|
November 22, 2024-GTU Office of Press and Public Relations
The closing conference for the EU project "READY4DISasters", implemented under the leadership of Gebze Technical University (GTU) with support from the Erasmus+ Program, is successfully held on November 20, 2024, at the GTU Congress Center. The event commences with opening speeches by Kocaeli Deputy Governor Mustafa Ayhan and GTU Vice-Rector Prof. Damla Arısan. The closing conference of the EU project, led by Prof. Selçuk Toprak, brings together numerous attendees, including foreign project partners, AFAD and Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department personnel, academics, students, and disaster volunteers.
The READY4DISasters project includes 7 different partner institutions from 4 countries. From Türkiye, the Kocaeli Provincial Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality; from Italy, LARES Italia - National Union of Civil Protection Experts and Training 2000 psc; from Greece, OIKOPOLIS - Ecological Cultural Association of Chaidari; and from Georgia, Digiway have participated in the project.
The READY4DISasters project aims to build resilient communities against disasters such as fires, floods, and landslides through awareness and preparedness initiatives. In line with this goal, a key focus is the inclusion of various segments of society in the project and enhancing their competencies. This development is supported by providing volunteers with access to new learning and training opportunities. To prepare volunteers for disasters and enable them to acquire the related necessary skills, the project offers digital tools, including educational materials and games. These tools aim to equip volunteers with essential skills and a holistic perspective on all stages of disaster management, including risk reduction, preparedness, response, and recovery.
In his speech, Kocaeli Deputy Governor Mustafa Ayhan emphasized the importance of collaboration in projects and stated that disasters have universal effects on humanity. He noted that such projects enable the development of a common language and understanding among different stakeholders.
Ayhan continued, "I believe this project has made significant contributions in raising awareness, consciousness, and preparedness for disasters among individuals, institutions, and countries. I am confident these contributions positively impact both educational processes and crisis management efforts. I would also like to stress the importance of preparatory efforts in crisis management. These kind of activities we carry out before a crisis will save energy and resources in subsequent stages, leading to more effective outcomes."
GTU Vice-Rector Prof. Damla Arısan highlighted the significance of creating disaster-resilient communities and raising awareness as a shared responsibility. She expressed that the value of the closing meeting stemmed from bringing together stakeholders with common scientific and societal goals. Prof. Arısan stated, "At GTU, we are committed to producing scientific solutions in collaboration with all segments of society, driven by our mission as a research- and impact-oriented institution. We aim to lead projects that integrate science with field applications and touch communities. I believe all stakeholders, including local governments and civil actors involved in this project, have made valuable contributions, greatly strengthening the initiative."
Referring to the impact of Erasmus+ projects in bringing together international partners, Arısan added, "The project process has yielded highly positive results in terms of both scientific and societal impacts. I believe such projects should continue to increase, and I once again emphasize the importance of expanding international collaborations."
In the first session of the conference, the main outputs and achievements of the project were presented. Participants were introduced to innovative products such as training modules, open educational resources (OER), and interactive mobile applications. Details of award-winning game competitions and dissemination activities during the project process were also shared. At the end of the session, awards and certificates were presented to the winners.
The second session featured practical activities, including fire training, a mobile earthquake simulation truck, and workshops on disaster management. Participants actively engaged in training sessions emphasizing the importance of building resilient communities against natural disasters like fires, floods, and landslides.
While the READY4DISasters project aims to raise awareness and preparedness levels of communities against disasters, it has also significantly contributed to international cooperation through the exchange of knowledge and experience among experts from different countries. The GTU project team comprises Prof. Selçuk Toprak (Coordinator), Prof. Banu Çetin, Assoc. Prof. Burak Aydoğan, Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Balçık, Research Assistants Oğuz Dal and Tahsin Görmüş. The project outputs can be accessed at https://ready4disasters.gtu.edu.tr/. |
