Within the scope of the March 1–7 Earthquake Week events, our Faculty hosted a scientific gathering. The online seminar titled “Optimization Applications in Disaster Management” featured Prof. Dr. Sibel Salman, a faculty member at Koç University, as the keynote speaker.

In her opening remarks, our Dean, Prof. Dr. Handan Ucun Özel, emphasized the reality of earthquakes in Türkiye and highlighted the vital importance of efficient resource utilization and scientific decision-making mechanisms in disaster management.

In her presentation, Prof. Dr. Sibel Salman addressed disaster management as a cycle, explaining how industrial engineering and operations research methods are applied in the phases of risk reduction, preparedness, response, and recovery. She shared concrete examples from projects carried out specifically in Istanbul, including the strengthening of transportation networks, the location planning of emergency response centers, the transportation of the injured, and the planning of field hospitals.

Emphasizing the importance of decision support systems in making accurate decisions under uncertainty during disasters, Salman also answered questions from the participants. At the end of the seminar, a certificate of appreciation was presented to Prof. Dr. Sibel Salman by our Dean, Prof. Dr. Handan Ucun Özel, in recognition of her valuable contributions.