The Training “Methodology in Medical Research” Was Held in Azerbaijan with the Support of TİKA

The training “Methodology in Medical Research” was held by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Faculty of Medicine at Gazi University (GU), and the Management Union of Medical Territorial Units of Azerbaijan (TABIB) in Azerbaijan.

The training program was held to improve the methods used in scientific research conducted in scientific research institutes and centers affiliated with TABIB. The opening ceremony held for the program at “New Clinic” in Baku was attended by Assoc. Prof. Cahit Bağcı, Turkey’s Ambassador to Baku; Prof. Mustafa Necmi İlhan, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at GU; Asst. Prof. Hakan Tüzün, a faculty member in the Department of Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine at GU; Fatih Yılmaz, TİKA’s Coordinator in Baku; Dr. Nihat Büyükbaş and Hüseyin Altınalan, Education and Press Counselors at the Turkish Embassy in Baku; officials of the State Agency for Compulsory Health Insurance of Azerbaijan and TABIB; and Azerbaijani scientists and academics.

In his opening statements, Ambassador Bağcı stressed that it was important and valuable that Turkey shared its experience in scientific research and application methods in Azerbaijan. Stating that TİKA was a source of pride for our country, Bağcı said, “Turkey is ready to help its brothers and sisters not only with the experience of its public and private organizations, but also with its academic knowledge. Any investment in human capital is valuable. Changing global conditions necessitate skilled workforce not only in the field of software development, but also in every other field, including health, agriculture, and environment. Gazi University will contribute to the development of healthcare providers by sharing its knowledge.”

Prof. Mustafa Necmi İlhan, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at GU, stated that Turkey and Azerbaijan wanted to transform their military cooperation into scientific cooperation. Stressing that progress can be achieved by using language and science together and ensuring the dominance of the Turkish language and Turkish science in the world, İlhan said, “I believe that the capacity of scientists in the Turkic world is very high. We will be extremely happy to share our experience with you. Our support for Azerbaijan began with the vaccination training. We have seen the capacity and determination to work and develop oneself here. We launched this project to increase and maintain this capacity.”

Fatih Yılmaz, TİKA’s Coordinator in Baku, noted that they had been operating in Azerbaijan for nearly 30 years and had carried out projects and activities that touch every aspect of life. He said, “Projects for the strengthening of the health infrastructure and the improvement of the professional knowledge and skills of healthcare providers have a major place in TİKA’s activities. In this context, we firmly believe that the relations and cooperation between these two sister countries will continue to improve and become stronger in the field of health and medicine, as in other fields.”

During the two-day program, Prof. Mustafa Necmi İlhan and Asst. Prof. Hakan Tüzün provided training on science and scientific thought in the Turkic world, epidemiological and clinical research design, the universe of hypothesis formation, sample selection and control group, descriptive research, cross-sectional studies, case control studies, cohort studies, experimental studies, research criteria, phases of clinical research, sensitivity and selectivity in methodological studies, ROC curve, biostatistics concepts, descriptive statistics, significance tests, and correlation and regression. On the third day, Prof. İlhan and Asst. Prof. Tüzün visited the scientific research institutes and centers affiliated with TABIB and received a briefing from the officials about the studies.