Cooperation Between Istanbul Aydın University and Küçükçekmece Municipality on Disaster Communication

29 January 2026

Istanbul Aydın University and Küçükçekmece Municipality have signed a landmark cooperation agreement in the fields of disaster management and disaster communication. The "Joint Service Protocol," signed between the Department of Public Relations and Promotion of the Faculty of Communication at Istanbul Aydın University, the Disaster Education, Practice and Research Center (AFAM), and Küçükçekmece Municipality, officially entered into force following a ceremony held on January 29, 2026.

The signing ceremony, developed with the objectives of increasing public awareness of disasters, improving accurate and reliable communication models, and supporting local governments with scientific knowledge, was attended by Küçükçekmece Mayor Kemal Çebi and Istanbul Aydın University Rector Prof. Dr. İbrahim Hakkı Aydın.

Within the scope of the protocol, training, practical applications, and research activities in the areas of disaster management, disaster communication, and risk communication will be carried out simultaneously. Students of the Faculty of Communication at Istanbul Aydın University will actively participate in the municipality's fieldwork, while disaster and crisis communication trainings will be provided for municipal staff and volunteers. In addition, drills, simulations, and hands-on projects will be implemented through the Disaster Communication Laboratory and various workshops.

During the ceremony, Küçükçekmece Mayor Kemal Çebi emphasized that such collaborations with universities strengthen the institutional capacity of local governments, stating that this protocol with Istanbul Aydın University will make a significant contribution to establishing effective communication with the public before, during, and after disasters. He also noted that, through science-driven trainings, practices, and projects, Küçükçekmece aims to become a more resilient and disaster-aware city.

In his remarks, Rector Prof. Dr. İbrahim Hakkı Aydın underlined that universities are not only institutions that produce academic knowledge, but also structures that generate solutions to social problems. He stated that this cooperation presents a model in which science meets local governance, produces tangible outcomes in the field, and directly impacts human lives.

The protocol also aims to develop joint projects targeting national and international funds, ensuring that university–local government cooperation in disaster preparedness becomes permanent and sustainable.