Building a Community of EOSC Experts in Türkiye
Α full-day training programme to a community of people from different regions of Türkiye and disciplines, but with a common goal of open science and a shared belief in the importance of EOSC.
Background: On the 17th and 18th of July 2023, the Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) hosted an EOSC Train the Trainer Workshop as part of the EOSC Future project. The workshop's main goal was to increase researchers' knowledge of EOSC and to promote the use of EOSC services and tools in Türkiye. For this reason, the participants of the workshop were selected to have a high potential to provide training to researchers within their institutions. An application form was created, and the main selection criteria were motivation to provide open science training, open science knowledge and experience, and English level. Furthermore, in order to reach many researchers from different regions of Türkiye and disciplines, regional distribution, sectoral/disciplinary diversity, and gender equality were prioritised. The workshop drew 188 applicants from 49 different cities, 103 different institutions, and 11 different sectors. As a result, 34 workshop participants were chosen from 17 different cities, 30 different institutions, and eight different industries. It was also critical that a research support specialist from TÜBTAK, our country's most important funder, attend the workshop.
The trainers: The workshop trainers were chosen from among Prof. Dr. Yaşar Tonta, Gültekin Gürdal, Orçun Madran, and Begüm Yavuz, who have carried out important research and training on open science and research data management in Türkiye. The current training materials created as part of the EOSC Future Project training programme were examined and translated into Turkish for the two full-day workshops. The necessary updates were made and enhanced in accordance with participant needs, keeping open science studies in Türkiye in mind. The workshop was ready, down to the last detail including training materials, lodging, food, and a workshop hall, thanks to the diligent work of the organising committee, which included Gönül Kafalı Can, Ayşen Binen, and \ükrü Merter İdin in addition to the trainers.
Topics covered: The first day of the workshop began with opening remarks from Gültekin Gürdal, the workshop coordinator and director of the IZTECH library, and Prof. Dr. Yusuf Baran, the rector of IZTECH. The open science philosophy and open science research in Turkey and Europe were then discussed. Training and discussions to better understand the participants' goals and the structure of the EOSC were conducted during the first day of sessions. The first day of the workshop concluded with an introduction to the EOSC Portal and a demonstration of its use. The second day of the workshop began with the EOSC Marketplace's services and applications. The topic of EOSC-related legal and moral issues was then covered. Workshop participants can use the information provided to create their own interactive teaching assistants and in-person, hybrid, and online training programmes for open science education. A discussion on responsible research and ethics kicked off the afternoon sessions. Next, open licences and data sharing were explained to the participants. To improve the participants' understanding and proficiency with EOSC, the workshop comprised exercises and group projects. The participants were given two quizzes to gauge their level of knowledge.
Satisfaction: The workshop ended with a closing session where a general evaluation was made, and certificates were given to the participants. After the closing session, the participants were sent an evaluation survey to measure their satisfaction with the workshop and to collect their opinions and suggestions. According to the results of the survey, it was seen that the overall satisfaction level of the participants was relatively high. However, many participants requested the continuation of EOSC training and the planning of new activities for the advanced level.
Conclusion: The two full-day training programs created a community of people from different regions of Türkiye and disciplines but with a common goal of open science and a shared belief in the importance of EOSC. The gala dinner allowed the participants to get to know each other better and discuss opportunities for future collaboration. Participants and the training team continue to meet and discuss future work. Izmir Institute of Technology also supports the participants in the training they will organise in their institutions.
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