Erzurum Technical University (ETU) has been selected among 15 universities identified on the basis of their academic and technical expertise as part of the initiatives carried out by the Ministry of National Education to enhance the disaster resilience of educational buildings.

Within this framework, the "Protocol on Reducing Structural Disaster Risks and Conducting R&D Activities in Educational Institution Buildings and Their Annexes," prepared between the Ministry of National Education and ETU, was signed at a ceremony held in Ankara on September 2, 2026. The ceremony, held at the Mogan Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School Practice Hotel, was attended by Aynur Gokalp Durna, Director General of Construction and Real Estate at the Ministry of National Education; ETU Rector Prof. Dr. Bulent Cakmak; and Project Coordinator Prof. Dr. Ilker Kazaz, a faculty member of ETU's Department of Civil Engineering. The protocol establishes an institutional cooperation framework between the Ministry's Directorate General of Construction and Real Estate and universities to improve the disaster safety of educational buildings.

Under the protocol, the cooperation aims to enhance the disaster resilience of buildings and annexes belonging to educational institutions at all levels under the Ministry of National Education, identify and mitigate structural risks, assess building safety, and determine requirements for structural strengthening, maintenance, repair, and renovation. It also aims to establish building inventories, conduct risk prioritization studies, and develop safe, accessible, and sustainable educational environments.

Commenting on the protocol, ETU Rector Prof. Dr. Bulent Cakmak said, "We are pleased that our University has been included in such an important initiative based on its academic and technical expertise. As ETU, we will utilize our knowledge and expertise in structural and earthquake engineering to help make educational buildings safer and more resilient, and we will continue to place our academic expertise at the service of our country and society."

As part of the 18-month cooperation, ETU will transfer its academic knowledge and technical expertise in structural and earthquake engineering into practical applications, contributing to the development of safer and more disaster-resilient educational buildings.

Directorate of Corporate Communications and Promotion, September 3, 2026