T3 Podcast | Approach Technology Scientifically - Hasan Mandal

Hasan Mandal’s personal career journey, TÜBİTAK’s mission in science and technology, innovative support for the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and Türkiye’s role in the goals of the National Technology Initiative are examined.

Hasan Mandal began his academic career by directly entering a doctoral program after graduating from Middle East Technical University and has held numerous administrative positions. Mandal describes himself as a graduate of a vocational high school and emphasizes that success is not a matter of chance but is achieved through hard work determination and patience. His work philosophy is grounded in focusing on solutions rather than problems and approaching people with empathy.

TÜBİTAK is one of the most important institutions promoting science and technology in Türkiye, with human capital development at the core of its mission. All of its activities are shaped around Türkiye’s goal of becoming one of the world’s ten largest economies. To achieve this objective, strategic future-oriented areas have been identified as preparedness digitalization and cybersecurity as well as food supply security.

TÜBİTAK has adopted a people-centered approach to support the entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Individual Youth Entrepreneurship (BİGG) program is now open to all higher education students without grade restrictions. New initiatives such as STAR and 2209 encourage high school students to develop projects. The rapid domestic production of a respiratory device within weeks during the pandemic stands out as a concrete success story of these support efforts.

The National Technology Initiative aims to transform Türkiye into a country that does not merely use technology but develops and produces it. TÜBİTAK contributes to this goal by supporting science-based technological advancements and encouraging young people to deeply engage with emerging technologies. Hasan Mandal invites youth to go beyond the limits of a single discipline collaborate across fields and turn opportunities into achievements.