I am deeply honored and delighted to serve as the fourth-term president of the International Universities Search and Rescue Council. Together with my fellow representatives from all member universities, I strive to serve at the highest level with transparency and openness.
I extend my gratitude to the former presidents for their outstanding efforts and innovative initiatives in advancing our council.
Established in 2012 with 30 members from 20 countries, our council has progressively grown each year and now stands at 54 members from 22 countries. Our efforts will continue to focus on sustaining educational activities, increasing the number of member countries and universities, and ensuring the recognition and participation of our council on the international stage.
We have been working diligently to restore our activities to their desired levels following the disruptions caused by the pandemic. At the IUSAR2023 Games organized on April 15, 2023, 15 university teams comprising 105 students participated. The Search and Rescue teams of our universities exhibited exceptional performance in the games by showcasing the technical and practical training they received from the regional directorates of the Civil Defense Organization of the TRNC.
I would like to thank the council member universities that participated in the games and provided support, and the Civil Defense Organization of the TRNC for their technical and practical training support and the field organization of the games.
The valuable presentations by esteemed speakers were keenly watched and appreciated by a diverse audience during the national workshop titled ‘Necessary Trainings and Warnings Before and During Real and Potential Natural Disasters,’ which was held on May 26, 2023, within the scope of our educational activities and attended by President Ersin Tatar and Prof. Dr. Turgay Avcı, President of YÖDAK.
We continue our collaborative efforts with all member universities to organize Search and Rescue Games, training sessions, symposiums, and workshops.
In our recent meetings, the Council’s working committee and board members unanimously approved the extension of the fourth-term presidency by an additional year, accounting for the disrupted period during the pandemic.
May you all have a year filled with good health and happiness.
Kind regards,
Metin Gezgin
Fourth-Term President
Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus