Project Title: Citizens for Sustainable Olive Oil Production (SOLIVEO)

Supporting Institution: European Union - IMPETUS Accelerator 

Project Coordinator: Mehmet Fatih Aysan

Team members: Assoc. Prof. Ümmügülsüm Aysan, Merve Taşcıoğulları

Time: 2024-2025

The SOLIVEO project led by the Institute of Population and Social Research at Marmara University seeks to enhance sustainable olive oil production in Bozdoğan, Türkiye. By combining traditional farming knowledge with modern scientific techniques, the project aims to improve yields and quality while promoting environmental and economic resilience. Over seven months, local farmers and students will engage as citizen scientists in various activities such as soil composition analysis, pest monitoring, and organic farming practices. Workshops and field visits will document ancient production methods, identify strengths and weaknesses, and provide targeted training. The project focuses on empowering women and young farmers, fostering community engagement, and knowledge sharing. Key activities include stakeholder consultations, training programs, data collection, and public dissemination of results through a dedicated website and social media. The project aspires to influence agricultural policies and inspire similar initiatives globally, promoting sustainable agriculture and economic development in the region.

Project Title: Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) in Istanbul: Needs Analysis and Policy Recommendations of Young People

Supporting Institution: Istanbul Chamber of Commerce 

Project Coordinator: Mehmet Fatih Aysan

Team members: Assoc. Prof. Halim Baş, Assoc. Prof. Ümmügülsüm Aysan, Abdulnentor Musliu 

Time: 2024-2025

This project is being carried out by the Institute of Population and Social Research at Marmara University, to understand the needs of young people who are Neither in Education Nor in Employment Nor in Training (NEET) in Istanbul. The project team will investigate the reasons and possible consequences of the NEET. Based on the quantitative and qualitative data, this project will reveal the prevalence, reasons, consequences and policy needs of NEET youth between the ages of 18-29 in Istanbul. The project will provide a scientific basis for future research and potential policy interventions by addressing the challenges posed by NEET in Istanbul, which hosts the largest youth population in Türkiye.

Project Title: Social Policies in Europe: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

Supporting Institution: European Commission-ERASMUS-JMO-2022-HEI-TCH-RSCH 

Project Coordinator: Mehmet Fatih Aysan

Team members: Mehmet Fatih Aysan, Talip Küçükcan, Nuri Tınaz, Aslıhan Nişancı, Ayşe Yetiş-Bayraktar, Muhammet Tahir Kılavuz, Zübeyir Nişancı

Time: 2022-2025

The impact of this action will contribute to improving Turkey-EU relations by promoting and facilitating the EU’s influence in improving social policies in Turkey. Based on this, the main aim of this project is to create awareness about the EU’s contribution as a global actor in social policy making in Turkey. This aim will be reached by providing courses where students can have the option of choosing the European Union Module courses amongst others which specifically focuses on subjects such as varying social policies in Europe, contemporary challenges and risks to European social policies, and population. The outcome of these courses will be combined with seminars and workshops organized throughout the project, and student seminars at the end of each term where students can present their research papers. These workshops will bring university students, academics, policy makers, and experts together to encourage constructive discussions on social policies in Europe.