS:
1. Encouraging the Training of Research Scientists

The real problem for our country stems from the inability to train research scientists. The reason for this is that university education, no different from high school, still employs an education system based on a rote-learning mentality rather than an inquisitive and investigative mentality. There is no formal training for research in undergraduate and graduate education or specialization education. In this case, if there is a personal interest, an attempt is made to gain the identity of a research scientist by participating in postdoctoral and fellow programs abroad. For this, it is necessary to receive this education abroad for at least two years. However, personal motivation is hindered by many reasons. These reasons include issues such as finding financial support to participate in these programs, institutional obstacles to being away from the institution they work for for a long time, the status of the person's personal rights during the time he/she is away from the institution, military service status, etc. However, the most important issue seems to be that the person cannot find research opportunities and time to use in his institution after returning from the training he gained abroad. These reasons hinder personal motivation. Among the priority problems of our country's education, the education for training research scientists should be reviewed and integrated programs for training researchers should be opened. Our education system should be reorganized so that investigative thinking is introduced to students as early as primary school.

Unfortunately, there is no ideal research center in our country where scientist doctors can do research. In order to close this gap in the field of medicine, the laboratories for medical research within the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center in Gebze could not achieve the goals they were established for. It is necessary to establish and disseminate institute model research centers that have an international identity, have a completed technical infrastructure, employ full-time researchers and assistant researchers, and provide doctoral and post-doctoral formal education. If research projects are carried out in accredited centers within the scope of the European Union Framework programs, there is a high chance of acceptance. For this reason, existing research centers in our country need to complete their international accreditation procedures as soon as possible.

Full time in the research centers to be established. Research doctors should be employed and these people should not have any financial concerns. The working conditions here should be in a dynamic structure, far from the SOE mentality, where employees and producers are supported and encouraged. In my opinion, the first thing that needs to be done is to create an environment and opportunity where our research scientists are free from economic concerns, can get paid for what they do, and do not have to deal with financial difficulties and troubles. This motivation can be achieved by encouraging research and development as a state policy and providing suitable working environments for research scientists, freed from economic concerns and worries about the future.

A new mobilization movement should be initiated to create an information society, and the necessary infrastructure works should be completed to transform the created information into technology. Necessary incentives should be made to train research scientists who are free from economic concerns, do not worry about the future, and have a respectable place in society and the public environment. Public awareness should be created on research and development issues, existing resources should be used in the most efficient way and new resources should be created. The future of our country depends on its investment in knowledge and research and development.