PROF. DR. GÜL GÜNER AKDOĞAN HAS BEEN AWARDED THE FEBS HONORARY DIPLOMA
Prof. Dr. Gül Güner Akdoğan, Faculty Member of Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Faculty of Medicine and Director of IUE Graduate School of Health Sciences, Former Member of the Executive Board of Turkish Biochemical Society (TBS) and President of TBS Izmir Branch, has been awarded the “Diplome d’Honneur” (Honorary Diploma) by FEBS (Federation of European Biochemical Societies). FEBS Executive Committee honored Prof. Dr. Gül Güner Akdoğan for her outstanding contributions as the Chair of FEBS Education Committee for nine years.
The FEBS “Diplôme d'Honneur” was instituted on the 10th anniversary of FEBS (since 1974) to honor biochemists and molecular biologists who have given outstanding service to FEBS. Prof. Dr. Gül Güner Akdoğan has been honored the award at the opening of the FEBS Congress in Prague on Saturday, July 7 at 17.30 in presence of 2000 attendants. Prof. Akdoğan is the first scientist from Turkey to have received this award. We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to her on behalf of the University.
Below you can find a summary of Prof. Dr. Gül Güner Akdoğan’s FEBS studies:
Prof. Dr. Gül Güner Akdoğan has been invited to the FEBS 'Working Group on Teaching Biochemistry' as a founding member, the core of FEBS Education Committee, which was founded in 2000. In 2007, the 'FEBS Working Group on Teaching Biochemistry' was converted to the 'FEBS Education Committee', where Prof. Akdoğan resumed duties as founding member. Following the sad loss of Edward J. Wood, the founding Chair, in 2008, Prof. Gül Güner Akdogan was elected as Chair of the Committee (and member of FEBS Executive Board) at the Council Meeting held in Prague in 2009. FEBS Council elects FEBS Chairs of the Committees for three terms with the attendance of 42 representatives from all across Europe. Prof. Dr. Gül Güner Akdoğan has been elected for second term by the FEBS Council held in Seville in 2012, and for third term again by the FEBS Council held in Berlin in 2015 unanimously.
FEBS Education Committee chaired by Prof. Dr. Gül Güner Akdoğan has accomplished a lot in line with the mission of development of biochemistry and molecular biology education in Europe. The Committee has organized workshops on molecular life sciences each year at the FEBS Congress and organized “Research and Career Skills” training courses for young researchers. Other activities include the initiation of 'FEBS Ambassadors on Education' project to create a platform for education representatives from FEBS Constituent Societies to brainstorm on biochemistry and molecular biology education across Europe; creation of a section on “education” in “FEBS Open Bio” journal to publish remarkable articles on education, and fellowships to improve education.
In addition to arranging education events, two-day FEBS education workshops in countries east and west of Europe has been organized. The Committee, chaired by Prof. Dr. Gül Güner Akdoğan, held 28 workshops including one in Izmir and one in Istanbul. Almost 5000 European people attended these events during the last decade. The “FEBS Workshop on Molecular Life Sciences: Training Tomorrow’s Scientists” event to be held on September 5-7, 2018 at Izmir University of Economics is one of these events.