As part of Hacettepe University’s COP31 Action Plan, the University hosted a meaningful event organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Communication and the Social Contribution Coordination Office. The “Campus Climates: Digital Storytelling Screening and Forum Event,” organized by the Digital Storytelling Workshop of the Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Communication, took place on November 3, 2026, at the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Conference Hall on the Beytepe Campus.
The digital stories created by Hacettepe University students and academic and administrative staff during the workshops held by the Digital Storytelling Workshop on September 24–25 and October 22–23 were presented to the audience. The event also featured a forum where participants shared their experiences and perspectives on climate change.
The event was attended by Hacettepe University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cahit Güran, Dean of the Faculty of Communication Prof. Dr. Uğur Sadioğlu, Social Contribution Coordinator Prof. Dr. Mine Durusu Tanrıöver, administrators of the Faculty of Communication, as well as numerous academics, administrative staff members, and students.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cahit Güran: “This Needs to Be Reflected Across All Public Spaces”
The opening address was delivered by Hacettepe University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cahit Güran. Drawing attention to the urgency of the climate crisis, Prof. Dr. Güran stated, “The world is under a tremendous threat today. Unfortunately, the climate crisis and environmental problems have reached a point where they threaten the existence of human beings and other living creatures on this planet.” He emphasized that the climate crisis is not an issue to be addressed for just a few days or during a particular period and then forgotten.
Noting that individual plans to reduce one's digital footprint are important but insufficient in tackling the climate crisis, Prof. Dr. Güran stated, “Individual planning is not enough. From the moment we enter the spaces where we live, this awareness needs to be reflected across all public spaces.”
In his address, Rector Güran also outlined the initiatives undertaken by the University to combat the climate crisis. He referred to the establishment of the Sustainable Campus Coordination Office, efforts to reduce the use of PET bottles on campus, the opening of the C Gate entrance, and the designation of smoking areas as examples of these initiatives. He also informed participants about projects aimed at creating new wetland areas on campus through rainwater harvesting.
Prof. Dr. Güran expressed his vision of having graduates who are environmentally conscious in the following words:
“Our ideal and goal is for all our students to graduate as advocates of environmental sustainability. We graduate approximately 6,000 students every year. We expect each of them to embrace this issue wholeheartedly and to have a transformative impact wherever they go. We want them to recognize this cause as a mission in their own lives.”
Prof. Dr. Uğur Sadioğlu: “These Efforts Will Continue Under the Roof of Our University”
Another opening address was delivered by Prof. Dr. Uğur Sadioğlu, Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Secretary of the COP31 Coordination Secretariat. Prof. Dr. Sadioğlu noted that the work carried out by the Digital Storytelling Workshop had helped highlight the significance of climate change, stating, “We see this human-centered aspect as a very important tool that can contribute to addressing the global challenges we face.”
Emphasizing that Hacettepe University’s COP31 process was being carried out through an exemplary spirit of volunteerism, Prof. Dr. Sadioğlu stated that the University's efforts to address the climate crisis would continue:
“When we embarked on the COP31 process, we did not see it as an assignment. All the teams involved in the COP31 Coordination Office joined this process voluntarily. Our Digital Storytelling Workshop also took part entirely on a voluntary basis. As Hacettepe University, I believe we have made a significant contribution not only to the COP process but also to broader efforts to combat the climate crisis. This is not an area we can leave behind. These efforts will continue under the roof of our University.”
Prof. Dr. Mine Durusu Tanrıöver: “It Is Very Valuable to Add Such Wonderful Projects to Our Archives”
The event's other opening address was delivered by Prof. Dr. Mine Durusu Tanrıöver, Hacettepe University's Social Contribution Coordinator and Secretary of the COP31 Coordination Secretariat. Prof. Dr. Tanrıöver emphasized that the COP31 process was not an end in itself, but rather a beginning:
“When we embarked on the COP31 process, we always envisioned it as a beginning. It is not an end in itself; it is actually our starting point. That is why it is so valuable to document our journey through activities such as this, to leave a record for history, and to add such wonderful projects, befitting our University's institutional identity, to our archives.”
The final part of the event featured a forum moderated by Faculty of Communication faculty members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burcu Şimşek and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şengül İnce. The forum provided a productive and interactive environment in which participants and audience members shared their experiences and perspectives.
The forum explored the role of digital storytelling in making individual experiences of climate change more visible. While participants shared their experiences from the workshop process, emphasis was placed on the unifying power of bringing diverse life experiences together around shared concerns. Discussions focused on how individual awareness of the climate crisis can translate into collective action, the importance of small steps to protect the environment in everyday life, and the potential of these efforts to create a collective impact.
The forum also highlighted how digital stories can serve as a tool for fostering hope and solidarity in climate communication, as well as the importance of bringing individual initiatives together with institutional and societal efforts.
