Turkish university inaugurates blockchain center at Boston's Northeastern University


After establishing Turkey's first university-based blockchain center last year, BlockchainIST, Bahçeşehir University (BAU) has now opened a blockchain center at Boston's Northeastern University, a leading university on new generation networks.

Through the BAU-NEU Blockchain Laboratory, Turkey will provide information support to the American university on blockchain technology, thus replacing technology imports with exports.

The project will enable the center to apply for funds in the U.S., the European Union (EU) and Turkey. The cooperation will increase Turkey's competitive power in the blockchain market and attract people from all over the world, who want to specialize in blockchain technology, to Turkey.

Chair of the BAU Board of Trustees Enver Yücel said he was proud to work with Northeastern University. "If you can manage science globally, a nice synergy emerges. I have seen this in American universities. They have labs all over the world, and we must have them as well. No university in the world can bring out everything perfectly. I figured this out a little late. After that, we tried to enter where in the world is the most powerful in which area," he added.

"We appreciate the Turkish Exporter's Assembly [TİM] Chairman İsmail Gülle for his work from day one. We want to have further collaborations. Whatever is done in our universities should be included in the industry. The industry has to understand what we are doing, and we need to understand what the industry is doing. We can develop this dialogue under your vision. I would like to start the master and doctoral education programs in cooperation with TIM. I think it will be better if we have more people with doctorates. I believe we will accomplish good things together."

Professor Tomasso Melodia from Northeastern University said they formed a great team with BAU. "We believe in cooperation. We aim to give the ability to consume less energy to the internet of the future and ensure the wireless communication of objects and people," Melodia said. "We have been a national leader with funding of $50 million. We try to pave the way for new partnerships and collaborations."

Pointing out that they worked overtime on the newly opened center for eight months, Bora Erdamar, director of BlockchainIST Center, said blockchain technology would fill in the concept of trust, which was said to cause concerns.

"This will directly change all sectors from logistics to trade, from education to health, from energy to agriculture where we need to keep our products and people's information in a safe environment," Erdamar said, adding that the situation would allow the parties to cooperate very easily and focus on their areas of responsibility.