Hosted by Near East University, the 12th TURKCESS International Congress on Education and Social Sciences brought together researchers from different fields of education and social sciences in the TRNC under the theme “Inclusivity, Sustainability and Transformation in Education in the New Century.” The three-day congress welcomed 467 researchers representing 98 universities from 9 countries and concluded with 340 papers, 12 invited talks and 8 workshops.
TURKCESS created an international platform for academic exchange
The 12th TURKCESS gathering brought researchers from Türkiye, the TRNC, Azerbaijan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Kosovo, Italy, Nigeria and Germany together on the same scientific platform. Current research, new approaches and practices from different disciplines within education and the social sciences were shared throughout the congress.
The scientific programme included an opening panel, 12 invited talks, 8 workshops and approximately 350 oral presentations. The presentations were delivered in 14 parallel sessions in both face-to-face and online formats.
Transformation in education and the future of universities discussed at the opening
At the opening of the congress, Murad Aktuğ, Undersecretary of the TRNC Ministry of National Education; Prof. Dr. Cüneyt Erenoğlu, President of the Interuniversity Council and Rector of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University; Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, Rector of Near East University; and Prof. Dr. Umut Akçıl, one of the Chairs of the Congress Organizing Committee, delivered remarks. The opening programme highlighted the importance of advancing scientific thinking, generating new ideas and strengthening international academic collaboration.
At the opening, Prof. Dr. Umut Akçıl, Dean of the Near East University Atatürk Faculty of Education and Conference Co-Chair, presented the aims and significance of the congress. In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Akçıl emphasized that artificial intelligence and digital technologies, climate change, migration, social inequalities, cultural shifts and changing labour markets are reshaping not only education systems, but also human relationships, social structures and ways of life. He stated that this scientific gathering was organized to contribute to building a sustainable future that leaves no one behind and to raising a generation that learns to live with differences rather than trying to change what is different.
Inclusivity and sustainability in higher education institutions in the new century
On the first day of the congress, a Deans’ Panel titled “Inclusivity and Sustainability Transformation of Higher Education Institutions in the New Century” was also held. Deans of Faculties of Education from Türkiye and Cyprus took part in the panel. Prof. Dr. Umut Akçıl, Prof. Dr. Kürşat Çağıltay, Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Özdemir, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Halil Diken and Prof. Dr. Ömer Üre discussed the transformation of higher education institutions through the lenses of inclusivity and sustainability. Particular attention was given to the concepts of inclusion and equality under Sustainable Development Goal 4, “Quality Education,” and how these concepts should be considered in relation to universities and university students.
Invited talks ranged from education and trauma to sustainability and artificial intelligence
The invited talk programme addressed current issues in educational sciences from the perspectives of different disciplines. Prof. Dr. Kürşat Çağıltay focused on designing learning processes on a scientific basis in his talk titled “Designing Education with Science, Not Good Intentions: Learning Engineering,” while Prof. Dr. İbrahim Halil Diken discussed changes in inclusive education in his presentation “From Early Intervention to Inclusive Education: Changing Paradigms.”
The programme also included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Şakıroğlu’s talk “Parenting as a Team in the Modern Age,” Prof. Dr. Sinan Olkun’s “Human ‘Factory Settings’ for Learning Mathematics,” and Prof. Dr. Aydın Balyer’s “Reconstructing Education Policies in the 21st Century: Inclusive and Sustainable Approaches.”
Invited talks on the second day addressed a similarly broad range of topics. Prof. Dr. Seydi Ahmet Satıcı discussed sustainable academic writing; Prof. Dr. Aslı Bugay Sökmez explored the universal and cultural dimensions of forgiveness; Prof. Dr. Erdinç Öztürk addressed psychological integration in the face of trauma; Prof. Dr. Hakan Akdağ discussed the vision of social studies teaching within the Türkiye Century Education Model; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şener Şentürk focused on inclusion in education; Assoc. Prof. Dr. İpek Maaşoğlu examined pedagogical approaches in higher education; and Prof. Dr. Matthew Mims addressed sustainable counselling practices for educators and practitioners.
Artificial intelligence and digital transformation emerged as major research themes
Artificial intelligence and digital transformation stood out as one of the prominent research strands at TURKCESS 2026. According to the scientific programme data available before the congress, 51 studies focused on artificial intelligence and digitalization. Topics included teachers’ pedagogical reasoning in the context of generative AI, pre-service teachers’ anxiety about artificial intelligence, digital citizenship skills and digital transformation, as well as problematic digital use, social media addiction and digital stress.
Together, these studies created a broad discussion platform showing that artificial intelligence in education should be considered not simply as a technological tool, but as a multidimensional area of transformation linked with teaching, pedagogical decision-making, digital citizenship, assessment and education policy.
Studies on inclusivity, sustainability, environmental education and well-being drew attention
Research in inclusive and special education addressed issues such as the participation of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in the workforce, parental involvement for children with hearing impairment, perceptions of neurodiversity and the higher education experiences of students with visual impairments.
Sustainability and environmental education, nature-based learning, ecological well-being and turning climate anxiety into action were also discussed, alongside school belonging and well-being.
New learning models were another area of discussion, with studies examining curricula, textbooks, assessment practices and artificial intelligence literacy frameworks.
Workshops turned academic discussion into practice
The congress workshop programme featured hands-on sessions on positive psychology, acceptance and commitment therapy, psychotherapy, drama, family therapies and the use of animation in education. In this way, the congress offered practical learning and exchange environments alongside scientific papers and invited talks.
Turkic World Service Award and plaques of appreciation presented at TURKCESS 2026
This year’s Turkic World Service Award was presented to Prof. Dr. Ramazan Korkmaz in recognition of his contributions and work for the Turkic world. As Prof. Dr. Korkmaz was unable to attend the ceremony due to illness, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Engin Deniz accepted the award on his behalf.
The scientific programme was complemented by social and cultural events
The scientific programme was supported by social and cultural activities designed to strengthen academic interaction among participants. A gala dinner was held at the Cyprus Car Museum on the evening of 3 September, while an excursion covering Varosha (Maraş) and the Walled City of Famagusta took place on 5 September as part of the social programme. The modern art museums located on the Near East University campus were also opened to participants.
The congress laid the groundwork for future academic collaboration
Conference Co-Chairs Prof. Dr. Mehmet Engin Deniz and Assist. Prof. Dr. Ümit Polat prepared the final report for TURKCESS 2026. The report emphasized that the congress should be regarded not merely as a three-day scientific meeting, but as a platform that creates a sustainable network of academic communication among different countries and institutions. With particularly strong participation from postgraduate students, the conference also helped establish new networks of collaboration among emerging researchers.
TURKCESS 2026 – Final Report (PDF)
The Organizing Committee consisted of 27 members from 8 countries, while the Scientific Committee included approximately 195 members from 14 countries. More than 100 different institutions were represented across the committees.
