Organised by Asst. Prof. Nevruz Berna Tatlısu, Chair of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, the fourth Chef's Jacket Ceremony took place on Tuesday, 18 November 2025, at the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Foyer Area, with 600 people in attendance.
Before the ceremony began, a brief presentation was given on the history of the chef's uniform. It was explained that the uniform originated with the famous French chef Marie-Antoine Careme, who gave the profession a professional identity with his drawings prepared in 1822. It was noted that the chef's hat is not only for hygiene purposes but also a symbol representing the hierarchy in the kitchen; historically, the height of the hat indicated the chef's experience, while the number of pleats represented the recipes they had mastered. It was stated that this tradition continues today with a modern interpretation and that the ‘Chef's Jacket Ceremony’ held at the university transforms this deep-rooted heritage into the first step of the students' professional journey.
Following an informative presentation on the purpose of the event, the ceremony, attended by IGÜ Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Necmettin Maraşlı, continued with an opening speech by Prof. Dr. Kamil Kaya, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Kamil Kaya spoke about the strategic importance of the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department for both the faculty and the university, wishing the first-year students who were about to wear their jackets success in their educational lives.
The programme began with the event organiser, Dr Nevruz Berna Tatlısu, Head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, taking the stage to provide information about the faculty's departmental structure, academic vision and opportunities. Then, the Head of the Culinary Arts Programme, Lecturer Zeynep Kurhan, and the Head of the Pastry and Baking Programme, Lecturer Müzeyyen Büşra Sağlam, also gave speeches, wishing the students success and inviting the academics from each department/programme to introduce themselves on stage. Following the speeches, the students were called to the stage one by one in synchronisation with the department ranking, their names displayed on the screen. The department and programme teaching staff congratulated the students taking their first steps in the profession by individually dressing them in chef's jackets.
After the students wearing chef's jackets were lined up together in the hall, Lecturer İbrahim Levent Demirçakmak was invited to the stage to read the oath. In one of the most exciting moments of the ceremony, the professional oath read by Lecturer İbrahim Levent Demirçakmak was repeated by the students, and the ceremony was completed. With this oath, which gave the ceremony its traditional meaning, the students expressed their commitment to the ethical values of the profession.
Following the oath ceremony, chicken and chickpea pilaf, prepared under the coordination of Lecturer İbrahim Levent Demirçakmak, was served to academic staff, students and parents. Lecturer Kemal Şahanlık and Kitchen Technician Oğuzhan İstanbullu, along with students of gastronomy and culinary arts, cooking and pastry-baking, took an active role in serving the meal. Participating parents shared in their children's excitement on this special day and immortalised the moment by taking lots of photos.
The department teaching staff involved in organising the event were Dr Nevruz Berna Tatlısu, Dr Elif Cemre Özaydın, Dr Gizem Hülağa Kaderoğlu, Research Assistant Berna Tellioğlu, Research Assistant Cem Keskin, Lecturer İbrahim Levent Demirçakmak, Lecturer Kemal Şahanlık and Oğuzhan İstanbullu, made significant contributions to the effective and orderly running of the process. The event concluded as a meaningful ceremony where students experienced their professional identity for the first time.
