Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, organized the 28th Civil Engineering Week activities, which took place from 15 May to 17 May, 2023.
The opening ceremony of the event was held on Monday, 15 May, 2023, at 10:00 am at EMU Department of Civil Engineering. Speaking at the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eriş Uygar, the Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, stated that the founder of these enjoyable activities, where participants would have a good time, was the late Prof. Dr. Erdil Rıza Tuncer, who served as theChair of the Department of Civil Engineering at EMU from 1992 to 1994 and later as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering for approximately 6 years.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uygar provided information about the department's activities and mentioned that the EMU Department of Civil Engineering boasts prestigious accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), which is one of the leading organizations worldwide that evaluates technology and engineering programs. He also stated that this accreditation has been extended for a period of 6 years. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uygar announced that the non-thesis Construction Management and Real Estate Master's Program will commence their educational activities next year and that applications for the joint non-thesis Master's Program in Civil Engineering and Materials Engineering with the University of Illinois, Chicago, are now open. Interested individuals can submit their applications via EMU's website.
142 Academic Publications in Respected Journals within the Past 5 Years
Emphasizing the continuous development of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering to meet the needs of the community and students, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uygar stated that they have measured and reported the seismic resilience of 14 public buildings and numerous private buildings. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uygar also mentioned the academic achievements of the department, stating that the faculty members and research assistants of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering have published 142 academic publications in respected journals in the past five years, with an average of two publications per person per year. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uygar also highlighted the success of EMU Department of Civil Engineering graduates, noting that over 90% of the graduates find employment within six months following their graduation.
"We Are Proud of EMU Department of Civil Engineering"
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Özkaramanlı, Dean of EMU Faculty of Engineering, expressed his satisfaction with being together with academicians, expert guest speakers in their fields, and talented students. He stated that the Civil Engineering Week activities would broaden the participants' horizons and that the latest developments in the field of civil engineering would be discussed. Prof. Dr. Özkaramanlı mentioned that the EMU Department of Civil Engineering has taken on a significant responsibility in measuring the seismic resilience of public and private buildings in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) following the recent earthquake disasters. Prof. Dr. Özkaramanlı also emphasized the importance of the scientific reports produced by the department. Prof. Dr. Özkaramanlı highlighted that the role of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering in serving the community fills them with pride and stated that the department's successful completion of the ABET accreditation process for the third time with a perfect score confirms the quality of education provided here. Prof. Dr. Özkaramanlı wished all participants a great time in the activities.
After the speeches, as part of the technical sessions, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Ekinci, the General Secretary of the Union of Turkish Cypriot Engineers and Architects, delivered a presentation titled Civil Engineers, General Secretary Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Ekinci delivered a speech titled “An Outlook on the Buildings and Soil in Northern Cyprus after the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake”. After Prof. Dr. Ekinci, Prof. Dr. Tahir Çelik delivered his presentation on Construction Control.
Study of the Geological Structure of Degirmenlik
The second day of the event began with a field trip to examine the geological structure of Degirmenlik at 9:00 am. At 2:30 pm, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cemal Geneş, faculty member of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering, delivered his presentation titled "Turkey's Earthquake, Seismicity, Regulations, Applications, and Other Perspectives," which he had previously prepared for the Mexican Association for Earthquake Engineering. The second day of the event concluded after the table tennis tournament group matches held at the entrance of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering.
On the third day of the event, Wednesday, May 17, 2023, the activities started with a bridge testing activity held on the ground floor of the department at 9:00 am. At 10:30 am, the backgammon tournament group matches, semi-final matches, and the final match took place. At 12:00 pm, the semi-final and final matches of the table tennis tournament were played. At 1:30 pm, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Metin Kunt, faculty member of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering, delivered his presentation titled "Reflections of 10 Years of Coding Experience in Education," which he had prepared for ICCME23, Cleveland State University, during the current academic period.
The 28th Civil Engineering Week activities at EMU concluded with the closing ceremony held at 2:30 pm. The closing ceremony included a classical music performance and the presentation of high honor and honor certificates to successful department students, as well as the awarding of certificates to the top performers in the activities organized during the event.
