Manisa Celal Bayar University (MCBÜ) has been honored with the prestigious "Sports-Friendly Campus" award, following an evaluation conducted by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) aimed at promoting sports in higher education and enhancing student quality of life.

This award recognizes MCBÜ’s successful efforts in fostering a culture of physical activity and healthy living through extensive sports facilities and encouraging programs for students and staff. It stands as a testament to the university’s commitment to promoting well-being and integrating sports into university life.

During the award ceremony held at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar emphasized the importance of integrating sports into daily university life. He spoke about the objectives and principles of the Sports-Friendly Campus Project and expressed gratitude to all contributors, highlighting the importance of inter-institutional collaboration.

Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the İlim Yayma Foundation, highlighted the value of increasing youth engagement in traditional sports and expressed his hope that future students would consider “sports-friendly” criteria in their university choices.

Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak, underlined Turkey’s recent sporting achievements and emphasized the collaborative projects with universities, such as ÜNİDES and Youth Offices. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s support for university sports, saying:

"We want more competition and excitement in the university sports scene. Our universities must be active not only in science and art but also in sports. The future belongs to Turkey, and it will be the century of science, art, and sports."

Following the opening remarks, MCBÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Rana Kibar received the award from Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, and Dr. Osman Aşkın Bak.

In her speech, Prof. Dr. Kibar expressed her pride:

“We are truly honored to be recognized as a ‘Sports-Friendly Campus.’ This award demonstrates that our university not only excels academically but also adopts a student-centered approach in social and sporting fields. Supporting the physical and mental well-being of our students and staff is one of our core priorities.”

She added:

“This recognition is highly valuable to us as it confirms that our efforts in this direction are acknowledged and appreciated.”

With this award, MCBÜ once again affirms that sports are an integral part of university culture. The university administration also announced plans to further expand its sports offerings in the coming period.