Our Faculty Member Received an Award in Brussels and Was Selected for the 2025 Mediterranean Science Team

Prof. Dr. Beraat Özçelik, a faculty member of ITU’s Department of Food Engineering, has been selected to represent Türkiye as a member of the 2025 Mediterranean Science Team for her scientific contributions to food, health, and sustainability in the Mediterranean region.

Prof. Dr. Beraat Özçelik, a faculty member at ITU, was selected as a representative scientist of Türkiye for the 2025 Mediterranean Science Team in recognition of her impactful work addressing key issues in the Mediterranean region in the fields of food, health, and sustainability.

An award ceremony for the 2025 Mediterranean Science Team, selected by the MEDNIGHT Project, was held on March 14, 2025, at the University Foundation in Brussels. During the event, which introduced pioneering scientists from Mediterranean countries to the public, Prof. Dr. Beraat Özçelik was presented with her award.

We congratulate our faculty member on this achievement.

Mediterranean Science Team

The Mediterranean Science Team aims to highlight distinguished researchers who are leading efforts to tackle some of the most pressing issues shared by 27 countries, including 23 with Mediterranean coastlines and neighboring nations. The team symbolizes the transformative power of science in fostering regional cooperation and innovation.

Members of the jury responsible for selecting the 2025 Mediterranean Science Team included: Prof. Dr. Gülsün Sağlamer (Türkiye), former Rector of ITU (1996–2004) and Honorary President of the European Women Rectors Association; Isabel Capeloa Gil (Portugal), Rector of the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP); Joaquín Capablo (Spain), Vice President of MCAA; Najat Aoun Saliba (Lebanon), Member of the Lebanese Parliament and Professor of Chemistry at the American University of Beirut; and Neal Hartman (USA/Switzerland), Director of the CineGlobe Film Festival and Engineer for the ATLAS experiment at CERN.

Of the 12 members selected for the 2025 Mediterranean Science Team, 11 are distinguished women scientists, underscoring the critical role of women in advancing research and development in the Mediterranean region.

The MEDNIGHT Project

The MEDNIGHT Project (Mediterranean Researchers’ Night) was founded to support science across 23 Mediterranean countries, inspired by the sea’s role in uniting over 500 million people through shared identity, destiny, and challenges. The project is also supported by the European Women Rectors Association (EWORA), which is among its esteemed partners.

Funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101162227, the MEDNIGHT is a science communication project supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme.