Our university's internationalization vision is expanding through organized scientific meetings. The academic collaboration initiated between Hacettepe University and the University of Lübeck (Universität zu Lübeck) in Germany continues with scientific meetings. Within this scope, the first online workshop in the field of neuroscience was held on November 17, 2025.
The first theme of the collaboration was established by Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bilgin, President of the Turkish-German Foundation. The collaboration process was organized on the initiative of Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cahit Güran, Rector of Hacettepe University, and Prof. Dr. Helge Braun, Rector of the University of Lübeck. Following a planning meeting between Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Necla Özer and Prof. Dr. Thomas Münte, the collaboration was established within a concrete framework.
The working meeting chaired by Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Necla Özer and Prof. Dr. Thomas Münte began with an opening speech by the Rector of the University of Lübeck. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Braun emphasized the strong support given to this cooperation initiative launched between the two institutions. Following the opening speech, researchers from the field of neurology at both universities presented their work under four main headings defined within the program.
In the first session, the topic of “Pain” was discussed, and Prof. Dr. Işın Ünal Çevik and Prof. Dr. Kerstin Lüdtke shared their current research in this field. The second session covered “Neuromuscular Diseases”; Prof. Dr. Sevim Erdem Özdağ and Prof. Dr. Julian Grosskreutz presented their work. The third session, titled “Parkinson's Disease / Movement Disorders,” featured Prof. Dr. Gül Yalçın Çakmaklı, Prof. Dr. Norbert Brüggemann, and Prof. Dr. Christine Klein, who presented their research on Parkinson's disease and movement disorders. It was noted that the two universities are currently actively communicating in this field. In the final session, “Neuroinflammation,” Prof. Dr. Meryem Aslı Tuncer discussed neuroinflammation, and Prof. Dr. Jens Minnerup presented their current research on stroke and neuroinflammation. All sessions concluded with question-and-answer sessions.
In the closing remarks of the meeting, it was stated that there is strong potential for cooperation between the two universities in areas such as joint research projects, academic data sharing, and student and faculty mobility. As a next step, it was proposed that an academic delegation from the University of Lübeck visit Hacettepe University to see the relevant units on site and hold face-to-face meetings. It was noted that this visit could provide opportunities to expand the cooperation to the fields of cardiology, infectious diseases, and oncology. The meeting was considered the beginning of a long-term, multifaceted, and strong academic partnership between the two institutions.
