Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) is getting ready to host a very significant event where earthquake risks will be addressed on a scientific basis. To be led by the EMU Earthquake Research and Application Center (EMU-DAUM), the event titled “1st EMU-DAUM Workshop on Seismic Risk Reduction and Management” will take place on 8-9 April 2026 at the Rauf Raif Denktaş Culture and Congress Center, with the participation and cooperation of the Chamber of Civil Engineers (IMO) operating under the body Union of the Chambers of Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects (KTMMOB). The workshop will also be carried out with the contributions of the Deputy Prime Ministry of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment, the Cyprus Turkish Construction Contractors Association, and EMU Koop. The event aims to raise awareness on earthquake hazards, risk management, and structural safety in the TRNC and the Eastern Mediterranean region.
The workshop, to be held for the first time, is planned to become a recurring event held at regular intervals, with the aim of compiling ongoing work in the country and identifying future research and implementation goals. The outcomes of the workshop are expected to be documented in a comprehensive report, while interactive discussions following the sessions are anticipated to contribute significantly to this process.
As part of the workshop, themed “Seismic Risk Reduction and Management”, key topics will be discussed, including the seismic activity of Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, the TRNC’s building and critical infrastructure inventory, earthquake regulations and standards, and emergency preparedness planning.
The workshop program will commence on Wednesday, 8 April 2026, at 9:00 a.m. with participant registration, and will continue following the opening speeches under the theme “Seismicity of Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean Region”. Presentations in this session will be delivered by Dr. Mehmet Necdet, Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel, Ayşen Albayrak, Prof. Dr. Aydın Büyüksaraç, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zehra Çağnan. The discussion and preliminary declaration session will be chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bülent Özmen and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selim Özalp.
The second session, starting at 2:00 p.m., will focus on “TRNC Building and Critical Infrastructure Inventory”. Presentations by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Ekinci, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşe P. Balkıs, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet C. Geneş, and Prof. Dr. Serhan Şensoy will assess the current state of building stock and its earthquake resilience. The session will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Mahmood Hosseini and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Umut Yıldırım.
At 4:10 p.m., a special session will take place with the participation of Prof. Dr. Lars Abrahamczyk, Prof. Dr. Mahmood Hosseini, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebrahim Haghshenas and Prof. Dr. Gaetano Maenza, where English presentations will be delivered.
On the second day of the workshop, Thursday, 9 April 2026, the program will begin at 9:00 a.m. with a session titled “Civil Engineering Design Regulations and Standards Related to Earthquakes in the TRNC”. Presentations will be delivered by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yakut, Senior Civil Engineer Seran Aysal, Senior Civil Engineer Aydın Öztemel, and Senior Civil Engineer Sinan Türkkan, focusing on earthquake regulations and strengthening practices. The session will be chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet C. Geneş and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Umut Yıldırım.
At 1:00 p.m., a session titled “Earthquake Emergency Preparedness Planning” will be held, featuring presentations by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nehir Varol, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özge Akboğa Kale, Prof. Dr. Bahadır Aktuğ, Yusuf Eker, Narin Güler Gündemir and Mehmet Ercilasun.
Through presentations and discussion sessions held over the two-day workshop, the event aims to produce important scientific and practical outcomes for reducing earthquake risks. It will also help strengthen collaboration by bringing together representatives from academia, the public sector, and industry.
Evaluating the workshop, EMU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Kılıç highlighted the importance of addressing earthquake realities based on scientific data, stating that EMU will continue to lead such academic and practice-oriented initiatives with a strong sense of social responsibility. He also expressed his belief that the workshop will contribute not only to academic knowledge sharing but also to increasing earthquake awareness nationwide.