GTU GIS Days 2025

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day is an international event celebrated since 1999, typically during the third week of November. Proclaimed by the United Nations, it aims to highlight the importance of GIS and raise awareness about this field. Through GIS Day, various themed activities are organized to promote knowledge sharing about the opportunities offered by these systems, thereby increasing awareness of GIS applications and advancements across different domains.

The GTU GIS Days 2025 events are being carried out at different levels, elementary school, middle school, high school, and university, through the collaboration of the GTU HTAK–Geospatial Technologies Research Club and the GTU Department of Geomatics Engineering GISLab.

GTU GIS Days 2025 – #1 Elementary School Event

During the event prepared for 4th-grade students and held at Gebze Cumhuriyet Elementary School (Gebze, Kocaeli) on November 19, 2025, the importance of maps and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in our daily lives was explained in the classroom environment. Through examples, students learned how maps and related technologies help us better understand our surroundings, make cities more livable, and save lives by enabling informed decision-making during disasters.

In the engaging activity titled “Earthquakes and GIS,” students gained hands-on experience on how to act during a disaster and how mapping technologies can be used in emergency situations. Through presentations given by our students Deniz Kendir and Gediz Alp Coşkun, disaster awareness was strengthened, and the importance of using technology wisely and effectively was emphasized.

During the event, which was attended by Faculty Member Prof. Arif Çağdaş Aydınoğlu, Research Assistant Tansu Çetin, Social Impact Coordinator of the Institute of Transportation Technologies, and the GTU HTAK team, students were given storybooks, GIS-themed stickers, and bookmarks. These materials supported the learning process and helped reinforce their interest in maps. The event concluded with group photos and interviews.

GTU GIS Days 2025 – #2 Middle School Event

At Tuzla Çağrıbey Middle School (Tuzla, Istanbul), an event was held on November 20, 2025, for 5th-grade students. A presentation titled “GIS and Smart Cities” introduced how GIS works, how map data is collected, and how web-based mapping applications can be used in daily life.

During the simulated “Fire Response” activity conducted on the Tuzla street map, students were shown how to determine the optimal route to ensure that firefighters reach the fire scene as quickly as possible. In this context, key concepts such as analyzing with maps and selecting the shortest and safest route were explained through hands-on activities. In the presentations given by HTAK board members Feridun Körkaya and Hayrunnisa Akar, students’ learning processes were supported and their interest in mapping strengthened.

At the end of the event, attended by Faculty Member Prof. Arif Çağdaş Aydınoğlu, Research Assistant Elif Özlem Yılmaz, Social Impact Coordinator of the Department of Geomatics Engineering, and the GTU HTAK team, students were gifted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s Geometry book, along with GIS-themed stickers, bookmarks, notepads, and pencils. The event concluded with group photos and interviews.

GTU GIS Days 2025 – #3 High School Event

During the event held at Darıca Ülkün Yalçın Anatolian High School (Darıca, Kocaeli) on November 21, 2025, a conference titled “Geographic Information Technologies and GTU GISLab Model Applications” was held for high school students. In this conference, information was provided about technical workflows related to gathering and managing data from various sources in GIS, analyzing them for applications, and presenting the results. In addition to web-based mapping applications developed by public institutions and local governments in Türkiye, research studies, student projects, and applications conducted within the GTU GISLab–Geographic Information Systems Laboratory were shared with students, demonstrating how these technologies can be used in daily life to make cities more livable.

At the event, where presentations were delivered by Prof. Arif Çağdaş Aydınoğlu and Research Assistant Süleyman Şişman of the Department of Geomatics Engineering, GTU HTAK representatives distributed GTU promotional brochures along with materials introducing GIS and the professional discipline. The event concluded with group photos.

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