IN THIS SECTION
Balıkesir University Edremit Olive Growing Institute was established in accordance with Law No. 3837, which was published in the Official Gazette dated 11.07.1992, issue no. 21281, and commenced its activities with the Higher Education Council (YÖK) executive board decision dated 14.02.1994.
The proposal to establish the Olive Growing Department (Anabilim Dalı) within the Institute was submitted to the Higher Education Executive Board following a decision made at the University Senate meeting on 05.03.1998, and it was approved at the Higher Education Council meeting on 13.04.1998.
The purpose of our Institute is to conduct postgraduate education and training, as well as scientific research and practical applications. As a result of an application, BAUN Edremit Olive Growing Institute was accepted as a member (No. 50) of the National Olive and Olive Oil Council (UZZK) in the Research and Professional Organizations Subgroup, as per the decision taken at the UZZK meeting dated 10.10.2007, issue no. 2007/10. It also serves as a member of the Research and Advisory Board within the UZZK.
Our Institute operates in the Edremit district of Balıkesir Province, in the same building as the Edremit Vocational School (Meslek Yüksekokulu). Since its establishment, our Institute has provided academic-level information flow to the sector by organizing various courses, panels, and seminars aimed at farmer training. Our Institute addresses the needs and answers questions from the local community regarding olive sapling cultivation, olive growing, pest control in olives, and the olive industry with its current capabilities, contributing to the resolution of problems in regional olive growing. Furthermore, our Institute is a partner in the work carried out at the University’s “Boutique Olive Oil Production and Application Facility”, which was established in the 2015-2016 academic year with support from the South Marmara Development Agency (GMKA) under the Edremit Vocational School, Olive Growing and Olive Processing Technology Program. It provides the necessary technical and laboratory support for the academic-level pressing, bottling, and storage of the produced olive oil.
The open and closed areas included in the physical infrastructure of our unit have been used jointly by the BAUN Edremit Olive Growing Institute and the Edremit Vocational School since the years they were established. Since there have been no postgraduate students in our unit to date, almost all of the physical facilities are actively used by the Edremit Vocational School (MYO). Our unit actively continues its operations in the Director's Office, the Olive Growing Institute Laboratory, and the University's Boutique Olive Oil Production and Application Facility.
As of 2016, the Edremit Olive Growing Institute has a total of 2 personnel: 1 academic staff member and 1 administrative staff member. There are no tenured academic staff. Efforts are underway to establish the infrastructure and academic staff for the Olive Growing Department (Anabilim Dalı), and to establish and activate similar departments. Preparations are being made for the establishment of a relevant faculty in our district, which is the necessary precursor for the activation of the institute.
The directors who have served in our Institute and their terms of office are listed below:
13.01.1998 - 02.12.1998: Prof.Dr. Orhan A. SEKENDİZ (Acting Director)
02.12.1998 - 26.04.1999: Prof.Dr. Orhan A. SEKENDİZ (Director)
25.12.2002 - 08.03.2006: Asst. Prof. Dr. Sakin Vural VARLI (Director)
08.03.2006 - 09.02.2007: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Feray KÖÇKAR (Director)
09.02.2007 - 15.05.2007: Asst. Prof. Dr. Sebahat AKIN (Director)
29.05.2007 - 05.01.2016: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sema BAĞDAT (Director)
05.01.2016 - (Currently serving): Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Tuba ÖNCÜL ABACIGİL (Director)