March 2026 / Assist. Prof. Dr. Gözde Özdemir, Head of the Tourist Guiding Program, Delivered a Guest Lecture on "Sustainable Guiding" to Students of Malatya Turgut Özal University
Assist. Prof. Dr. Gözde Özdemir, Head of the Tourist Guiding Program, convened with students of the Tourist Guiding Program at Malatya Turgut Özal University. Upon the invitation of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yunus Topsakal, she delivered an online lecture on "Sustainable Guiding" on March 2, 2026. Following the presentation, an interactive Q&A session was conducted to address the students' queries.
March 2026 / Students of the Tourist Guiding Program Visited the Türkiye İş Bankası Museum of Painting and Sculpture
First- and second-year students from the IAU Tourist Guiding Department conducted an academic field visit to the Türkiye İş Bankası Museum of Painting and Sculpture located in Taksim. Organized under the coordination of Assist. Prof. Dr. Gözde Özdemir and guided by professional museum docents, the visit took place on March 5, 2026. The students displayed great engagement with the exhibition, which encompasses over 2,700 artworks by more than 900 artists from the Türkiye İş Bankası Art Collection, reflecting the historical evolution of Turkish fine arts.
February 2026 / Assist. Prof. Dr. Gözde Özdemir, Head of the Tourist Guiding Program, Participated in the TÜRSAB Travel Agency and Tour Operation Training
Assist. Prof. Dr. Gözde Özdemir, who instructs the Travel Agency and Tour Operation course for first-year Tourist Guiding students, attended the professional training seminar organized by the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB). Held on February 10, 2026, at the TÜRSAB Headquarters Conference Hall, the full-day training (10:00–17:00) was delivered by Erdal Çeri, an instructor at TÜRSAB Academy.
February 2026 / Tourist Guiding Program Attended EMITT – East Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Exhibition
First- and second-year students of the IAU Tourist Guiding Program attended the East Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Exhibition (EMITT). Organized by Assist. Prof. Dr. Gözde Özdemir with contributions from Lecturer Kübra Çelik Kılıç, the academic excursion took place at the Istanbul Expo Center between February 5 and 7, 2026. The delegation visited prominent national and international destination booths and held networking sessions with key industry stakeholders, including the Istanbul Chamber of Guides (İRO), TÜRSAB, and reputable tour operators. Students actively participated in events held during the 29th edition of the fair.
December 2025 / Gözde Özdemir Uçgun, Head of the Tourist Guiding Program, Featured as Speaker at the Guide Academy Colloquium
Assist. Prof. Dr. Gözde Özdemir Uçgun participated as a keynote speaker alongside Lecturer Serdar Uzun in Season 5, Episode 1 of the "Guide Academy Talks" series. Broadcast live on December 9, 2025, at 20:30, the session critically examined "Legal Foundations of Tourist Guiding from Past to Present and the 2024 Legislative Amendments to the Professional Code." The webinar attracted significant professional interest, bringing together senior TUREB executives, licensed guides, academics, and guide candidates. The two-hour session concluded with analytical discussions on legislative reforms, strategic future projections, and industry recommendations.
December 2025 / Edirne Practical Field Excursion
An educational field trip to Edirne was organized to enhance the practical and rofessional guiding competencies of students in the Tourist Guiding Program. The field application was conducted under the leadership of Lecturer Kübra Çelik Kılıç and Lecturer Özlem Kışlalı, both licensed rofessional tourist guides who delivered on-site instructional narratives throughout the itinerary. Students gained practical experience in field presentation and historical site interpretation.
May 2025 / Gastro-History Tour
Under the academic guidance of Program Head Assist. Prof. Dr. Gözde Özdemir, the department conducted its inaugural "Gastro-History Tour" in the Küçükçekmece district. The initiative integrated theoretical knowledge of Gastronomy Tourism with field observation. Key historical, archaeological, and culinary sites visited for tastings and academic lectures included the Historic Cennet Pickle Shop, the Signed Museum, the Contrast Exhibition, Cennet Pastry House, Yarımburgaz Cave, historical bakeries and butcheries of Küçükçekmece, Küçükçekmece Bridge, Mavran Island, Garip Dede Shrine, and Yılmaz Meat Restaurant.
May 2025 / Süleymaniye Mosque – Grand Bazaar – Industry Stakeholders Excursion
On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, a day-long field trip titled "Süleymaniye Mosque, Grand Bazaar, and Industry Stakeholders Tour" was conducted for first- and second-year students. Led by Lecturers and Licensed Professional Tourist Guides Kübra Çelik Kılıç and Özlem Kışlalı, the itinerary commenced at Süleymaniye Mosque and encompassed Kalenderhane Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. Students engaged directly with commercial stakeholders across the carpet, lamp, ceramic, spice, and souvenir sectors while acquiring field-based interpretation skills from the accompanying academic guides.
May 31 World No Tobacco Day Support from the Tourist Guiding Department
World No Tobacco Day, established by World Health Organization (WHO) member states in 1987, is observed globally every May 31. This year, IAU Tourist Guiding students supported the initiative through anti-smoking slogans in an awareness campaign organized by Assist. Prof. Dr. Gözde Özdemir, a member of the Turkish Anti-Smoking Association (TSSD) for 13 years.
April 2025 / EURIE Eurasia Higher Education Summit
The EURIE Eurasia Higher Education Summit ("Building Global Connections") was held in Istanbul as an international higher education exposition designed to foster global partnerships and inter-institutional networking. The summit presented panels, workshops, and seminars covering emerging trends in higher education, student exchange frameworks, and internationalization strategies. Students and faculty members from the Tourist Guiding Program actively attended the summit.
March 2025 / Tourist Guiding Program Historical Istanbul Tour
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, a one-day field study of historical Istanbul was conducted for first- and second-year students under the direction of Lecturers and Licensed Professional Tourist Guides Kübra Çelik Kılıç and Özlem Kışlalı. The field trip focused on major monuments across the Historical Peninsula, including the Sultanahmet Mosque, Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul Archaeological Museums, Basilica Cistern, and the Obelisks, supplemented by lectures on local mythology and historical narratives
