Coordinated by Sakarya University in partnership with Kocaeli University, Düzce University, and the Governorship of Sakarya—with the Governorship of Düzce, Kocaeli Provincial Directorate of National Education, and VakıfBank as stakeholders—academics from Kocaeli University met with students at Yahya Kaptan Middle School as part of the Science&Future project.
The first event of the project, designed to raise awareness among primary and high school students regarding climate change, natural disasters, and resilient cities, took place with contributions from Kocaeli University academics. The activities, attended by 60 students from Yahya Kaptan Middle School, promoted the creation of resilient cities and a sustainable development approach.
Following an opening speech by Prof. Dr. Sevil Veli from the Department of Environmental Engineering at Kocaeli University, who provided information about the EU and the project, the researchers' presentations began. In the first session, Prof. Dr. Sevil Veli presented on green transformation and conducted an experiment with students on how to purify water using active carbon. After the experiment, which drew great interest, she answered the students' questions.
In the second session, Prof. Dr. Selma Koç Akgül and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aysel Çetinkaya from the Faculty of Communication screened the documentary "From Flame to Recovery: A Fire Story." The film aimed to increase awareness of fires by highlighting the destruction they cause to nature and living beings. Following the screening, a talk was held with Alkan Özdemir from the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department regarding the causes and effects of fires and how to become a forest volunteer.
In the final session, Vice Rector and Faculty of Engineering Professor Dr. Elif Öğüt, along with Canan Cimşit from the Gölcük Vocational School, gave a presentation on renewable energy sources and technologies. The activity aimed to educate students on which energy sources are nearing depletion, their impact on climate change, and the renewable alternatives available.
Science Festivals and School Activities to Reach 70,000 People in the First Phase
The European Researchers' Night activities, which will be held across the campuses of universities in three different cities over two years, aim to reach 50,000 people. Additionally, experimental demonstrations, competitions, and informative activities in middle and high schools are expected to reach 20,000 students. Through the awareness and dissemination efforts carried out during the project, the goal is to reach a total of 1.5 million people regarding climate change and natural disasters.
