Established in 1996 under the umbrella of TÜBİTAK, the National Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBİM) operates with the mission of establishing, managing, and developing communication infrastructure for research and education among universities and research institutions in Türkiye. By providing high-speed and reliable network services, ULAKBİM connects institutions to both national and international research networks, while also offering comprehensive support to researchers through its information and document access services.
Aiming to develop world-class, forward-looking solutions, ULAKBİM promotes access to electronic information resources, designs information systems that ensure national scientific outputs meet international standards, and facilitates access to academic knowledge. Through a wide range of services—from high-performance computing infrastructure and open-source software solutions to digital libraries and educational technologies—ULAKBİM contributes significantly to Türkiye’s scientific and technological advancement.
ULAKBİM
Mission and Vision
Mission
To provide national academic e-infrastructures that support advanced technologies, ensure access to scientific knowledge, promote the adoption of open-source software, and develop educational technologies for students and researchers in Türkiye.
Vision
To contribute to elevating Türkiye to the highest level in the global scientific arena.
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Organization Chart
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History
TÜBİTAK National Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBİM) was established on May 16, 1996, through a protocol signed between TÜBİTAK and the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). Under this agreement, information and document access services previously provided by YÖK’s Department of Publications and Documentation were transferred to a new center to be operated under TÜBİTAK. The primary objective was to establish a national academic communication network connecting universities and R&D institutions, and to provide access to scientific information and documentation through this network.
ULAKBİM officially began its operations on June 1, 1996, continuing the information services with the periodicals collection and service building transferred from YÖK. The collection, which had been developed since 1983 and contained around 15,000 titles, became a vital resource for universities and numerous public institutions.
ULAKBİM consists of two main components: ULAKNET and the Cahit Arf Information Center, both playing critical roles in Türkiye’s transition to an information society. ULAKNET is the national academic network that connects universities and research institutions via a high-speed data communication infrastructure. Launched in 1997, its 34 Mbps ATM-based backbone enabled integration with international networks and significantly expanded Türkiye’s academic internet capacity.
The Cahit Arf Information Center was established to facilitate fast and effective access to scientific information. Through electronic information services, national databases, document delivery systems, and interlibrary collaboration mechanisms, it contributed to enhancing the quality of education and research. In 1998, the center was named after the renowned Turkish mathematician Cahit Arf, strengthening its institutional identity.
Since its foundation, ULAKBİM has played a leading role in advancing Türkiye’s digital research ecosystem—ranging from high-performance computing infrastructure to open science policies, open access services, and digital information systems.
