Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty organized an awareness activity for children in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education and Culture on the occasion of the Brain Awareness Week. Founded by Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives (DABI) and the European Dana Alliance for the Brain (EDAB) and coordinated by the Dana Foundation, Brain Awareness Week has been operating as a global education entry, with the participation of 117 countries within 25 years since its establishment. This year, under the organisation of EMU Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty, academic staff member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amber Eker Bakkaloğlu, the first brain awareness event was held in TRNC on Saturday, 20 March 2021. This year's event, organized with the aim of increasing the awareness towards the brain, the interest in brain science and the functioning of the brain, discussed the issue under the title "What is the brain for?". As part of the activity, kindergarten and primary school students’ paintings on the subject "What is the brain for?" were exhibited.
Before the exhibition, EMU Dr. Fazıl Küçük Faculty of Medicine academic staff member, Neuroscience Specialist Dr. Gülcem Altınoğlu and her students explained the functions of the brain to children through entertaining videos. In the opening speeches, Project Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amber Eker Bakkaloğlu thanked the children for accompanying this exciting journey about the brain by participating in the Brain Awareness Week events, which was held for the first time in Turkey this year under the leadership of EMU, and stated that she has no doubt that they will be involved in brain science in the future with their magnificent drawings and questions.
The Event has Achieved Very Important Objectives"
Following Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amber Eker Bakkaloğlu's speech, EMU Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Nahide Gökçora made the following statements:
“The first Brain Awareness Week activity in Northern Cyprus was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of National Education and Culture by EMU Dr. Fazıl Küçük Faculty of Medicine. Our children have thought about, drawn, and questioned the brain. Our children's interest in science is fascinating. We would like to thank the Ministry of National Education and Culture Elementary Education Department and the administrators and teachers of our schools for their support. This activity has achieved very important goals with your contributions. "
Minister Amcaoğlu Extended His Congratulations
Following Prof. Dr. Nahide Gökçora's speech, Minister of National Education and Culture Olgun Amcaoğlu emphasized the importance of this event and stated that this event, organized for the brain awareness week, contributed to the socialization of our children who were locked away during the pandemic.
In the event shared with all kindergarten and primary school children in our country with the cooperation of the TRNC Ministry of National Education and Culture, 240 children between the ages of 5 and 11 drew pictures about “What is the brain for?” They attended the event with drawings on the subject and interesting questions about the brain. Some of these contributions questioned how the brain manages our body, while others involved interesting questions about the brain:
"Do We Manage Our Brain Or Does It Manage Us?"
Our brain has functions that we can and cannot control. For example, we can control our actions and speech. However, we cannot control our heartbeat, breathing, and the functions of our internal organs. These organs are under the control of "autonomic nervous system". Autonomous literally means self-controlling.
“What's Inside the Brain? What is the Size of the Brain? "
The brain is made up of neurons. There are nearly 100 billion neurons in an adult human brain. The weight of the brain is close to 1.5 kilograms in an adult human. In a newborn baby, it is less than half a kilogram. An elephant's brain is 5 kilograms.
