The third International Nutrition, Health Literacy, and Education Conference was held by the Sabri Ülker Foundation in Ankara on December 8, to draw attention to the significance of scientific information on nutrition, food, and healthy living. Held at Hacettepe University with the theme “Sustainable Approaches in Education, Health, and Nutrition” this year, the conference addressed inspiring topics with the contributions of leading experts from Türkiye and worldwide. 

Organized with the theme “Sustainable Approaches in Education, Health, and Nutrition” by the Sabri Ülker Foundation, the third International Nutrition, Health Literacy, and Education Conference was held at Hacettepe University in Ankara on December 8, and attended by leading experts from Türkiye, as well as Canada, Scotland, the USA and Netherlands.

The conference addressed significant topics followed with interest by experts on nutrition, health, and education, as well as students, teachers, and parents.

Topics on the agenda of the conference, including the educational vision for a sustainable future, school nutrition programs, technology trends, health literacy goals, children’s mental health, the role of dieticians in sustainable nutrition, and climate education, were discussed in detail by experts, supported by research-based data.

Özlem Üliç Çatar: “Each step toward sustainable nutrition is an investment into our future.”

Highlighting their gladness for making this annual conference a tradition, Sabri Ülker Foundation General Secretary Özlem Üliç Çatar said: “As the Sabri Ülker Foundation, we implement many efforts to ensure individuals from all age groups have access to the most accurate and reliable information on critical topics, such as nutrition and health, in addition to correcting false facts. As we approach the end of the year, we see that we had a chance to see that there are still many widely adopted false facts concerning public health in the many conferences held and attended by our Foundation throughout the year. On the other hand, we observe that access to scientific information is still limited despite rapid advances in the means of communication. Thus, we place great significance on these conferences as they offer a chance to bring together the scientific community with society and an easily understandable account of the latest scientific data. Through the 3^rd International Nutrition, Health Literacy, and Education Conference, we aim to serve as a bridge of science, bringing experts from different countries together and enabling them to share scientific knowledge and experience. We consider each step in these fields as an investment in the future and attach substantial importance to sustainable food, nutrition, health, and education.”

“School nutrition programs contribute much more to society than expected.”

Having given a speech titled “Sustainability in School Nutrition Programs” at the conference, Hacettepe University Faculty of Education Department of Educational Sciences and Educational Programs Professor Prof. Dr. Hünkar Korkmaz said: “Aligning nutrition with education, environmental sustainability, and population health goals is one of the most urgent topics today. We should consider sustainable nutrition programs as a fundamental strategy to reach existing goals in such fields as education, health, social protection, and agriculture in our country. We see that school nutrition programs contribute much more to society than expected. Implementing these programs meets 9 out of the 17 United Nations Development Goals. The International Nutrition, Health Literacy, and Education Conference is a significant platform that brings inspiring studies from across the globe and highlights health literacy. Held at Hacettepe University this year, our hybrid conference emphasizes the significance of health literacy, offering the opportunity to focus on various projects aiming to raise social awareness in this area.”

Leading experts from Türkiye and worldwide

Among the spokespeople of the conference were Prof. Dr. Hünkar Korkmaz from Hacettepe University Department of Educational Sciences, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Öztürk from Boğaziçi University Department of Educational Sciences, Prof. Dr. Zehra Büyüktuncer Demirel from Hacettepe University Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Akdeniz University Department of Psychology Faculty Member Dr. Ece Varlık Özsoy, Dr. İbrahim Hüseyin Cansever from Süleyman Demirel University, Prof. Dr. Pınar Sökülmez Kaya from Samsun Ondokuz Mayıs University Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as Prof. Dr. Betül Czerkawski from Arizona University Faculty of Applied Science and Technology in the USA, Dr. Qudsia Kalsoom from  Dundee University Educational Studies Department in Scotland, and Prof. Dr. Felisa Tibbitts from Utrecht University Human Rights Education and UNESCO Human Rights and Higher Learning Department in the Netherlands.