Hacettepe Science Center is based at Hacettepe Technopolis in Hacettepe University campus. The HSC aims to promote public engagement with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), to initiate Vocational Education, Open Science, and Citizen Science projects, and to create stronger links among researchers, industry, policymakers, and citizens. It unites STEM practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the public to enhance the quality of STEM education and broaden participation in STEM. The HSC has researchers with extensive experience in STEM curriculum development, CoVE and training, and public engagement of STEM and Citizen Science. The HSC has a tradition of implementing and disseminating innovative approaches and resources in schools, informal settings, pre-and in-service teacher education programs, and beyond.
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Gultekin Cakmakci has been elected a life member of the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Network. PCST awards honorary life membership of the network to individuals who have made a distinguished contribution to the international science communication community.
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250000
Participants
2400
Teachers at PD Programs
30000
Downloads
13
Cities
CURRENT PROJECTS
IMAGINE, INNOVATE, IMPACT
Our new Horizon Europe project has started!
The i3 (Imagine, Innovate, Impact) is a Horizon Europe project aiming to promote public engagement with STEM by creating stronger links among STEM practitioners, researchers, policymakers, industry representatives, and the public to increase citizens' awareness of research and innovation endeavors, support public recognition of researchers, to have stronger support and sense of ownership of research enterprises, to create relevance of researchers’ work on citizen’s daily life and the material world, to support capacity building among young researchers via engagement training, and to encourage young people to become “agents of change” by pursuing their research careers in STEM fields. Bringing top-quality universities, R&D centers, industry professionals, and institutions in STEM engagement and energizing their willingness to “embrace change” will significantly contribute to a wider recognition of research and innovation.
SOCIAL SKILLS MATTER!
SOBER is an Erasmus+ project supporting social skills development and STEM orientation for a better life. Hacettepe Science Center and partners from Hungary, Belgium, and Poland work closely together to develop innovative approaches, that aim to promote students' social and emotional skills.
STEM PD
Community of Practice
STEM PD Community of Practice (STEM CoP) aims to bring together researchers, practitioners and stakeholders from around the world to discuss issues related to STEM Education. STEM CoP develops STEM Curricula and run STEM PD programs in different countries. STEM CoP also publishes journals and books in STEM education.
STEM FEST
Learning in Informal Settings
Since 2015, every year, STEM & Makers Festivals have been organised in different cities in Turkey. STEM & Makers Fest/Expo aims to promote public engagement with STEM. So far, more than 250,000 participants from different age groups have engaged with our STEM & Makers activities.
THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT IS TO DO IT!
TEAM
He is a Professor of Science Education at Hacettepe University and has been teaching courses on STEM education and public engagement with STEM. He has involved in several national and international projects such as European Commission Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and FP7 projects. He, among others, has developed the new Turkish Science Curriculum and Science Practices Curriculum, which have been implemented in Turkey since 2018.
Gultekin Cakmakci
Director
Esma Hazal Yilmaz received her bachelor's degree from Hacettepe University, Department of Statistics. She started her career as a data labeling expert in an artificial intelligence company. After completing the Big Data and Business Analytics program at Istanbul Technical University, her focus has been on big data, UX design, and generated AI. She is currently working as a researcher in an EU project entitled Social Skill Development and STEM Orientation for a Better Life (SOBER).
Esma Hazal Yilmaz
Researcher
Hande Toluv received her B.Sc. degree in science education from Hacettepe University. She is the project manager of Public Engagement of Science including the STEM & Makers Fest/Expo. She also runs science slams and science experiments at a national TV channel called “Kanal B”. Currently she is doing her second
undergraduate degree in Radio & Television programming at Anadolu University and her master in Science Communication.
Hande Toluv
Project Manager
Simge Özen is Public Relations Manager. She received her B.A. degree in English Linguistics from Hacettepe University and earned her M.A. Degree in Public Relations and Advertising from Ankara University. She started her career as Project Management Coordinator at General Electrics (GE) Healthcare. She leaded GE Project team in domestic and overseas operations for project planning, effective communication and proficient execution.
Simge Ozen
Public Relations Manager
Hacettepe Science Center and Hacettepe University STEM & Maker Lab have dedicated team members who have experience in running Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) activities with different age groups and have experience in widespread dissemination of EU projects’ resources through PD courses, STEM Festivals and press. The team also has experience in running Professional Development (PD) programs on an international level.