EU Funds and Project Cycle Management Training Held at Istanbul Gelisim University

Istanbul Gelisim University organized a comprehensive 32-hour EU Funds and Project Cycle Management (PCM) Training Program between 20-23 January 2026 to enhance the national and international project development competencies of its academic and administrative staff. Conducted with the participation of 25 attendees, the training program was structured around Project Cycle Management (PCM) and the Logical Framework Approach, both widely used in European Union funding systems.

Led by Dr. Murat Savaş and Dr. Banu Yıldız, the training employed a multifaceted pedagogical approach that included presentations, interactive discussions, group work, and real call simulations. The program aimed not only to provide participants with theoretical knowledge but also to equip them with hands-on project development experience.

Applied Project Workshops Conducted Throughout the Program

On the first day of the training, following the opening and introduction sessions, the overall framework of the program was shared with participants. In this context, the logic of European Union projects was examined in detail, and the Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, European Solidarity Corps (ESC), and IPA programs were introduced. Previously implemented project examples under these funding mechanisms were presented to help participants gain a general perspective on the EU project ecosystem.
The second day focused on Situation Analysis and Stakeholder Analysis, which form the foundation of the project development process. To ensure that project ideas are based on a well-defined problem, the training covered Problem Tree and Objective Tree exercises, followed by practical explanations on how to transform the findings into a Logical Framework Matrix.
On the third day, topics such as Planning, Budget Preparation, and Project Management Tools were addressed. Participants were divided into five groups and began collaborative work on different project themes. The groups conducted applied studies on project ideas that could be developed within various European Union programs such as Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ KA2, and Jean Monnet.

Training Program Concluded with a Certificate Ceremony

On the final day of the program, a certificate ceremony was held. Certificates were presented to participants by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Necmettin Maraşlı. The project ideas developed throughout the training were intended to form a foundation for the university’s future international funding applications. To this end, participants prepared and presented “Concept Note” documents for their project ideas. The Concept Note was defined as a short and strategic preliminary project document summarizing the main purpose, target group, expected outcomes, and alignment of the project idea with EU funding programs. Through these presentations, participants gained experience in expressing their project ideas within a structured and persuasive framework. The Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ KA2, Jean Monnet, and CoVE project ideas developed during the training were finalized and prepared for submission.

Training Expected to Contribute to IGU’s Project Capacity

The EU Funds and Project Cycle Management Training was regarded as an important step toward strengthening Istanbul Gelisim University’s capacity to generate projects, enhancing institutional readiness for EU-supported programs, and promoting a sustainable, impact-oriented project development culture.