Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) hosted a special Science Café event titled “Atatürk and Science: In the footsteps of Atatürk; with science, art, and gratitude” on November 10, Atatürk Memorial Day. The event presented a comprehensive program reflecting the vision of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, shaped by science and reason.

Organized in collaboration with the OMU Science Communication Office (BİO), the Atatürk’s Principles and History of Reforms Research and Application Center, and the Faculty of Education, the event aimed to inspire scientific thinking among youth while commemorating November 10 with depth and meaning. Moderated by Burcu Düzgün Çoban, the program at the OMU Faculty of Education attracted great attention with its rich blend of science, art, and remembrance.

The special Science Café was attended by OMU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Alper Kesten, Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Hamza Çalışıcı, Rector’s Advisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emine Şendurur, Deputy Secretary General Serap Sivrioğlu Sezer, and BİO Coordinator Lecturer Mürsel Kan, along with many academics and students. Participants also took part in several segments of the commemoration program.

Academic lecture, special performances, and musical tributes

The program opened with a lecture titled “Atatürk and Science” delivered by Prof. Dr. Kaya Tuncer Çağlayan, faculty member of the OMU Faculty of Education and Director of the Atatürk’s Principles and History of Reforms Research and Application Center. He emphasized Atatürk’s science-based vision and its defining role in shaping modern Türkiye.

Following the academic presentation, under the direction of Lecturer Sıddık Akbayır, students from the Department of Classroom Teaching performed an emotional drama based on letters written by primary school students to Atatürk.

Next, students from the Department of Music Education performed Atatürk’s favorite songs under the direction of Lecturer Ömer Kanca, accompanied by retired Ministry of Culture soloist Osman Ergen, who participated as a guest performer.

A performance by children from Çam Ağacı Kindergarten added further meaning to the commemorative event.

Exhibition and remembrance corner draw attention

The event venue featured a photography exhibition prepared by the OMU Corporate Communication Unit, showcasing carefully selected Atatürk photographs from the Anıtkabir archives, which received strong appreciation from participants.

An interactive corner titled “In the footsteps of Atatürk”, designed by the OMU Visual Arts Community under the academic guidance of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selma Karaahmet Balcı, displayed a collective Atatürk silhouette created through participants’ fingerprint stamps—one of the most memorable and symbolic elements of the event.

Growing legacy of Science Café

This event marked the fifth Science Café organized by the OMU Science Communication Office (BİO) since its official opening in May 2025. Previous events brought science to diverse audiences through topics such as project development for high school students, combating the brown marmorated stink bug with farmers, AI and sustainable cities, water crisis and first aid, and women’s employment in surgical instrument manufacturing.

This special “Atatürk and Science” event once again demonstrated the Office’s expanding impact by bringing together national values with scientific thought.

The program concluded by reaffirming the enduring significance of Atatürk’s principle:

“The truest guide in life is science.”