CTR expands transportation research partnerships in Türkiye
Delegates from the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) recently returned from a trip to Ankara, Türkiye during the week of Sept. 7, 2026. The trip focused on expanding international collaboration and advancing joint transportation research partnerships.
During the visit, CTR team members Kevin Heaslip, Marcella Kaplan and Sean Lawrie met with leadership across five major Turkish institutions with a primary focus on civil and environmental engineering.
Strengthening research partnerships
The itinerary included meetings with three established institutional partners—Hacettepe University, Ankara University and Başkent University—as well as two prospective partners, Middle East Technical University (METU) and Gazi University.
These universities represent top-tier academic excellence, with four ranking within the top 10 in Türkiye: Hacettepe University at No. 2, METU at No. 3, Ankara University at No. 5, and Gazi University at No. 6. Discussions during the week centered on building long-term frameworks for joint research, facilitating faculty and student exchanges, and hosting collaborative academic convenings.
Lawrie noted, “Together with our partners in Türkiye, we can turn complex transportation challenges into breakthroughs that benefit economies, communities, and the environment.”
Joint research prospects
Actionable outcomes are already materializing following the delegation’s return. Kaplan will sponsor and advise an incoming PhD student from Hacettepe University who just finished her master’s degree program with current CTR collaborator Merih Koksal in the Department of Environmental Engineering. Additionally, CTR is exploring the possibility of hosting a faculty member from one of these universities as a visiting scholar.
Faculty members from both countries have also initiated discussions on several targeted research projects, including trends in bridge conditions, trends in fatal road crashes, demographics and traffic projection, and assessing spatial coverage of electric vehicle charging infrastructure along freight corridors.
CTR staff emphasized the strong foundation of the collaboration, stating that Türkiye’s research environment is marked by high-quality publications, strong international collaboration, and significant technological innovation, as evidenced by its top-tier placements in global research and innovation benchmarks.
A shared vision for global transportation
As CTR continues to build upon its international engagements, leadership underscores the deeper impact of cross-border academic cooperation. Further partnership milestones and joint project announcements are expected in the upcoming academic term as formal agreements progress.
