Near East University academics provided the students of Bülent Ecevit Anatolian High School with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and STEM training. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Arıkan Sarıoğlu, Faculty of Medicine Medical Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology Department Academic Member, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülsüm Aşıksoy, Educational Technologies and Informatics Coordinator, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuriye Sancar from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Mathematics Teaching Department, made a presentation to the students of Bülent Ecevit Anatolian High School about the importance of the SKA and STEM approach and the role these disciplines will play in their future.

Aiming to integrate four important disciplines with each other and combining abstract knowledge with concrete experiences, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) aims to develop students’ theoretical and practical skills and help them become creative and solution-oriented individuals. Described as the key to being a creative society that can compete with the world and is the education model of the 21st century, STEM allows students to develop skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and creativity.

Students learned about the 17 global goals within the scope of the SDGs!

In the event organized to increase students’ awareness and encourage them to find solutions to global problems, training was provided on how they can contribute to the SDGs in their daily lives. The event emphasized the idea that these goals should be supported not only by governments and large institutions, but also by individuals and communities. Academicians also discussed the role of STEM fields in achieving global goals and drew attention to how STEM makes significant contributions to sustainable development through scientific research, technological innovations, engineering solutions and mathematical analysis. The event also included how professions in these fields transform societies and play an active role in building a sustainable future.

In another important part of the event, career opportunities in STEM fields were discussed. Students learned about career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and how these fields contribute to the SDGs. While the paths to success in STEM careers and the ways these fields transform societies were emphasized, students were encouraged to take an active role in these processes.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Arıkan Sarıoğlu, who made a presentation on the Sustainable Development Goals, informed the students about 17 global goals focusing on critical issues such as poverty, inequality, climate change and environmental degradation. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sarıoğlu stated that these goals aim to create a more sustainable, equitable and fair world by 2030 and said, “The active participation of individuals, communities and especially young people is of vital importance in achieving these goals. Because you are the ones who will build the world of the future.”

Academicians shared their career experiences

Academicians who guide students to research and pursue careers in SKA and STEM fields also shared information about the opportunities and challenges of establishing a career in STEM. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülsüm Aşıksoy, who made a presentation titled “Artificial Intelligence Engineering,” explained to students how artificial intelligence can be used in sustainability projects and encouraged students to explore career opportunities in this field. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nuriye Sancar, in her speech titled “Mathematics,” expressed the importance of mathematics in STEM and how mathematical models can provide solutions to complex social and environmental problems. Academicians who shared their career experiences and academic journeys in their fields with students provided inspiring advice on how students can determine their goals in the fields they are interested in and the paths they should follow to achieve these goals.