Istanbul Technical University quickly organized to help our citizens affected by the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria in February 2023. One of these aids is for our volunteer students engaged in search and rescue activities in the earthquake zone through the WhatsApp group we have established with 200 students who called citizens in the earthquake zone to confirm incoming reports. In this way, our citizens under the rubble were supported to survive. In addition, our earthquake victims were called by phone, their needs were determined, and they were delivered to the competent authorities.

The experiences we gained here on different subjects revealed the importance of first responders. The help of the public and volunteers is essential until the aid of the authorities reaches the region, and the public needs to be educated on this issue. In addition, our citizens living in tents in the earthquake zone were seriously affected by the floods that occurred after the earthquake and even lost their lives. This situation has also shown us that it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the tents set up for earthquake victims must be away from the flood areas. In addition, the increase in the number, severity, and duration of meteorological natural disasters expected due to climate change, regardless of earthquake events, should also be considered. Therefore, raising the public’s awareness of who must respond first to natural disasters, regarding the relevant disaster, is necessary.

For these reasons, this long-term and sustainable project proposal aims to teach students the first response to natural disasters with innovative teaching techniques and to spread this awareness to the public. In order to achieve this goal, a 3-day interactive workshop was designed within the scope of Disaster Management Community activity.

This workshop aims to create an environment where stakeholders would share their experiences from the last earthquake, and determine the roles of the staff and students at the University in natural disasters due to climate change. With this project, it is expected that engineering students will not only be able to find solutions to social problems but also gain the ability to work as a team with people from different disciplines and therefore have different perspectives on the solution of the same social problem. In addition, it aims to develop our students’ leadership qualities by taking quick action in a crisis, bringing the people around them together, and taking operational initiative.

This is a workshop organized by the EELISA Community Disaster Management, İstanbul Technical University in collaboration with Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Universitatea Politehnica din Bucureşti, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, and in partnership with ITU Alumni Association Club.

FOR WHOM?

Students, academics, researchers, educators, and the general public.

WHEN?
December 1, 2023, from 2.30 pm to 5.30 GMT+2 (Istanbul time)

WHERE?

İstanbul Technical University Faculty Of Aeronautics And Astronautics TAV Conference Hall

And Zoom: https://itu-edu-tr.zoom.us/j/98254471448?pwd=Y25vMktPMEVaS214eCt2MEF1OG8rUT09
Meeting ID: 982 5447 1448 Passcode: ITU250

Check the programme HERE.