2008 Turkish Culture Research and Technology Awards

We organized in 2008 the third application of Turkish Culture Research and Technology Awards, which was realized in 2006 for the first time by our Foundation in order to support researches, works and services in Turkish culture and technology area.

We will grant 40.000 TL cash award for each to winning researcher and researcher group in Turkish culture and technology areas.

The owners of rewards, who were submitted for approval of the Foundation Board as a result of evaluations made by the Committee for the Elginkan Foundation Turkish Culture Research Award, and approved by the Foundation Board, are as follows:

In Turkish culture area, we deemed proper to give prize to:

Prof.Dr.Bozkurt Güvenç for his book "Turkish Identity:  Sources of Cultural History",

Prof.Dr.Saim Sakaoğlu for his studies he conducted on the Turkish culture and Turkish language, and his contributions to the Turkish culture,

In Turkish Language area:

"Grand Turkish Dictionary with Example" prepared by İlhan Ayverdi, and

English-Turkish Encyclopaedical Informatics Dictionary prepared by Prof.Dr.Bülent Sankur,

and the award amount was shared among these persons.

The owners of rewards, who were submitted for approval of the Foundation Board as a result of evaluations made by the Committee for the Elginkan Foundation Technology Award, and approved by the Foundation Board, are as follows:

Prof.Dr.Yusuf Yağcı for his studies titled "New method in preparation of polymer nanocomposite", and

Prof.Dr.Mustafa Güden, Assis.Prof.Dr.Alper Taşdemirci, Research Associate A.Kaan Toksoy, M. Eren Dizlek and Çağrı Ergönenç for their projects titled "Production of Foam and Porous Metallic Structures and Expansion of Engineering Application Areas"

Award ceremony was held in İTÜ Süleyman Demirel Cultural Centre with the participation of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Elginkan Foundation Prof.Dr. Halim Doğrusöz, İstanbul Technical University Rector Prof.Dr. Muhammed Şahin and President of Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History Prof.Dr. Sadık Tural.

INFORMATION ON OWNERS OF THE ELGİNKAN FOUNDATION TURKISH CULTURE RESEARCH AWARD

1- Prof. Dr. Bozkurt Güvenç / Turkish Identity: Sources of Cultural History

It interrogates the current status of a culture of approximately four thousand years old by looking back the past in the multilayer atlas of the Turkish Identity on the track of changing times and processes.   Identity is how the person perceives himself, and with whom he is assimilated.  Identity is a cultural problem. If people know and adopt their history, there should be no search for identity or identity problem in terms of logic.  For the awareness of identity existence, cultural history is necessary but not enough. Should the cultural history of a nation is not written; identity crisis or search for identity is inevitable.  All these subjects are gathered in the Turkish Culture: Sources of Cultural History.

2- Prof.Dr.Saim Sakaoğlu

He received award for his studies he conducted on the Turkish Culture and Turkish language, his contributions to the Turkish Culture and his introduction of our country to the science world.  He is member of institutions such as Turkish Culture Research Institute, Institute of Folklore Research, Turkiye Professional Organization of Authors (Owners) of Intellectual and Artistic Works (İLESAM), Union International de la Marionette-International Puppetry Association (UNİMA) etc.  He became member of the American Folklore Society in 1974. He was a member of the science board in Turkish Language Institution for 18 years.  Prof.Dr.Saim Sakaoğlu has attended various meetings in many countries in Asia, Europe and America, presented papers and chaired sessions.  His books, articles and papers have been translated into English, Macedonian, French and Japanese in the same continents.

3- İlhan Ayverdi / Grand Turkish Dictionary with Example

"Grand Turkish Dictionary with Example", which was prepared under the management of the man of letters İlhan Ayverdi and contains almost 100 thousand words and idioms, was prepared for publishing in 34 years.  In this dictionary, 100.000 examples from a total of 1.000 people, 400 of whom are authors, and up to 350 works of more than 200 writers were scanned.  Examples from approximately 250 works from various dictionaries and sources were taken. More than 800 writers and poets were quoted from. 96.000 expositional words and 61.000 words as entry and interim article were included.  Almost 35.000 idioms and words, which were composed with these words, were explained.  This fundamental reference work, which includes written and oral language examples in different eras from 13th to 21st century, is an inventory of the Turkish language.  It is prepared to help Turkish children establish bonds with their past, and read and understand 100-150 years old texts, which correspond to yesterday in histories of nations.

4- Prof. Dr. Prof.Dr.Bülent Sankur / English-Turkish Encyclopaedical Informatics Dictionary

He prepared the informatics terms dictionary as a result of his studies over 20 years in Turkish technical terms area.  19.200 terms are handled; their explanations are given, and provided in Turkish, English and French in Informatics Dictionary.  Informatics Dictionary includes computer, electric, electronics, communication, Internet, control, measuring techniques, statistical, system science, mathematical and partial physical terms.

Synonyms and opposites of terms are also specified in order to enlighten the synonyms confusion, which is quite common in English technological terms.  When considered that the vocabulary in many languages spoken in the world is limited to ten thousand, it can be understood the level reached by the terms dictionary is reflecting an important knowledge.  Electronic copy of the dictionary can be downloaded free of charge via a search engine from www.bilisimsozlugu.com. It is said that 800.000 copies of the dictionary have been downloaded over the Internet.

TECHNOLOGY AWARDS

5- Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yağcı / New methods in preparation of polymer nanocomposite

Prof. Yağcı has realized both polymer and nano-particle formation at the same time and within the same system by benefiting from light.  Thus, simple start-up materials are illuminated with UV light and nanocomposite can be obtained directly in a single step.  Nano-dimension particles within composites obtained display a homogenous distribution.  This feature is the most important feature wanted for nanocomposites.  Moreover, not using heat due to irradiation prevents monomer volatility, which is harmful to health, and emerges as an environment-friendly technology.  It has been proven that composites obtained in such method are antimicrobial, and can be used in production of coating, which does not cause formation of bacteria in medical plastic materials or hospitals.  Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yağcı's findings are published as article in most distinguished journals of the polymer science.

6- Prof.Dr. Mustafa Güden / Production of foam and porous metallic structures

Through use of foam and porous structure, which prevents the bone within the implanted area to form and enter inside the implant, bone integration is improved right in the beginning of surgical intervention, and implant slide and secondary interventions are prevented.  As a result of studies conducted since 2004 jointly by Hipokrat Tıbbi Malzemeler A.Ş. and Prof.Dr. Mustafa Güden  research group, a portrait complying with spinal cage geometry has been formed with Ti6A14V alloy porous structure.  In spinal cage development, the principle of porous implants made of Bio-compatible Ti6A14V displaying more interaction with the bone is taken as the basic principle. Reasons for that are the body fluid is carried in every direction through open cell pores and bone develops and grows within pores.