A compulsory training totaling 12 hours was conducted on September 9, 10, and 11, 2025, in cooperation between Fina International University’s Ünal Çağıner School of Tourism and Culinary Arts (ÜÇSTCA) and the Ministry of National Education’s Education Department. The training, planned together with our teachers and distinguished teachers from Cyprus, was completed in the Gastronomy Practice Kitchen located at our university’s Selvili Campus.

The trainings, led by FIU ÜÇSTCA Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nafiya Güden, were carried out based on her academic and instructor experience.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nafiya Güden;

Addressed digital transformation and online education, explaining the impact of evolving technologies on the gastronomy process and the concept of sustainability.

Discussed skill development, professionalism, and lifelong learning, highlighting the effects of distance education and technologies such as virtual reality (VR) in education.

Provided information on sustainability in plant-based nutrition, the continuity of agricultural products, and emerging trends.

Explained the importance of geographically indicated products within cultural heritage, their promotion, and standardization issues.

Shared predictions on the digitalization created by artificial intelligence in gastronomy and tourism, including personalized menus, cooking ontologies, and how virtual reality conveys individuals’ traditional eating and drinking habits through games, trainings, and similar effects.

Emphasized, from the cultural diplomacy perspective, the significance of meetings, seminars, fairs, promotions, and international competitions, as well as Michelin stars and UNESCO cultural heritages as key components of international recognition and cultural representation.

Those involved in the training:
Sn. Instructor Selim Yeşilpınar, Sn. Instructor  Barbaros Alta, and Research Assistant Soner Özyalçın.

Sn. Instructor  Selim Yeşilpınar contributed significantly by combining his 40 years of professional experience and mastery of Cypriot cuisine with the cultural heritage perspective on transitioning from traditional to international cuisine during the training.

Sn. Instructor  Barbaros Alta brought a unique perspective to the training by synthesizing his 36-year career experiences across Turkey, Europe, America, Asia, and Cyprus with international standards.

Research Assistant Soner Özyalçın, a prominent name from Cyprus, added great value to the training with approximately 7 years of academic experience and a digitalization perspective shaped by youth and social media.

At the end of the training, tastings were conducted, and written evaluations were made for participating teachers under the “Explaining as to Our Student” activity. Any deficiencies were completed by the lecturer, and the training was successfully concluded.