The nationwide science communication initiative, which includes OMU’s rapidly growing Science Café program, received first prize in the Public Institutions category for bringing scientific knowledge into everyday community settings across Türkiye.

The Science Communication Offices, established by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and including an office at Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), together with their flagship Science Café activities, have brought science beyond university campuses and into people’s everyday lives.

Growing with the encouragement and support of YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, the initiative has become an important component of science communication across Turkish universities.

YÖK received first prize in the Public Institutions category at the Golden Compass Türkiye Public Relations Awards for its project titled “Science Café: Science in Vineyards and Orchards, Fields and Mines, Ferries and Trains—Science Is Everywhere.”

The award was received at a ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul by Çiğdem Savaşçıoğlu, Press and Public Relations Advisor and Coordinator of the YÖK Science Communication Office, together with her team.

“We have built a powerful science communication network across Türkiye”

Savaşçıoğlu said that in just a year and a half, they had established a strong communication network connecting science with communities across Türkiye.

“We believe science should have a place in everyday life and reach every part of society,” Savaşçıoğlu said.

“In a year and a half, we have brought science together with people across our country, from village coffeehouses and agricultural fields to public squares and nursing homes.”

She thanked YÖK President Erol Özvar for supporting the establishment of Science Communication Offices and encouraging the initiative from its inception.

“I also extend my gratitude to the representatives of Science Communication Offices at universities across Türkiye, to our scientists, and to my entire team, all of whom have worked with the same belief and enthusiasm,” she said.

Savaşçıoğlu emphasized that the Golden Compass Award represented more than recognition of a successful communications project.

“We see the Golden Compass Award not simply as an achievement, but as an indication of how valuable it is to bring science together with society,” she said.

“Science communication is a shared responsibility in which institutions do not compete with one another, but instead strengthen one another. Science becomes more valuable when we work together and when it meets society.”

“For everyone who is curious and everyone who loves science, our universities are present throughout the country. We are fortunate to have our universities, and we are fortunate to have our scientists.”

Nearly 2,000 Science Café meetings held across Türkiye

Coordinated by the YÖK Science Communication Office, the Science Café initiative aims to communicate scientific knowledge produced at universities to different sections of society in clear and accessible language.

With the participation of more than 150 universities across Türkiye, approximately 2,000 Science Café meetings have been held to date.

Events have taken science directly into the places where people live and work, ranging from vineyards, agricultural fields, and village coffeehouses to ferries and mines.

At Science Café meetings, academics share expertise directly with members of the public, while regional needs and problems encountered in everyday life are also examined from a scientific perspective.

This approach makes the contribution of universities to addressing local and regional challenges more visible to society.

The first-place award at the Golden Compass Türkiye Public Relations Awards also recognized the communication impact of YÖK’s efforts to make scientific knowledge more accessible to the public.

OMU Science Café continues to connect science with society

Having reached its 21st session in a relatively short time since its official launch, OMU Science Café continues to build bridges between science and various sections of society.

The OMU Science Communication Office was officially opened on May 12, 2025, by YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, Samsun Governor Orhan Tavlı, and OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın.

Following the opening, the first Science Café event provided students at OMU Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School with training in preparing scientific research projects.

First off-campus event brought scientists and farmers together

The Office held its first off-campus activity on May 30, 2025, in the Kurtahmetli neighborhood of Çarşamba.

Focusing on the brown marmorated stink bug, an important agricultural pest affecting producers in the region, the event brought scientists and farmers together around the same table.

The aim was to take scientific knowledge directly into the field and develop a solution-oriented approach through direct dialogue between researchers and producers.

The third Science Café, held at the OMU Science, Art and Culture House on June 27, 2025, focused on the role of artificial intelligence in creating sustainable cities in an increasingly digital world.

Another event, held at Kurupelit Marina in Atakum on August 22, 2025, addressed two themes: “Our Water Is Running Out! What Does Science Say and What Should We Do?” and “First Aid: The Golden Minutes That Save Lives.”

Science Café addresses issues directly affecting society

OMU’s Science Café series has also addressed a wide range of subjects with direct relevance to everyday and social life, including women’s employment in surgical instrument manufacturing, children drawn into crime, addiction prevention, foster care, and cyberbullying.

The program has continued with discussions on Atatürk and science, the professions of the future, and science and education in Gaza.

Through these activities, OMU Science Café continues to bring researchers and members of the public together in settings beyond traditional classrooms and lecture halls, making scientific knowledge more accessible and strengthening interaction between the University and society.

Source: Council of Higher Education Webpage