The “Sustainable Development Goals Summit,” organized in collaboration between Near East University, one of the world’s top 500 universities, and the TRNC Presidency, brought together civil society organizations, public institutions, academics, and local government representatives.

Near East University, which combines academic knowledge with a sense of social responsibility in line with sustainable development goals and is among the world’s top 500 universities, strengthened this vision with a widely attended summit. The “Sustainable Development Goals Summit,” organized by the Atatürk Faculty of Education of Near East University, was held in collaboration with the TRNC Presidency. The summit created a platform bringing together civil society organizations, public institutions, academics, and local government representatives.

The summit, realized with the contributions of the Near East University Social Research and Development Center and the Digital Education and Information Unit Quality and Accreditation Coordination Office, aimed to strengthen institutional collaborations, raise public awareness, and create feasible and concrete roadmaps in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. The opening speeches of the summit, which began with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem, were given by Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay, Co-Chair of the Near East University Social Research and Development Center, and Member of Parliament Armağan Candan. Prof. Dr. Fahriye Altınay moderated the Sustainable Development Goals Summit.

Academic presentations focusing on sustainability and education were made…

In the first part of the summit, which featured contributions from academics from various disciplines, presentations focusing on sustainability and education were made by Near East University academics. Prof. Dr. Fezile Özdamlı, Vice President of the Quality Coordination Office, made a presentation on “Higher Education and Sustainability”; Prof. Dr. Sezer Kanbul, Director of the Digital Education and Information Unit, presented “Digital Transformation in Education”; Prof. Dr. Umut Akçıl, Dean of the Atatürk Faculty of Education, presented  “Education and Sustainability”; and Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay, Co-Chair of the Social Research and Development Center focused on an academic perspective with her presentation titled “Community Service and Sustainability.”

Sustainable development was addressed from a multi-stakeholder perspective…

In the panel held in the afternoon session of the summit, the practical application of the sustainable development goals was assessed from a multi-stakeholder point of view. The panel discussed the studies and work carried out by civil society organizations, local governments, educational institutions, and community projects. In addition to  doctoral student Sinem Arıca from Near East University, the panel included Sibel Taçay Demirpençe, Head of Social Services Branch of Nicosia Turkish Municipality; Dietitian Funda Bilginer, Zeynep Yağar Özer, President of Girne Özgürada Lions Club, and Ayşe Kanlıada, President of the Cancer Patients Aid Association. Also participating were Sevgi Gürpınar from the Güzelyurt Branch of the Cyprus Turkish Women’s Union; Ayşe Kaya, President of the Alsancak Mare Monte Aid Association; Dr. Sait Coşaner, Principal of Alsancak Primary School; Ramazan Korkmaz, Acting Principal of Dipkarpaz Primary School; and a representative from Asbank.

Armağan Candan: “Such platforms bring together various stakeholders, paving the way for the creation of common solutions.”

Stating that he believes the Sustainable Development Goals Summit will make significant contributions, Member of Parliament Armağan Candan noted that although such initiatives are relatively new to the TRNC, they are rapidly developing. Emphasizing the great importance of implementing collaborative projects, Candan stated that these platforms bring together different stakeholders, creating a foundation for the creation of common solutions. He noted that the projects developed will shape not only the present but also the future, and stressed the need for sustainability-focused efforts to continue and increase.

Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay: “We are building a strong bridge between higher education and sustainability based on societal contribution.”

Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay, Co-Chair of the Near East University Social Research and Development Center, emphasized in her opening speech that the summit was carried out on the basis of common sense and cooperation. Altınay stated that the event was organized with a multi-stakeholder approach. Altınay said, “We are organizing this event with many stakeholders. Our aim is to demonstrate the relationship between higher education and sustainability with a concrete example.” Expressing that the link between higher education and sustainable development goals serves as an important bridge in terms of societal contribution, Prof. Dr. Altınay said, “The relationship between higher education and sustainability acts as a strong bridge based on societal contribution. Today, we see the best example of this here.”

Congratulating Project Coordinator Dr. Sinem Arıcı, Prof. Dr. Altınay stated that 17 different projects were developed within 17 main frameworks as part of the summit, adding, “We completed our projects focusing on quality education, which is the fourth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals.” Prof. Dr. Altınay emphasized that the most important stage of the process is reflecting the projects to society and stakeholders, saying, “The most valuable aspect of this project is bringing its outputs together with society and our stakeholders. We are experiencing this here today.” Stating that they will create a strong perspective with contributions from different areas of expertise, Prof. Dr. Altınay said, “We will integrate our theoretical knowledge with our stakeholders in the field and turn it into a comprehensive report. We will submit this report, prepared with common sense and cooperation, to the Presidency.”