Disaster Response Floods and Wildfires, held from May 12–14, 2025, was organized under the EELISA European University Joint Call #3, aiming to create communities prepared for disasters. The event focused on emphasizing the importance of the public's first response during disasters such as floods and wildfires, aiming to increase awareness regarding these interventions. Hosted by Istanbul Technical University (ITU), the hackathon saw the participation of academics and students from UPM, NUSTPB, and BME universities.
The organization of the hackathon was led by Assoc. Prof. Elçin Tan and the ITU Aqua Team, with the support of esteemed academics such as Prof. Carlos Paredes (UPM), Assoc. Prof. Cristian Gabriel Alionte (NUSTPB), Prof. Csaba János Hős (BME), and Assoc. Prof. María Sonia Medina Salgado (URJC). The event was made possible with significant contributions from Assoc. Prof. Adnan Veysel Ertemel and Burak Çevik and Büşra Akata from BTS Group.

During the hackathon, projects focusing on early warning systems, direct intervention strategies, and post-disaster recovery processes were developed. Particularly, university students participated in generating solutions on how to carry out rapid and effective interventions during floods and wildfires. The event utilized modern teaching techniques such as Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), providing participants with disaster education and enhancing the learning process through gamified methods.                                      

The hackathon aimed to foster the development of innovative solutions, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and produce effective strategies for tackling societal challenges. By bringing together expertise from various fields such as technology, environmental science, education, and design, a dynamic and interactive environment was created. 

Event announcement link: Learn More

Event YouTube video link: Learn More