Near East University Sustainability Awards 2025
Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Literature Award
Description and Scope:
This award is granted to publications that can be directly associated with multiple Sustainable Development Goals (at least three) and have a high citation impact or Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI).
The award aims to promote multidisciplinary influence and encourage systematic approaches to sustainability solutions.
Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Literature Award: Mümtaz Ali (Department of Banking and Finance, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences)
Research: Testing the impacts of renewable energy, natural resources rent, and technological innovation on the ecological footprint in the USA: Evidence from Bootstrapping ARDL (2023)
Authors: Ali, M.; Joof, F.; Samour, A.; Tursoy, T.; Balsalobre-Lorente, D.; Radulescu, M.
Journal: Resources Policy
CiteScore: 17 – Q1, 99th Percentile
FWCI: 11.88
Contributing SDGs: SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 13, SDG 17
Social Sustainability and Equality Award
Description and Scope:
This award recognizes initiatives that strengthen the social dimension of sustainable development, enhance individuals’ quality of life, and contribute to the creation of inclusive and equitable social structures.
Projects involving volunteerism, disaster relief, women’s and children’s empowerment, support for individuals with disabilities, equality policies, inclusion-based activities, and social awareness campaigns fall within its scope.
The award aims to encourage projects that prioritize justice, inclusiveness, and equal participation in sustainability processes. By highlighting individuals and initiatives that generate local or global social impact, it seeks to strengthen the social dimension of the university’s sustainability vision.
Social Sustainability and Equality Award: Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay & Prof. Dr. Fahriye Altınay (Center for Social Research and Development)
Project: Psychosocial Support Project
Description:
The Social Sustainability and Equality Award recognized the impactful work of Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay and Prof. Dr. Fahriye Altınay from the Center for Social Research and Development. Through their "Psychosocial Support Project," they coordinated structured group activities led by volunteer psychologists and counselors in public schools, assisting children affected by the February 6 earthquakes. The initiative strengthened emotional resilience and social reintegration, offering a model for trauma-informed, community-based recovery.
Collaboration and Partnership Award
Description and Scope:
This award recognizes sustainability-focused joint projects conducted in collaboration with public institutions, private sector organizations, NGOs, or international partners — including co-hosted events, protocols, joint products, or social enterprises.
The purpose of this award is to encourage stronger institutional collaboration.
Collaboration and Partnership Award: Dr. Ferdiye Taner (DESAM Research Institute)
Project: Bacteriophage Project Collaboration between Near East University and La Trobe University against Antibiotic Resistance
Description:
The Collaboration and Partnership Award was awarded to Dr. Ferdiye Taner of the DESAM Research Institute for leading a joint bacteriophage project with La Trobe University in Australia. The project targets antibiotic-resistant bacteria, offering an innovative, natural therapeutic solution to a global public health threat. This collaboration illustrates the power of international scientific partnerships in developing sustainable medical interventions.
Innovation and Solution-Oriented Approach Award
Description and Scope:
This award recognizes creative ideas, products, or services that provide sustainable solutions in the fields of environment, society, or economy — such as new technologies, software, devices, or methods.
It aims to promote individuals, teams, or projects that develop innovative and practical solutions to environmental, social, and economic challenges aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Innovation and Solution-Oriented Approach Award: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cenk Serhan Özverel (DESAM Research Institute – Diagnostic Kit Production and Genome Analysis Laboratory; Director, DESAM Research Institute)
Product: Rapid PCR Diagnostic Kits for Viral Threats
Description:
The Innovation and Solution-Oriented Approach Award went to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cenk Serhan Özverel, Director of the DESAM Research Institute, for developing rapid PCR diagnostic kits to detect dangerous viral threats such as West Nile Virus and Monkeypox. These kits are designed to deliver fast and reliable results, contributing to global health security and demonstrating how academic innovation can address urgent medical and environmental risks.
Sustainability in Education Award
Description and Scope:
This award encourages the integration of sustainability themes into educational activities such as courses, workshops, and seminars.
It covers curriculum development, course design, and student-led sustainability projects.
The award aims to establish sustainability as a lasting culture in higher education, promoting its holistic inclusion in course content, learning materials, and teaching methods.
Sustainability in Education Award:Asst. Prof. Dr. Fatma Türüç Seraj (Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences)
Course: Gender Economics (ECO590, ECO690)
Description:
The Sustainability in Education Award was earned by Assist. Prof. Dr. Fatma Türüç Seraj from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. Her course, Gender Economics, examines the interaction between gender identity and economic systems, using both traditional and alternative theories. The course enables students to critically explore gender-based inequality and sustainability, promoting inclusive, analytical, and interdisciplinary learning.
Environmental Sustainability Award
Description and Scope:
This award is granted to initiatives that address climate change, biodiversity conservation, sustainable natural resource management, and environmental awareness.
Eligible areas include Climate Action and Carbon Footprint Reduction, Biodiversity and Habitat Protection, Water Resources and Waste Management, and Environmental Education and Awareness.
Environmental Sustainability Award:Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Gökçekuş (ENÇESU – Energy, Water and Environmental Research Center)
Event 1: Climate Change and Simulation Workshop (May 2023)
Description:
The Environmental Sustainability Award was presented to Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Gökçekuş, head of the ENÇESU Research Center. His efforts included organizing a hybrid simulation workshop analyzing climate change scenarios using the En-ROADS model, and hosting an international conference on water and environmental sustainability with participation from over 20 countries. These initiatives raised awareness of environmental risks and promoted cross-national academic collaboration to enhance ecosystem resilience.
Lifelong Learning and Access to Education Award
Description and Scope:
This award honors initiatives that improve access to knowledge, education, and skill development for individuals of all ages.
It includes open-access training, certificate programs, and educational activities for elderly, disadvantaged, or broader community groups.
The goal is to promote lifelong learning as a cornerstone of sustainable development, extending education beyond the university campus to the wider community.
Lifelong Learning and Educational Access Award:Prof. Dr. Burak Gökbulut & Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır (Department of Turkish Language Teaching, Faculty of Arts and Sciences)
Project: Literacy Education for Mothers of Children in the Child Protection Institution
Description:
The Lifelong Learning and Educational Access Award recognized Prof. Dr. Burak Gökbulut and Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır from the Department of Turkish Language Teaching for a literacy program designed for mothers of children in foster care. Conducted in partnership with the Cyprus Turkish Child Protection Institution, the six-month training enabled 15 women to become literate and to actively support their children’s education—thereby enhancing social participation and intergenerational empowerment.
Cultural Heritage Preservation Award
Description and Scope:
This award recognizes efforts to document, preserve, revitalize, and share local or global cultural heritage in a sustainable manner.
Its goal is to encourage initiatives that protect cultural identity and historical values while transferring them to future generations through a sustainability lens.
Cultural Heritage Preservation Award: Görkem Bulunç (Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts)
Events: Exhibitions
Description:
The Cultural Heritage Preservation Award was presented to the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts, directed by Görkem Bulunç, in recognition of its curatorial efforts to document and share both local and global cultural heritage. Through exhibitions such as its international collections and ceramic works inspired by ancient Cypriot artifacts, the museum plays an important role in preserving cultural narratives within a contemporary artistic framework.