The 5th International Graduate Research Symposium (IGRS'26), organized by Istanbul Technical University Graduate Education Institute, was successfully completed following an intensive three-day scientific program. Held in a hybrid format, the symposium brought together graduate researchers, academics, and invited expert speakers through online oral presentations as well as in-person poster sessions.

The symposium's opening program began with a speech by Prof. Dr. Fatma Seniha Güner, Director of the ITU Graduate Education Institute. ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, who also addressed the opening, emphasized the importance of solution-oriented approaches, knowledge production, and a co-creation culture in university-industry collaboration in the face of today's global risks. The program continued with an informative presentation by Seçil Kınay Yılmaz, representing the symposium's main sponsor Vehbi Koç Foundation, on the foundation's activities, scholarships, and support programs.

Over the course of three days, graduate students shared their research with academic participants in online sessions held simultaneously across 7 different halls. A total of 370 oral presentations were delivered throughout the symposium, reaching researchers and attendees alike.

IGRS'26 also drew attention with the thought-provoking presentations of its invited speakers. On the first day, Prof. Dr. Berk Canberk, Head of the Cyber Security and Systems Engineering Department at Edinburgh Napier University, shared current approaches to artificial intelligence, 6G networks, and digital twin technologies in his talk titled "Distributed Digital Twin as a Service for AI-Native 6G Networks."

The invited speaker on the second day, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nil Özbek from the ITU Department of Chemical Engineering, delivered a presentation titled "From Mixing Shampoo as a Child to Converting Biomass Waste into Advanced Functional Materials," in which she recounted her inspiring career journey from childhood curiosity to academic research, and discussed her work on transforming biomass waste into advanced functional materials.

On the third day of the symposium, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Ekmekcioğlu from the ITU Disaster Management Institute presented his talk titled "Data-Driven Approaches and Artificial Intelligence Solutions for the Prediction and Management of Hydro-Meteorological Disasters." Ekmekcioğlu evaluated the opportunities offered by data-driven methods, machine learning, and deep learning models in managing flood and inundation disasters — the impacts of which are increasing with climate change — through case studies.

In addition to the online oral presentations, in-person poster presentations were held on the final day of the symposium at ITU Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center. Organized in two sessions — morning and afternoon — the poster program featured a total of 134 poster works.

With a comprehensive program in which a total of 504 scientific works were presented, IGRS'26 served as a productive academic platform that supported graduate research culture, encouraged interdisciplinary knowledge sharing, and provided visibility for young researchers. The symposium concluded with a closing speech by ITU Graduate Education Institute Director Prof. Dr. Fatma Seniha Güner.

The ITU Graduate Education Institute extends its gratitude to all session chairs, invited speakers, sponsoring institutions, academics, and graduate students who shared their work and contributed to the success of the symposium.

From The Event – DAY 1

From The Event – DAY 2

From The Event – DAY 3