Many academicians, researchers, chefs, cooks, business managers and diplomats participated in the Gastronomy Institute Workshop organized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
YÖK organized a workshop on December 26 with the aim of establishing an international Gastronomy Institute. Participating in the workshop held at the Milet Library in Ankara, leading representatives of the sector and leading academics in the field of gastronomy held discussions on a total of 12 items to determine a common vision.
Making the opening speech of the workshop, YÖK Deputy Chairman Prof. Dr. Haldun Göktaş emphasized first of all how rich Turkish cuisine is. Evaluating the Cooking, Gastronomy and Culinary Arts programs in Turkey, Prof. Göktaş stated that a total of 133 programs are active in this field and said, "In addition to the rapid increase in the number of programs, the faculties where these programs are located are also noteworthy." The fact that gastronomy and culinary arts departments are located under different faculties (Art and design, tourism, fine arts, architecture and design, applied sciences) causes the programs to be affected differently. At this point, the Gastronomy Institute is aimed to be a central point in eliminating these differences.
“Gastronomy is a Rising Value”
In his speech, Council of Higher Education Member Prof. Dr. Arif Bilgin underlined that gastronomy is a rising value in Turkey as well as in the world. Therefore, he stated that this increasing interest in gastronomy caused a rapid and uneven growth. Bilgin stated that there are limited examples of gastronomy institutes in the world and that they were established at the intersections of fields such as agriculture, food, tourism, diplomacy, economy, education, innovation, design and development. In addition, Prof. Bilgin stated the importance of the Gastronomy Institute to be established in our country and that it should have an interdisciplinary logic, just like in the world also he stated that the Institute will have four pillars: cultural diplomacy, agriculture, tourism and education.
“It will contribute to the branding and institutionalization of Turkish cuisine”
Chief Advisor to the President Hümeyra Şahin Oktay talked about the importance of cultural diplomacy. Oktay talked about the book "Turkish Cuisine with Centuries-Old Recipes", which is one of the important projects implemented in the field of gastronomy, and the activities of announcing the Turkish Cuisine Week, and touched upon the importance of branding. Additionally, Oktay stated that the Gastronomy Institute will make a great contribution to the branding and institutionalization of Turkish cuisine.
Prepared by: Res. Asst. Ayşe Seray ÇETİN
