Dr Erdal Coskun, Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Istanbul Kultur University, arrived at the Faculty of Water Sciences (FWS) of the Ludovika University of Public Service (LUPS) on April 22nd as part of the Ludovika Scholars Program.
On the first day of the visit, the Professor participated in programs organized by the Rector's Cooperation Office, followed by a Ludovika Campus tour led by the Program Director after lunch. Subsequently, he familiarized himself with the portfolio, professors, and staff of the Department of Water and Environmental Policy. The evening ended with a gala dinner, further deepening the working relationship between LUPS colleagues and Dr Erdal Coskun.
The visit continued with a series of programs related to the Faculty of Water Sciences in Baja. Professor Coskun toured the infrastructure of the Faculty, the facilities suitable for teaching water management technologies, and the equipment park and held professional discussions with colleagues from the Faculty.
During the laboratory visit at the Hydraulic Training Base, he gained insight into concrete structural testing procedures and practices. Additionally, he observed the chemical experiments conducted by students and then engaged in lengthy discussions about DNA isolation and the role of phages.
In the Hydraulic Laboratory, Dr Gábor Keve, the head of the Department of Regional Water Management, demonstrated the Euler's equation and showcased the tools used by students during hydraulic exercises. Furthermore, Professor Coskun acquainted himself with the equipment park for river measurements.
Following this, Dr Erdal Coskun delivered an extremely engaging lecture titled "Machine learning applications in civil engineering" for the Zsuffa István Student Association, the students, researchers, and lecturers of the Faculty. The lecture received significant interest from the audience. Throughout the presentation, Professor Coskun's vast experience and years of practice proved highly attractive to everyone. The students actively participated in the lecture, engaging in professional discourse with Professor Coskun in an interactive manner.
During his presentation, the Professor compared the use of machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence in the sciences and then provided tips for civil engineering and environmental engineering students on where to download free codes.
On the following day of the visit, the Professor met with researchers and other department heads of the Faculty of Water Sciences, then visited important and prominent sights in Baja and the surrounding area from a professional standpoint.
Continuing the visit, the Professor delivered a public lecture titled "The impact of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake on different types of structures" for the Faculty's students, researchers and lecturers.
The lecture gave us an insight into the mechanisms of earthquakes, the causes of the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey last February, and the effects on various engineering structures such as reinforced concrete tower blocks, masonry churches and mosques, roads, and tunnels. He illustrated his presentation with spectacular photographs showing the post-earthquake conditions. At the end of the presentation, he also discussed the rescue work and the possibilities of determining the probability of earthquakes, highlighting, in particular, the sacrificial work of the Hungarian HUNOR rescue team after the last year's disastrous event.
At the end of the lecture, the audience showed a lively professional interest, and many questions and answers were asked and answered by our international students and teaching colleagues.
As the visit concluded, there was a meeting with Rector Dr Gergely Deli, during which there was an opportunity for introductory discussions with the leadership of LUPS.
Dr Erdal Coskun's visit was exceptionally significant for the Faculty of Water Sciences. Not only is his professional expertise, competence, and helpfulness exemplary, but his visit also presents an extraordinary opportunity for the internationalization strategy of the Faculty, as well as for further collaboration with Istanbul Kultur University, as he is currently coordinating student and faculty mobility programmes at the institution, which maintains good relation with our faculty and its predecessor for more than 15 years.
Text: FWS