From Istanbul to Madrid: Handover of the EELISA European University Governing Board Chairmanship

During the “Grand Meetings” held in Madrid on 18–22 May by the EELISA European University, the Chairmanship of the EELISA Governing Board was transferred from ITU to UPM. ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal handed over the presidency he had held for six months to UPM Rector Prof. Dr. Óscar García Suárez during an official ceremony.

Hosted by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), the EELISA Governing Board Handover Ceremony took place as part of the “Grand Meetings.” At the ceremony on 20 May 2026, ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal formally handed over the Chairmanship of the EELISA Governing Board to UPM Rector Prof. Dr. Óscar García Suárez. On this occasion, he presented Prof. Dr. Suárez with a replica of the al-Khama'iri astrolabe exhibited at the ITU Museum. Prof. Dr. Mandal noted that the astrolabe — an important element of ITU’s scientific heritage — symbolises scientific discovery and collective wisdom. (The original astrolabe was made in 1216 in Seville by Muhammad ibn al-Fattuh al-Khama'iri)

Our Rector described EELISA as a strong academic ecosystem shaped by a culture of trust-based collaboration, shared responsibility, and a collective commitment to co-creation. Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal emphasised that, throughout the past term, Istanbul Technical University achieved significant progress in many areas, including:

- Strengthening the culture of shared governance

- Advancing collaborations in education and research

- Supporting the work of EELISA Communities and expanding mobility opportunities

He also highlighted that the expansion of the EELISA platform with new members and the initiatives launched for innovative minor programmes were among the important achievements realised collectively during this period.

In the final part of the “Grand Meetings,” the 4^th edition of the EELISA Scientific Student Competition was hosted by UPM. Prof. Dr. Mandal met with ITU students participating in the competition with projects developed across different disciplines. He noted that undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students represented ITU successfully with their innovative projects. He underlined that their work — spanning a wide range of fields such as artificial intelligence technologies, bioengineering, architecture, smart manufacturing, autonomous systems, and aerospace technologies — demonstrated their research competence, problem-solving abilities, and strong vision for the future.