The international AIRQUEST STEM Exhibition, organized within the scope of the AIRQUEST Project (BSB00168 – Know What You Breathe: Mobilizing Communities for Air Quality in the Black Sea Basin), coordinated by the Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) Technology Transfer Office and supported by the European Union, was held on 20 June 2026 in Varna, Bulgaria.
The event, which brought together students, teachers, parents, and project partners from across the Black Sea Basin, was attended by BEUN Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Şenol Hakan Kutoğlu; BEUN Faculty of Engineering faculty member and Project Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökhan Gürbüz, representing the AIRQUEST Project team; BEUN Ereğli Faculty of Education faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bayram Gökbulut; Faculty of Engineering academics Asst. Prof. Dr. Gülçin Demirel Bayık and Asst Prof. Dr. Elif Öztekin; and Asst. Prof. Dr. Hilal Gümüş from the BEUN Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences.
A total of 14 student teams participated in the AIRQUEST STEM Exhibition, including two teams from Bulgaria, three from Ukraine, three from Romania, two from Trabzon, and four from Zonguldak. The event also brought together 47 students and 49 teachers and parents.
As part of the exhibition, the students presented their STEM projects focusing on current environmental issues such as air pollution, climate change, sustainable living, environmental protection, and green technologies. The projects, which showcased the students' scientific thinking, problem-solving, and innovative solution-development skills, attracted considerable interest from the participants.
Through the activities carried out within the scope of the AIRQUEST Project, the aim is to raise awareness of air quality across the Black Sea Basin, encourage young people to take part in solving environmental challenges, and promote science-based approaches.
Organized within the framework of international cooperation, the AIRQUEST STEM Exhibition also contributed to enabling students from different countries to share their scientific studies and develop a common awareness of environmental issues.
