President issues decree for a new institute at Boğaziçi University

Photo: Ali Aktaş

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has issued a decree for the establishment of the "Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Institute" at Boğaziçi University.

The presidential decision was issued yesterday (December 29) as per additional article 30 of Law No. 2089 on Higher Education Institutions.

Albert Ali Salah, a professor of social and affective computing at Boğaziçi University, criticized the decision on Twitter.

"There are 72 professors who teach data science and artificial intelligence, make publications and projects, and train students at Boğaziçi," he wrote. "Why an institute without any documents of strategy and planning is founded in a top-down manner and by ignoring written opinions of these professors is clear: One more seat in the senate!"

Previously, presidential decisions for the establishment of faculties of law and communication at the university were also criticized for the same reason.

Students and academics of Boğaziçi University have been protesting the president's rector appointments since the start of 2021, demanding democratically elected rectors.

Several students are facing trials over the protests and two students, Berke Göka and Perit Özen, have been remanded in custody since October. (RT/VK)