Category: Science

ANKARA: Different capabilities developed within the Turkish defense industry are coming together on the same platform and turning into new solutions for security forces. The homegrown ecosystem formed in the defense industry carries out studies by taking into account developing technologies and needs arising on the battlefield and user demands. One example of those efforts was carried out for the unmanned land vehicle platform. New payloads were integrated into the unmanned land vehicle, Barkan, which was recently added to the inventory of security forces. In this context, the 40-millimeter Automatic Grenade Launcher (RDS40-AGL) produced by Repkon Defence, took its place on Barkan with the Trakon Lite Remote Controlled Weapon System developed by Unirobotics. After integration works, Barkan was tested in closed and open areas with its new weapon and remote-controlled weapon system, and showed a successful performance. Barkan, a "medium class level 1 unmanned land vehicle," was developed by Turkish defens e giant, Havelsan, as one of the land-based elements of the "digital unity" concept. Barkan, which entered the inventory at the end of 2023 after field tests, can overcome difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions, as well as eliminating asymmetric threats against security forces with its features. Increasing combat effectiveness in high-risk military missions, Barkan is designed to provide advanced security in scenarios requiring agility. It can reach speeds of more than 13 kilometers per hour (8 miles per hour) and can operate for more than five hours. With the integration of Trakon Lite, Barkan will gain the ability to carry 7.62-, 5.56-millimeter machine guns and 12.7-millimeter heavy machine guns. The 40-millimeter Automatic Grenade Launcher is capable of firing 40x53 millimeter ammunition. The RDS40-AGL stands out among its counterparts with features such as being user-oriented, more reliable and more durable. Source: Anadolu Agency

President of the House Education Committee, Pavlos Mylonas, and the President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Gao Xiang, referred on Monday during a meeting in Parliament, in Nicosia, to the cooperation between Cyprus and China in the field of culture and education, and the promotion of dialogue between cultures.

The House Education and Culture Committee had a meeting with the President and Members of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

Welcoming the Chinese delegation, Mylonas referred to the cooperation between Cyprus and China and said, among other things, that this was a good opportunity for Europeans, especially in Cyprus and Greece, to learn a wonderful culture such as the Chinese, but mainly for people to understand the common values of humanity and democracy.

He also thanked China for its long-standing principled stance on the Cyprus issue.

Xiang, said, through a translator, that their trip to Cyprus was a dialogue of cultures, and he referred to the great history and rich culture of the two countries.

He said that China and Cyprus place importance on cultural exchanges, and referred to the Cultural Cooperation Agreement between the two countries signed in 1980, and the 2012 Agreement between the Ministries of Education of the two countries on cooperation in higher education.

Xiang also mentioned that there were currently two Confucius Institutes in Cyprus, which opens a bigger window as regards communication of cultures, he said.

He also noted that in 2019, the Academy and the European University of Cyprus signed a memorandum of cooperation while, during this visit to Cyprus, the CASS will sign with the same university an agreement to establish a Chinese research centre at the university, to deepen exchanges.

Xiang invited Mylonas and the Committee to Beijing.

After the meeting, Mylonas told CNA that it was important to continue cooperation with China, which, as he said, was an enormous country, from which Cyprus can learn many things. He referred to the need to learn the Chinese culture, but also to see their practices as regards primary and secondary education.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Athena Michaelidou, is in Zaragoza, Spain, to participate in the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers of Education and Youth, which will take place on Monday and Tuesday.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Education, Michaelidou left for Madrid on Sunday and will return to Cyprus on Wednesday.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

With amendments made to its regulation, Educational Services of the Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs) will have the authority to prepare educational programs for children aged 4-6, as well as for youth and adults, and will carry out activities related to conversion to Islam both domestically and abroad. With a change made in the 'Duties and Working Regulation' of the Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs), the authority to prepare educational programs, course materials, textbooks, and supplementary educational materials for children aged 4-6, as well as for youth and adults, has been granted to the General Directorate of Educational Services of the Diyanet.

The changes in the 'Duties and Working Regulation' of Diyanet have been published in the Official Gazette. Within the scope of the changes, the responsibilities of the General Directorate of Educational Services have been expanded.

As part of the changes, the General Directorate has been granted the authority to prepare educational programs, course materials, textbooks, and supplementary educational materials for children aged 4-6, as well as for youth and adults.

Activities related to conversion to Islam

With this regulation change, the Diyanet Presidency's General Directorate of Educational Services will also carry out activities related to conversion to Islam (ihtida) both domestically and abroad, follow up on the procedures for those who convert to Islam, and maintain records related to these documents.

Learning of Qur'an

The General Directorate will also be responsible for promoting the proper recitation, understanding, and learning of the Qur'an, establishing Qur'an courses and Qur'an education centers for those who want to memorize the Qur'an, organizing courses for those who want to receive religious education, and handling procedures related to these courses and centers.

Furthermore, the Directorate will open dormitories and hostels for students attending the courses and centers, ensuring the coverage of their expenses while staying there

Source: English Bianet

In Trkiye on Monday, more than 20 million students, from the youngest preschool youngsters to teenage high schoolers, went back to school. According to the National Education Ministry, a total of 20.4 million students and 1.2 million teachers are starting the new school year today, out of the country's total population of some 85 million. This year more than 45,000 new teachers will begin their duties in regions struck by devastating earthquakes this February which took more than 50,000 lives. Preparatory and remedial programs will be carried out for a month in certain provinces to address educational deficiencies for students in quake-hit regions. Some students in those regions have class in container or prefab buildings set up after the quakes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the start of the new school year, saying, "Today, with the school bells ringing, I embrace all our children whose longing for school ended and wish them great success." *Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Cabinet, in a session held on Wednesday, approved a proposal by the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth for the implementation of a pilot program for learning the German language in public secondary schools in Nicosia and Limassol.

Minister of Education Athena Michaelidou said that, following an evaluation of the program's implementation and its success in promoting multilingualism, which is one of the ministry's objectives, the Ministry would consider expanding the initiative to other schools in the next academic year.

For the 2023-2024 school year, the selected institutions for the German language learning program are the Archbishop Makarios III Gymnasium (Platy) and Archbishop Makarios III Lyceum (Dasoupolis) in Nicosia, as well as the Gymnasium and Lyceum of Linopetra in Limassol.

The Ministry of Education clarifies that the program will be available for students in the first year of Gymnasium and Lyceum, respectively. Classes will be conducted after the morning curriculum, from 13:35 to 14:20, without affecting the schools' existing schedules.

Through this program, students will have the opportunity to learn the German language at a high level under the supervision and guidance of the Goethe Institute. Additionally, the Goethe Institute will provide teacher training in teaching methodology and certification of German language proficiency for educators.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Minister of Education announced that teachers are going to be encouraged to wear white uniforms in the new school year. The President of the Egitim-Sen union said that such encouragement would turn into imposition. The teachers are going to wear white uniforms in the new school year announced the Minister of Education Yusuf Tekin in a provincial education evaluation meeting he participated in Urfa.

He requested that the governors do the necessary for the teachers to wear uniforms. "Another issue is one that comes up in teachers' room meetings frequently, that our teachers dress in a way that is proper for a teacher at schools," Tekin said.

"The Governors are makilng the necessary preperations for the white uniform so that the teachers will be dressed properly as a teacher," he said and added, "The teachers will be encouraged to wear uniforms so that they can represent their profession in a good way and be a role model for their students."

There was criticism about the Minister's statement.

"Teachers know how to dress"

bianet talked to the President of the Education and Science Employees Union (Egitim Sen) President Prof. Dr. Nejla Kurul, about the new decision by the Ministry.

Kurul recalled the statement by the Minister that "the teachers should dress in a way that is fit for a teacher."

"We do not accept such an insult. The teachers are a group of professionals who know how to dress," she said.

"Encouragement will turn into imposition"

Kurul also criticised the Minister for saying that they will “encourage” wearing white uniforms.

She said, "The teachers decide how to dress and what to wear themselves in a democratic education atmosphere. An "institutional encouragement" regarding this issue will turn into imposition later. We have seen many examples of this."

"Moreover we know that it is the clothes of the women teachers that bother the government," Kurul added.

“How do we know that the white uniform will not turn into a black uniform in the future?" she asked.

"While it is a problem to interfere with the clothes of the children, how can one think of interfering with the clothes of the teachers? The teachers who wish to do so can wear uniforms, and some do, already. However this step by the government is an effort to standardize the teachers. We will take a stand against this."

Kurul also criticized the Ministry for not dealing with the real problems of education but instead taking up the clothes of the teachers instead. "We are inviting the Ministry to discuss the real problems," she said

Source: English Bianet