Events

METU Speed Networking Events

“METU Speed Networking,” a joint project by the METU Career Planning Application and Research Center (ODTÜ KPM) and the METU Alumni Office, brings together the esteemed alumni of METU and 3rd and 4th-year students from various departments.

This exciting and enjoyable event offers our students the chance to meet lots of alumni in a short time. At the same time, through these events, we are delighted to welcome our alumni back to the university, which many consider their second home.

The events begin with welcoming speeches, followed by an introduction to the “Speed Networking” method. Alumni and students then sit across from each other at tables to introduce themselves. After the formal networking session, participants continue their conversations in a more relaxed setting during the cocktail reception.

Through METU Speed Networking Events, we continue our efforts to strengthen the alumni-student-university relationship by connecting METU’s invaluable alumni, faculty members, and students in meaningful ways.

 

METU Alumni Day

METU Alumni Day has been a strong tradition since 1991, bringing together alumni from all graduating classes. As part of the event, alumni celebrating their 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 45th, 50th, and 55th anniversaries of graduation are presented with commemorative medals inscribed with their names, marking their participation in this special day. Typically held in late June or early July, Alumni Day is scheduled to accommodate alumni from all around the world, many of whom travel internationally to attend. In recent years, there has been an increase in participation from alumni who studied at METU as international students, as well. The Alumni Day begins with morning gatherings and group activities, while departments also organize their own events to reconnect with their alumni. The program features a ceremony where commemorative medals are awarded to alumni celebrating their milestone anniversaries. Additionally, departments often arrange their own activities for their alumni communities. Alumni who wish to participate on this special day can register online, helping the Alumni Office better plan and prepare for the event. For those unable to attend in person, commemorative medals for the 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 55th and 60th anniversaries from past Alumni Days can still be ordered online. You can visit https://odtuden.com.tr/webe-ozel/222-madalya.html to place your order and have the medal delivered to your address.

Science Café

How can science be more accessible to society?

Science museums, cultural and art exhibitions, newspaper articles, short films easily accessible online, or big-budget documentaries are some of the first methods that come to mind. In recent decades, another effective way to bridge science and society has been Science Cafés. First introduced in France in the 1960s to discuss philosophy, science cafés expanded in the 1990s in the UK to include other disciplines. Through these events, scientists step out of their offices and laboratories to share their work with the public in café settings. These interactions are designed to be highly engaging and interactive, allowing people of all ages to ask their questions directly to experts of the subject. Sometimes, the answers are not only provided by the speakers but by the audience as well, creating a collaborative atmosphere. Similar events are also held in Turkey, with various universities, including METU, organizing mid-semester seminars and lectures. These events typically take place in university lecture halls as brief, educational sessions.

 

METU Professors Tour Turkey

Recently, METU became the first university in Turkey to adopt a new approach by launching the METU Science Café events. As part of this program, METU professors visit various cities across the country to host science café gatherings in public venues. These events, open to participants of all ages, offer engaging discussions on various topics of public interest, presented in simple language and accompanied by coffee. The first METU Science Café event was held in Mersin, where Korhan Özkan delivered a talk on “Drought.” Later stops of the METU Science Café included Eskişehir where Yeşim Soyer discussed “Palm Oil”; Antalya where Bilge Demirköz explored “Space Radiation”; Adana where Adil Oran talked about “Entrepreneurship”; Cyprus where Raşit Turan presented on “Solar Energy”; and İzmir where Aslı Bugay addressed the topic of “Exam Stress.”

Science Café Web Page