Last year, the University of Georgia and Kocaeli Health and Technology University signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) aimed at fostering scientific collaboration, knowledge sharing, and academic exchange in the field of One Health. The agreement establishes a framework for joint initiatives in research, education, and interdisciplinary cooperation.
The first practical step toward the implementation of this cooperation has already been undertaken through the visit of Dr. Özgün Öykü Özdemir from Kocaeli Health and Technology University, Türkiye, to the One Health Institute (OHI) at the University of Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia. Dr. Özdemir’s visit was facilitated through the ERASMUS Mobility Program and took place at the beginning of May this year. The primary objectives of the visit included advancing expertise in applied bioinformatics and developing joint research proposals focused on bacteriophages, microbial genomics, and antimicrobial resistance within the broader One Health framework. These collaborative efforts are intended to strengthen ongoing scientific cooperation between the two institutions.
During her stay in Tbilisi, Dr. Özdemir met with the Rector of the University of Georgia, Mr. Konstantine Topuria; the Director of the School of Science and Technology, Dr. Merab Topuria; and the Director of the One Health Institute, Dr. Mamuka Kotetishvili, together with members of his research team. Discussions focused primarily on the future development of international postgraduate teaching programs and the preparation of collaborative research proposals related to metagenomic studies investigating potential reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes in aquatic environments across Georgia and Türkiye.
In addition, Dr. Özdemir successfully completed the Applied Bioinformatics Training Course offered by the OHI’s In Silico Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics (LFGP). This training further contributed to strengthening the academic and scientific partnership between the two institutions.
Further expansion of the academic and scientific collaboration between the One Health Institute of the University of Georgia and Kocaeli Health and Technology University is anticipated in the near future.
