The 15th International Congress on Advances in Civil Engineering (ACE 2023), hosted by Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), commenced on Wednesday, 6 September, 2023, at 10:00 am with an opening ceremony held at the Rauf Raif Denktaş Culture and Congress Center Grand Hall. EMU has been hosting this international congress, attended by scientists from Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, the USA, Australia, and the Far East, and organized for 30 years, for the fourth time since 1993. The congress covers topics including Building Materials, Construction Management, Geotechnical, Hydraulic, Structural Design, Transportation, and Civil Engineering Education.
Participants from 37 Different Countries
The opening ceremony of the congress was attended by EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın, Rauf Denktaş University Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Bıçak, EMU Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Prof. Dr. Hasan Demirel, EMU Vice Rector for Administrative and Technical Affairs Prof. Dr. Serhan Şensoy, Dean of the EMU Faculty of Engineering Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Özkaramanlı, President of the Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects Association - Civil Engineers Chamber Gürkan Yağcıoğlu, Head of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eriş Uygar, and Prof. Dr. Umut Türker, faculty member of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering, and Prof. Dr. Özgür Eren, the co-chair of the congress, as well as many academics, bureaucrats, members of civil society organizations, researchers, and students from 37 different countries.
Congress Sponsors and Partner Universities
The sponsors of the congress include EMU Rector’s Office, TRNC Central Bank, Boğaz Industry and Mining (BEM), Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects Association - Civil Engineers Chamber, Cyprus Turkish Contractors Association, Cyprus Turkish Hoteliers Association, Tüfekçi Group, Ekin Adademir Import & Export Company, Cyprus Turkish Cooperative Central Bank, EMU-SEN, EMU-PERSEN, Deniz Plaza, EKOR, and Petek Patisserie.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of ACE 2023, EMU Civil Engineering Department Faculty Member and Congress Chair Prof. Dr. Umut Türker stated that with the support of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects - Chamber of Civil Engineers and Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Engineers and Architects - Chamber of Civil Engineers, ACE 2023 has been organized by partner universities Boğaziçi University, EMU, METU, Karadeniz Technical University, Ege University, ITU, Yıldız Technical University, and informed the participants about the content of the congress.
"Thanks to Everyone Supporting the Congress"
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eriş Uygar, Head of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering, provided information about the establishment and history of the department. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uygar announced that the prestigious ABET accreditation currently held by the EMU Department of Civil Engineering has been extended until September 2029 and informed the participants about the department's community service activities. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uygar emphasized the importance of hosting such significant international congresses for the university and department and expressed gratitude to the sponsors and all those supporting the congress.
"We Are in an Earthquake-Prone Area, Informing the Public about the Importance of Civil Engineering is Crucial"
Gürkan Yağcıoğlu, President of the Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects Association - Civil Engineers Chamber and graduate of the EMU Department of Civil Engineering, emphasized that civil engineering is a universal profession that touches every aspect of life. He stated that the association collaborates with universities and the academic community in its efforts and highlighted that the TRNC is an earthquake-prone region, emphasizing the need for precautions to be taken before earthquakes occur. He also expressed hope that the work carried out would provide solutions in the short, medium, and long term.
"Public Earthquake Panel Will Be Informative"
Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Özkaramanlı, Dean of the EMU Faculty of Engineering, expressed their satisfaction with hosting a prestigious international congress like ACE 2023 and noted that the congress is progressing to become not only a regional but also one of the world's most important congresses in the field of civil engineering. Prof. Dr. Özkaramanlı announced that a public earthquake panel will be held as part of the congress, which will be both informative and raise awareness about earthquakes in society.
"The Importance of Scientific Applications and Measurements Is Evident"
EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanin stated that ACE 2023, which has developed in the field of civil engineering since 1993 and has become one of the most important conferences on a global scale, fills EMU with pride. He emphasized that the recent earthquake in the Republic of Turkey has shown the importance of scientific applications and measurements, underlining the need to take timely measures to prevent disasters. Prof. Dr. Hocanin expressed hope that the results of the congress would contribute to the implementation of necessary measures with practical solutions among the general public, politicians, scientists, engineers, and researchers in the future.
After the opening speeches, at 11:15 am, Prof. Dr. Yasin Fahjan, one of the main speakers of the congress from ITU Department of Civil Engineering, delivered a speech titled "Earthquake Engineering." in the Grand Hall. The first day of the congress ended after technical sessions held in the afternoon.
A Public Earthquake Panel to be held on 8 September
On the final day of the conference, September 8, 2023, Friday, at 13:30 a panel on earthquakes will be organized. This panel will include presentations in Turkish on research related to the Kahramanmaraş earthquake, seismicity on the island of Cyprus, and the earthquake resistance of structures in the TRNC. Earthquake Engineering Specialist Prof. Dr. Yasin Fahjan and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zehra Çağnan from Turkey, as well as EMU Vice Rector for Administrative and Technical Affairs and Earthquake Engineering Specialist Prof. Dr. Serhan Şensoy, will contribute to the panel.
