Candidate for Turkey Chapter Chair position: Ismail Uyanik

Short Manifesto:

I am an Associate Professor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Hacettepe University and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions alum, with an interdisciplinary research career spanning neuroscience, robotics, control theory, and bio-inspired intelligence. Having led multiple nationally and internationally funded projects, supervised a large and diverse research team, and collaborated extensively across Europe, I have experienced first-hand the transformative impact of the MSCA programme on scientific careers and research cultures.

My engagement with MSCA has shaped not only my scientific trajectory but also my commitment to mentorship, international mobility, and community building. I have actively supported early-career researchers in proposal development, career planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration, and I strongly believe that the MCAA Turkey Chapter should serve as a dynamic platform where experience, opportunity, and solidarity meet.

If elected as Chair, my vision is to strengthen the Turkey Chapter as a high-impact, inclusive, and intellectually vibrant community. My priorities are threefold:

- Strengthening scientific and professional exchange by organizing high-quality events that combine MSCA information with complementary skills such as interdisciplinary research design, leadership, open science, AI in research, and career transitions.

- Empowering researchers across career stages through mentoring-oriented activities that leverage the experience of senior MCAA members while remaining accessible and inspiring for early-career researchers.

I bring to this role experience in academic leadership, project coordination, international collaboration, and science communication, along with a strong belief in collective action. I am motivated to serve the MCAA Turkey Chapter with transparency, energy, and a collaborative spirit—working together to ensure that our community not only grows, but thrives.