At Özyeğin University, we continue to contribute to international research initiatives that address climate resilience through interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement. Prof. Özge Samancı, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, has been awarded funding under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchanges Programme 2025 as a partner in the project titled “AQUA Viva: Water as Living Heritage: From Traditional Knowledge to Community Action for Climate Resilience and Wellbeing.”

The project explores water not only as a natural resource but also as a living cultural heritage, bringing together traditional ecological knowledge, social practices, and contemporary research to strengthen community-based responses to climate change. By connecting historical knowledge systems with present-day sustainability challenges, the project aims to develop innovative approaches that enhance both environmental resilience and community wellbeing.

The research team at Özyeğin University is led by Prof. Özge Samancı, with Assoc. Prof. Oya İklil Selçuk, Chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, serves as a senior researcher, and Ece Cankat Arat, Research Assistant in the Hotel Management Program, contributes as a junior researcher. Together, the team will examine how cultural knowledge, heritage practices, and community engagement can inform sustainable water governance and climate adaptation strategies.

Through the AQUA Viva project, we strengthen our participation in global research networks while advancing interdisciplinary perspectives that connect sustainability, cultural heritage, and social innovation. This initiative reflects Özyeğin University’s commitment to producing research that not only advances academic knowledge but also contributes to more resilient and inclusive communities in the face of climate change.