Description:
Abstract Antalya Mutation Project at Akdeniz University is a platform to provide
pragmatic training globally in induced plant mutagenesis, a specific area of plant
breeding, in an academic structure, and to create researchers who are able to generate
innovative solutions to their crop specific problems in the context of social engagement.
Universities are organizations expected to accomplish the multiple missions such as
teaching, research, academic services to society, technology transfer and development,
among others. This mission requires engagement between the university and other
bodies in the society. Main advantages of engagements are (1) to foster the partnership
between the university and the society, (2) to bring about mutual benefits for all parties
involved, (3) to share knowledge, and (4) to generate a measurable social impact. These
advantages can be taken when matched the readiness of the university to offer the
expertise with the current needs of the society. Consequently, the project evolved to a
main project by integration of three independent sub-projects in sesame, chickpea and
barley using basically induced mutagenesis in accordance with the available expertise
and the needs of the society. The specific objectives were basically to develop plant
types and cultivars suited to environment friendly agriculture for practical breeding
purposes and generating germplasm for basic studies. Through the genetic material
developed, scientific outputs produced and mass-media bulletins released it has taken
much public attention internationally, and thus the project turned to a platform lately
providing practical training, fellowships programs and expert missions by keeping its
main mission to serve the society. Working with the local, regional and international
actors make it possible to extend the expertise and to apply it in different part of the
world for tangible results through the scholars trained. Farmer participation in
agricultural research and development is a good model for university-community
engagement and co-funding of the university’s activities at this service, and also
creating researchers to innovate in agriculture. The interesting part of our social
engagement model was to be driven by conditions in the lack of infrastructure belong to
the university to perform the academic functions on-farm. The external engagement
extended the university’s outreach to connect it with communities, industry, local
administrations, central government, alumni, and international organizations and
visitors as exemplified in this communication.