Turkish universities submit 3,373 proposals for COP31 climate conference

The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) has announced significant interest in its call for scientific contributions ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), which will be hosted in Antalya, Turkey. A total of 3,373 applications were received from 2,767 different participants representing both national and international higher education institutions.

The submissions cover a wide range of topics, including research, technology, innovation, university-industry cooperation, and international academic collaborations. Of the total applications, 1,670 focused on research, technology, and innovation, while 867 were related to events, panels, and workshops. Other categories included COP31 preparation and awareness, international academic cooperation, and university-industry innovation.

YÖK President Erol Özvar stated that all 208 universities in Turkey have been included in the process. The evaluation of these proposals will prioritize ten key themes of COP31, such as zero waste, food security, clean energy transition, and climate-resilient cities, to ensure academic expertise and solutions are visible during the conference.