Mardin Artuklu University (MAU) is hosting an important Erasmus+ project aimed at increasing young people's awareness of water resources and environmental consciousness.

The final stage of the Erasmus+ Youth Participation Project, numbered 2024-3-TR01-KA154-YOU-000272738 and titled “The Water You Save Is Your Future. Act Before It’s Too Late,” jointly funded by the European Union and the Turkish National Agency, commenced with an opening ceremony held at Mardin Artuklu University (MAU).

The project was developed based on an idea by MAU student Ali Ceylan. The project is managed by Lecturer Hanife Yeşilyurt, and advised by Prof. Dr. Reşit Yıldız. At the opening ceremony, Research Assistant Ali Ceylan, Lecturer Hanife Yeşilyurt, and MAU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Reşit Yıldız delivered speeches.

Previously implemented in Hatay and Elazığ provinces, the final stage of the project will be hosted by Mardin Artuklu University between February 9-13. During the program, trainings and practical activities will be conducted focusing on water conservation and environmental awareness, as well as entrepreneurship and Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights. The project, with a total budget of €57,030 and lasting 12 months, is planned to be completed on March 3, 2026.

The training sessions to be conducted within the scope of the project will be led by Prof. Dr. Reşit Yıldız, Prof. Dr. Gökben ÖZBEY, Prof. Dr. Murat Tiryakioğlu, Prof. Dr. Sevval Yılmaz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonyel Oflazoğlu Dora, Lecturer Hanife Yeşilyurt, Lecturer Dr. İrem Karamık Kaya, Lecturer Tuba Omrak, Lecturer Dr. Alaeddin TÜRKMEN, Research Assistant Ebru Oskaloğlu, and Research Assistant Ali Ceylan. Youth activities and icebreaker applications will be carried out by Bünyamin Karaca. Additionally, Dr. Öğr. will participate in the policy proposal development workshop to be implemented at the university. It is expected that faculty member Ümran Atay, Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Mr. Ender Muhammed Gümüş, Engineer Latif İnaç, MAU Construction Works Senior Engineer Görkem Ekin, and International Relations Unit Lecturer Davut Özkan will contribute as decision-making stakeholders in the process of reflecting the project outputs in the policy document.

Ali Ceylan stated that this is MAU's first Erasmus+ project supported under the Youth (YOU) category, and that the study was designed with national and local partners, with the goal of moving on to more comprehensive projects with transnational partnerships in the next phase. It was reported that after the project outputs are submitted to the Turkish National Agency, preparations will begin for large-scale projects with a budget of approximately 250,000 euros. Project Coordinator Lecturer Hanife Yeşilyurt stated that the project was prepared under the leadership of MAU; the Mardin Governorship is the local partner, and Hatay Mustafa Kemal University and Fırat University are project partners. Following the implementations in Hatay and Elazığ, Yeşilyurt stated that the final phase would continue with five days of training and project development activities at Mardin Artuklu University (MAÜ), adding that a technical trip to the Ilısu Dam in Dargeçit district would be organized as part of the program. He expressed his gratitude to the Mardin Governorship for contributing to all operational work as a local partner.

Yeşilyurt emphasized that the main objective of the project is to draw attention to dwindling water resources and to increase efficiency in energy production, particularly from hydroelectric power plants, through the efficient use of water. He noted that "water and environment ambassadors" are being trained within the project, and that the goal is for young people to spread this awareness to their peers. He stated that one of the main outputs of the project is a policy document aimed at contributing to decision-makers on water resources, virtual water, and water footprint issues. Yeşilyurt added that the project aims to increase the social awareness of young people in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and that participants are expected to improve their inter-institutional cooperation skills. The target audience of the project is young people aged 17-30.

Yeşilyurt stated that a peer dissemination strategy was adopted within the scope of dissemination activities, and that the project outputs would be transformed into design-oriented materials and shared with primary school students. In this context, it was reported that a local stakeholder protocol was signed with 19 Mayıs Primary School. Emphasizing that social media and promotional activities also played an important role in the project, Yeşilyurt stated that during the policy document preparation process, official letters were sent to universities across Turkey to collect student contributions. It was noted that thank-you certificates would be given to contributors at the end of the project, and that the project aimed to achieve academic dissemination and produce sustainable scientific outputs.

Project Advisor Prof. Dr. Reşit Yıldız, in his speech, touched upon the importance MAU places on student-centered projects, stating that 116 TÜBİTAK projects were accepted at the university last year and that MAU holds a strong position in European Union projects. It was reported that the project activities would take place for a week at the Science Communication Office located on the MAU campus; and that participants would receive participation and thank-you certificates at the end of the program.