Celebrating Academic Excellence – 2025 Science Awards

The Science Awards Ceremony, a prestigious and now traditional event at Near East University, has been held annually for the past eight years. These awards honor the academic achievements of faculty and researchers based on a transparent, data-driven evaluation system. No personal applications are accepted; instead, performance indicators from the Academic Performance Evaluation System guide the selection process.

The 2025 Science Awards were presented in seven distinct categories: Dr. Suat Günsel Honorary Award Gold Medal, Most Influential Researcher Award, Best Academic Performance Award, Publication Award, Publication Honor Award, Young Researcher Award, and Young Researcher Incentive Award.

Dr. Suat Günsel Honorary Award Gold Medal

This is the most prestigious scientific recognition at Near East University. Granted only once in a lifetime, the award recognizes a faculty member whose research and academic contributions in 2024 have had exceptional impact on the university, the country, and the global scientific community. The owner of the Dr. Suat Günsel Honorary Award Gold Medal, given for the fourth time this year in the field of science, was Prof. Dr. İlker Etikan, a faculty member of the Biostatistics Department of the Near East University Faculty of Medicine.

Most Influential Researcher Award

This category honors the faculty members whose research gained the greatest impact, calculated by multiplying their citation count with the total impact factor of their 2024 publications.
This award was presented to: Prof. Dr. Fadi Al-Turjman, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hijaz Ahmad, Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farman

Best Academic Performance Award

Presented to faculty members who achieved the highest Academic Merit Index (ALG), reflecting their overall academic activity and productivity in 2024.
This award was presented to: Prof. Dr. Fadi Al-Turjman, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hijaz Ahmad, Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farman

Publication Honor Award

Among the recipients of the Publication Award, the faculty members with the highest score based on the product of cumulative publication points and total journal impact factor received this distinction.
This award was presented to: Prof. Dr. Fadi Al-Turjman, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hijaz Ahmad, Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farman

Publication Award

This award honors faculty members who published articles in journals indexed by Web of Science or Scopus during 2024 and achieved a cumulative publication score above 5. A total of 67 faculty members received this award in recognition of their significant scholarly output and contributions to high-impact academic publishing.

Young Researcher Award

This award recognizes early-career researchers (including postgraduate students and specialists) whose cumulative publication score was 2 or higher in 2024, with publications in journals indexed by Web of Science or Scopus. A total of 21 researchers were honored with this award for their promising contributions to academic publishing and for demonstrating strong potential in advancing sustainability-related research within their respective fields.

Young Researcher Incentive Award

This award was given to four top-performing young researchers in the domains of Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Educational Sciences, based on the highest product of cumulative publication score and total impact factor.

This award was presented to: Ramiz Musallam Salama, Dr. Humphrey Adun, Dr. Sana Ullah, Dr. Faiza Iqbal

Distinguished Academic Award for Excellence in Teaching

This award is presented annually to faculty members who, based on student evaluations, have demonstrated exceptional contributions to student learning and academic development throughout the academic year. In its second year, the award was granted for the 2024–2025 Academic Year to:
Prof. Dr. Sevcan Kurtulmuş Yılmaz (Faculty of Dentistry) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ezgi Bağrıaçık (Faculty of Nursing).

Their dedication to student-centered teaching, commitment to mentorship, and excellence in educational practice were recognized as exemplary within the university community.

Sustainability Awards 2025

In 2025, Near East University presented its first-ever Sustainability Awards, recognizing achievements based on the university’s performance during the year 2023. These awards were introduced to highlight and promote impactful efforts aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each award category celebrates contributions in a specific dimension of sustainability—ranging from education and innovation to environmental action and cultural heritage preservation.

The awards were granted in the following eight categories: Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Literature Award, Social Sustainability and Equity Award, Collaboration and Partnership Award, Innovation and Solution-Oriented Approach Award, Sustainability in Education Award, Environmental Sustainability Award, Lifelong Learning and Access Award, Cultural Heritage Preservation Award.

Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Literature Award

This award recognizes publications of high academic impact that address multiple SDGs through interdisciplinary perspectives. Dr. Mümtaz Ali (Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences) received the award for his research on sustainable energy policy and ecological footprint reduction, published in Resources Policy.  The publication demonstrated strong citation metrics and high Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), while contributing directly to SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG13 (Climate Action), and SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Social Sustainability and Equity Award

Granted for efforts that advance social inclusion, justice, and wellbeing, particularly in post-disaster and vulnerable contexts.
Prof. Dr. Zehra Altınay and Prof. Dr. Fahriye Altınay, co-directors of the Center for Social Research and Development, received the award for their psychosocial support project targeting children affected by the 2023 earthquakes.

Collaboration and Partnership Award

Recognizing impactful sustainability-focused collaborations with international institutions.
Dr. Ferdiye Taner from DESAM Research Institute received the award for leading a bacteriophage research project in partnership with La Trobe University, addressing antibiotic resistance.

Innovation and Solution-Oriented Approach Award

Awarded for developing novel technologies or practices that contribute to environmental or public health sustainability. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cenk Serhan Özverel received the award on behalf of DESAM Research Institute for producing rapid PCR diagnostic kits for emerging viral threats.

Sustainability in Education Award

Given for integrating sustainability principles into higher education curricula. Asst. Prof. Dr. Fatma Türüç Seraj (Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences) received the award for her course Gender Economics, which critically examines gender and sustainability within economic systems.

Environmental Sustainability Award

Recognizing leadership in climate action, biodiversity conservation, and ecological awareness. Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Gökçekuş was honored for his leadership at the ENÇESU Research Center and the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, where he organized two major initiatives: the En-ROADS Climate Workshop and the International Conference on Water and Sustainable Environmental Management. These activities contributed to climate modeling education, water resource awareness, and international collaboration in environmental sustainability.

Lifelong Learning and Access Award

This award recognizes initiatives that promote equitable access to education and lifelong learning opportunities across all age groups and social segments. It highlights efforts such as open-access training programs, certificate courses, and community-based educational outreach—especially those targeting disadvantaged or underserved populations.

Prof. Dr. Burak Gökbulut and Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır of the Department of Turkish Language Teaching, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, received the award for their literacy education project developed in partnership with the Cyprus Turkish Children’s Welfare Foundation.

Cultural Heritage Preservation Award

This award honors efforts dedicated to the documentation, preservation, revitalization, and sustainable transmission of cultural heritage at both local and global levels. It aims to highlight initiatives that safeguard cultural identity and historical legacy, while promoting inclusive access to cultural knowledge across generations.

The Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts received the award for its outstanding exhibitions and artistic programming that bridge past and present through a sustainability lens.
Through major exhibitions—such as an international showcase featuring 100 curated works—the museum has advanced cultural dialogue and global engagement. In parallel, its ceramic art series, inspired by ancient Cypriot figurines, exemplifies how contemporary artistic practice can reinterpret and preserve intangible heritage. These efforts not only protect and celebrate cultural memory but also integrate it into public life in dynamic and lasting ways.
The award was received on behalf of the museum by Görkem Bulunç, Acting Director of the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts.