As part of a technical trip organized by the Food Engineering Department of the Faculty of Agriculture operating within Near East University, students visited Gülgün Dairy Products and Meriç Dairy factories, which are important production facilities in the milk and dairy products sector, on May 13, 2026. The technical trip was attended by the Head of the Food Engineering Department of the Faculty of Agriculture at Near East University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şebnem Güler, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Perihan Adun, and students from the Food Engineering Department. In the organization, students had the opportunity to examine the milk and dairy products production processes on-site. As part of the trip, the Gülgün Dairy Products Factory was visited first. Food Engineer Sıla Bolcan, who works at the factory and is a graduate of the Food Engineering Department of Near East University, gave the students detailed information about the production processes of ayran, yogurt, and halloumi. Students, who toured the production lines, had the opportunity to observe the quality control processes, hygiene practices, and production stages on-site. At the end of the technical trip, students were given the opportunity to try the factory’s new products. At the Meriç Dairy Factory, the second stop of the program, food engineers provided students with detailed information about the production processes of halloumi, white cheese, and kashar cheese.
Students toured the production lines and were informed about quality control practices, HACCP, and food safety systems; they had the opportunity to examine the production stages on-site. Information was also shared with the students about the factory’s production capacity, technological infrastructure, and current practices in the sector. At the end of the technical tour, a question-and-answer session was held between the students and the food engineers working at the factories. Students had the opportunity to learn about professional experiences, sector expectations, and career planning from the experts.
Assistant Professor Dr. Şebnem Güler, Head of the Food Engineering Department at Near East University, stated that technical tours aimed at supporting students’ theoretical knowledge with field experience will continue in the coming semesters.

*The activity is compatible with SDG 4, SDG 8, SDG 9, and SDG 12.