Kastamonu University was awarded the "International Cooperation Award" for its Erasmus+ project titled "ECOPRINT in Nature" within the scope of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) 2025 Outstanding Achievement Awards. At the YÖK 2025-2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony held on October 9, 2025, at the Beştepe Nation Congress and Culture Center, our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal and our Faculty of Forestry faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Tor received their awards from our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The "International Cooperation Award," presented annually by YÖK, is among the most prestigious awards that promote international cooperation capacity and academic excellence in the field of higher education. In previous years, this prestigious award was won by Ankara University in 2020, Marmara University in 2021, Erciyes University in 2022, Gazi University in 2023, and Middle East Technical University (METU) in 2024. This year, Kastamonu University, which was awarded in the same category, has registered its success in the field of international cooperation in higher education with the project it has carried out.
The Erasmus+ project titled "ECOPRINT in Nature," coordinated by our Faculty of Forestry faculty member, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Önder Tor was deemed worthy of this award due to his innovative structure, which aims to empower women in the fields of sustainable production and environmentally friendly entrepreneurship.
The project, which won a grant of 60,000 Euros under the Erasmus+ Program supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency for European Union Affairs, and the Turkish National Agency, was carried out in collaboration with the Warsaw University of Life Sciences from Poland, the Youth On Board Association from North Macedonia, and the S.S. Sarı Konak Women's Initiative Production and Business Cooperative from Kastamonu. The 18-month project was successfully completed on March 7, 2025.
As part of the project, disadvantaged female participants selected from Turkey, Poland, and North Macedonia were provided with training on environmentally friendly production, sustainability, and entrepreneurship using "ecoprint" techniques. Participants created their own product collections with the knowledge and skills they acquired, thus strengthening their economic independence and gaining awareness of sustainable development.
In his statement at the ceremony, our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal stated that this success reflects the university's international vision, using the following words: Receiving this award in such a prestigious place in our country, like the Presidential Complex, is a great source of happiness for us. At Kastamonu University, we continue to produce projects that combine the universal power of science with social benefit. Our ECOPRINT project has contributed to the economic and social empowerment of women by enabling them to play an active role in environmentally friendly production processes. Our university taking a leading role in such international projects is a great success story spreading from Kastamonu to the world. "
Our rector also expressed his thanks to Associate Professor Dr. Önder Tor, our faculty member from the Faculty of Forestry, who is leading the project. He also expressed his gratitude to Mr. İlker Astarcı, President of the Turkish National Agency, Mr. Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education, and the members of the Council of Higher Education for their contributions to the internationalization processes of higher education institutions and their dedication.
