The closing meeting of the industry-oriented undergraduate capstone projects program, LIFT UP Industry-Oriented Undergraduate Capstone Projects Program, which offers future engineers the opportunity to conduct their undergraduate capstone projects with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), took place.

Manisa Celal Bayar University Rector, Prof. Dr. Rana Kibar, was a speaker at the LIFT UP Industry-Oriented Capstone Projects 2023-2024 Closing Meeting. During the online event, Prof. Dr. Kibar emphasized the importance of industry-university collaboration and discussed the contributions of the projects to our country's industry and the career development of students.

In her speech, Rector Kibar stated, "This program is a platform where our senior engineering students solve real R&D problems of TUSAŞ together with industrial advisors from TUSAŞ. Our students have the opportunity to work under the industrial advisory of an engineer from the department where they carry out their projects at TUSAŞ, along with the scientific research, reading, and cultural competencies they gain from their academic advisors at the university. In this way, our students can develop their skills in solving real problems in industrial conditions, preparing them better for the industry after graduation. The great added value this program provides to our students is evident."

She continued, "This year, in the 2023-2024 term, our university participated in the LIFT UP program with 8 groups. The interest and success shown by our students have once again made us, their instructors, proud. This is a great source of motivation for university-industry collaboration.

Additionally, within the scope of University-Industry Collaboration activities, the Manisa Celal Bayar University-TUSAŞ Air Platforms and Defense Systems Research and Design Laboratory was inaugurated by TUSAŞ on June 6, 2024. This laboratory is always open for our students' work and encourages more participation in the fields of aviation and space. Our laboratory provides an environment where our students can develop their practical skills and work on real projects.

The development of Turkish Aerospace Industries is a process that requires the support of our young talents. Therefore, the projects we carry out with TUSAŞ LIFT UP and the opening of our laboratory are significant steps towards the future engineers and researchers who will work in the field of aviation and space. Through this collaboration, we will contribute to advanced R&D solutions to be used on unique platforms, fostering the growth of our postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers.

At this point, as Manisa Celal Bayar University, we are eager to further strengthen our collaboration with TUSAŞ. We aim to have more students work and conduct projects in the fields of aviation and space. In line with this goal, we will work more closely with TUSAŞ to increase our students' participation in R&D activities.

In conclusion, today, we are gathered with great joy and excitement at the closing meeting of the "LIFT UP Industry-Oriented Capstone Projects" for 2023-2024. We are proud of the interest and success shown by our students. We will continue our efforts to expand this collaboration and increase the number of successful projects."