🚀 That’s a wrap! Our FEBS Education Workshop on Safe Learning Environment has come to an end, and what an incredible journey it has been! Over three days, we explored, debated, and worked together to redefine the educator-learner dynamic, creating a more inclusive, student-centered, and safe learning environment.

📅 Day 1: Setting the Stage

We kicked off at Renaissance Hotel, starting with Alara Rodoplu, who brought the student perspective to the forefront—a powerful way to begin, as the event’s philosophy centered around rebalancing power dynamics between learning partners. Alara’s talk sparked reflection on how existing structures affect student engagement.

Then, @Ferhan Sagin introduced the concept of "Self Learning Environment", using a brilliant analogy—just as scientists carefully optimize conditions for enzymes, we should do the same for our students. This was one of the most inspiring talks, according to participant feedback.

This was followed by an engaging panel discussion with all the trainers. The synergy among the panelists radiated to the audience, and we probably could have continued for hours if not for time constraints (and the anticipation of the gala dinner! 🍽).

📅 Day 2: Diving Deeper

Each trainer led a thematic session on their area of expertise:
🎓 Leanne Williams emphasized the importance of student agency in curriculum design and implementation.
📝 Steve Rutherford highlighted assessment as a tool for learning rather than just evaluation.
🎭 Marco Antonio Carvalho Filho explored how art can be used to enhance student introspection.
🎓 Bob Harris addressed creating safe learning environments in postgraduate education.

Participants then engaged in hands-on workshops, diving deeper into these topics with more interactive discussions and personalized learning experiences.

-Images from workshops

The day ended with an dinner at Nefes Restaurant, bringing great conversations in a more informal setting.

📅 Day 3: Mentoring & Final Workshops

We started with two fantastic talks on academic mentoring as a key to ensuring a safe learning environment:
👨‍🏫 Frank Michelangeli focused on undergraduate mentoring.
👩‍🏫 Gül Akdoğan discussed mentoring in postgraduate education.

Afterward, we ran a second round of workshops, allowing participants to attend two of the four sessions. The workshop design received incredible feedback, as it ensured a balance of learning, discussion, and action-oriented takeaways.

The event concluded with a closing ceremony, where participants shared their thoughts, and it was incredibly rewarding to hear how many left feeling motivated, validated, and excited to implement what they learned.

Beyond the Workshop: A Shared Journey

At the heart of this experience was something simple yet profound: feeling safe in our own skin and making others feel safe so they can engage and interact. In these three days, we didn’t just learn together—we connected, interacted, and grew together.

Before, we were just a series of amino acids, bound to one another through our profession—our peptide bonds. But by the end, we had become more than what we were before. Through the interactions and bonds we formed, we transformed from a mere polypeptide into a stable, functional, active protein—one that can withstand challenges, catalyze change, and make a real impact.

Hopefully, when we all return to our daily lives, we take at least one idea, one practice, or one connection from these days and carry it forward, showing resistance to all denaturing factors that might come our way.

A huge thank you to our trainers, panelists, and participants who made this event such a success!

Also I would like to thank student support team; Afra Boztaş, Aslı Ela Akkaplan, Ceren Ayık, Fatma İlayda Özbebit, Hande Aşıcı and Mine Özgün Barış, and Workshop facilitator @Öykü GÖNÜL GEYİK for their tireless work. Lastly I would like to thank @Hasan KAZDAGLI, Workshop manager, for taking care of everything that I did not want to. 

This was just the beginning—let’s keep building, connecting, and transforming education together.

-The teams