ACADEMIC SUPPORT FROM MERSIN UNIVERSITY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL OF TECHNICAL SCIENCES, DEPARTMENT OF FOOD PROCESSING, TO THE TÜBİTAK 4009 PROJECT "FROM LOCAL TO UNIVERSAL: THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNEY OF THE VILLAGE"

Dr. Ayşin Güzel Değer, Head of the Food Processing Department at Mersin University’s Vocational School of Technical Sciences, served as an expert academic staff member for the TÜBİTAK 4009 project, titled "From Local to Universal: The Scientific Journey of the Village."

Organized under the TÜBİTAK 4009 Support Program for Village Schools and executed by the Mersin Provincial Directorate of National Education, the project took place on October 5–6, 2026, at the Civanyaylağı Primary School in the Akdeniz district. It was conducted in collaboration with Mersin University, Toros University, the Alata Horticultural Research Institute, and the Mercan Science Center. The opening ceremony was attended by the Mersin Provincial Director of National Education, Muhammed Özdemirci, along with local district officials, who engaged with the students and village residents.

A Scientific Journey Through 12 STEM Workshops

The project featured 12 interdisciplinary STEM workshops designed for primary school students, where traditional knowledge and practices—passed down through generations in village life—were integrated with scientific methods. Led by Nazan Boğa from the R&D Unit of the Mersin Provincial Directorate of National Education, the project benefited from the expertise of Dr. Ayşin Güzel Değer; drawing on her academic background in food processing, she helped students connect everyday life phenomena with scientific thinking processes.

Aiming to introduce children in rural areas to science at an early age and foster the development of their STEM skills, the project serves as an exemplary model for university-public sector collaboration in the field.