Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel awarded Japanese state decoration

Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel, Faculty Member of the Department of Geophysics at Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KRDAE), has been deemed worthy of receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, Japan's prestigious state decoration, in recognition of her distinguished service with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) International Monitoring System (IMS). Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel, Faculty Member of the Department of Geophysics at Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KRDAE), has been deemed worthy of Japan's prestigious state decoration "Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon" during the 100th anniversary of Turkey-Japan diplomatic relations, in recognition of her significant contributions between 2014 and 2022 to the establishment of a world free of nuclear weapons and to the advancement of the organization's cooperation with Japan. In 2014, Prof. Dr. Özel was selected as director of the International Monitoring System (IMS), which is used by 183 countries worldwide to detect nuclear tests, and served in a diplomatic position as the highest-ranking international civilian official in the field of multilateral diplomacy. [caption id="attachment_160292" align="aligncenter"] Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel[/caption] Responsible for the detection of potential nuclear explosions and the maintenance of the global monitoring network, she initiated successful efforts to construct the IMS in collaboration with diplomatic and scientific representatives of signatory states. In 2017, she was selected as one of "Six Female Leaders Who Have Made Their Mark on Technology on the International Platform" at a symposium on "Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Female Leaders" held in the United States. She oversaw the installation of numerous new monitoring stations at various locations around the world. Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel, who completed her doctorate in seismology at Hokkaido University in Japan, has undertaken crucial roles in advancing research infrastructure in Turkey, technology transfer, and particularly in establishing platforms for joint scientific and operational cooperation between Japan and Turkey in the field of earth sciences. She also pioneered the establishment of the KRDAE National Tsunami Warning Center, which provides tsunami warning services under the auspices of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission to the regionally qualified Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea regions in Turkey. The "Order of the Rising Sun," Japan's first national decoration granted by the Japanese government during the reign of Emperor Meiji in 1875, symbolizes energy and Japan as the land of the rising sun. Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel will receive this important decoration and certificate during 2024, which marks the 100th anniversary of Japan-Turkey diplomatic relations.