Three Erasmus+ Achievements for GTU in Sustainable Future and Digital Transformation

August 5, 2026 - GTU Office of Press and Public Relations
 

— Gebze Technical University (GTU) has achieved significant success under the Erasmus+ Programme with three international projects, "WATERSHIELD", "DIGI MATTERS", and "CarbonLess", focusing on climate change, sustainable building technologies, and carbon footprint management.

Three Major Projects Recognized on the International Stage

Gebze Technical University (GTU) continues to strengthen its leading role in the European higher education landscape through international projects developed around the themes of the global climate crisis, sustainability, digital transformation, and innovative educational models. Three projects, "WATERSHIELD", "DIGI MATTERS", and "CarbonLess", coordinated and led by GTU academics have been selected for funding under the European Commission's Erasmus+ Programme.

Carbon Neutrality and an AI-Powered Curriculum: CarbonLess

The "CarbonLess – Building an Interdisciplinary HE Curriculum for Sustainable Carbon Footprint Management" project, led by Prof. Selçuk Toprak from GTU's Department of Civil Engineering, has been selected for funding under the Erasmus+ KA220-HED program.

Coordinated by Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (Bulgaria), the project brings together GTU, the University of Thessaly (Greece), the University of Bologna (Italy), and the University of Agriculture in Krakow (Poland). The consortium will develop an AI-powered learning platform and a joint European master's curriculum in carbon footprint management. Prof. Banu Çetin, Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Balçık, and Research Assistant Oğuz Dal are participating in the project as researchers. The initiative will make a direct contribution to universities' carbon neutrality goals.

A Leading Digital Manufacturing Ecosystem: "DIGI MATTERS"

The "DIGI MATTERS" project, carried out on behalf of GTU by Assoc. Prof. Fitnat Cimşit-Koş of the Faculty of Architecture, has become part of a six-university international consortium that secured €400,000 in Erasmus+ funding after receiving an outstanding 96/100 evaluation score during the international assessment process.

Coordinated by the Politecnico di Milano (Italy), the three-year project is being implemented in collaboration with GTU, the Universidade do Minho (Portugal), the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), TU Darmstadt (Germany), and the École nationale des ponts et chaussées (France). The project will integrate digital design and robotic manufacturing technologies with sustainable construction approaches. GTU will contribute the interdisciplinary expertise of the Responsive Ground Research Lab (RGRL) within the Faculty of Architecture and the GTU Innovative Biomaterials Group (NOVABIOMAT) within the Institute of Biotechnology. Assoc. Prof. Zehra Banu Bahşi, head of NOVABIOMAT, and Research Assistant Seben Aşkın-Kütükçü are serving as researchers in the project.

Strengthening Water and Climate Resilience Under GTU Coordination: "WATERSHIELD"

The WATERSHIELD: Strengthening Higher Education for Water and Climate Resilience across Europe and its Neighbourhood project, internationally coordinated by Lecturer Gülfem Soydemir, PhD, from GTU's Department of Environmental Engineering, has been accepted under the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) program.

Bringing together 15 institutions and organizations from Türkiye, Norway, Egypt, Ukraine, and Greece, the project aims to strengthen the capacity of higher education institutions to address climate-induced water scarcity and regional climate risks. Under GTU's leadership, the project will establish a shared digital learning platform, develop micro-credential programs, and launch operational Living Labs to support practice-oriented activities.

Through these strategic research, development, and innovation partnerships that promote the globalization of science, GTU is delivering multinational solutions for global societal challenges. With its visionary academics and sustainability-driven research infrastructure, the university continues to lead the digital and green transformation of higher education through Erasmus+ projects.