II. Current Trends in Gastronomy Symposium

The Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at İzmir University of Economics (IUE) hosted a comprehensive three-session symposium exploring various dimensions of gastronomy. Entitled “II. Current Trends in Gastronomy Symposium” the event brought together distinguished guests who examined the broad spectrum of gastronomy — from culture to technology — through an academic lens.

The first session, titled “Gastronomy, Culture and Media” was moderated by Asst. Prof. Dr. Feray Yentür and featured Durmuş Durukan, Gülper Şahin Ergün, and Gülhan Kara as guest speakers. The participants shared their insights on the role of gastronomy in cultural transmission and its interaction with society through media.

The second session focused on “Digitalization and Technology in Gastronomy” Moderated by Lect. Aypar Satı, this session hosted Aydın Şenol, Dr. Ceyhun Uçuk, and Uğur Önder, who discussed the innovations brought by digitalization to the gastronomy sector, emphasizing the impact of artificial intelligence and social media with practical examples.

The final session, themed “Locality and Returning to Roots” addressed the importance of sustainability and the preservation of traditional flavors in gastronomy. Under the moderation of Asst. Prof. Dr. Sedef Özgönül Donuktan, the session featured Priscilla Mary Işın, Nejat Yentürk, and Nihal Kadıoğlu Çevik, who highlighted the significance of transferring local culinary cultures to future generations.

Throughout the symposium, students, academics, and gastronomy professionals showed great interest in the event. Each session provided an interactive platform where participants exchanged ideas and experiences with the speakers. The symposium proved to be both enjoyable and insightful, offering an inspiring experience for gastronomy students from both academic and professional perspectives.

Representatives from the IUE Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts emphasized that such events broaden students’ horizons, allowing them to perceive gastronomy not only as a culinary field but also as a multidisciplinary domain intertwined with culture, media, and technology.