Within the scope of the Horizon Europe-funded GEMSTONE Project, the consortium gathered for its final Steering Board meeting on Sunday, 16 November 2025, at Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University (ACU) Kerem Aydınlar Campus in Istanbul.
The meeting brought together the project’s core leadership team: Prof. Filiz Onat, Prof. Deniz Kırık, Serena Cogoni, Assoc. Prof. Nihan Çarçak Yılmaz, Dr. Oğuzhan Altınkoz, and Cem Öztürk. The representatives from ACU, Lund University, and Fondazione ICONS came together to review the project’s final phase, reflect on the achievements delivered over the past three years, and ensure a smooth transition toward project closure by the end of 2025.
During the meeting, partners discussed the overall progress of GEMSTONE, the upcoming administrative and reporting steps, and preparations for the two final Independent Advisory Board meetings taking place in December. The consortium also reviewed the status of the remaining deliverables and confirmed the internal workflow for completing the final project outputs.
Following the formal Steering Board meeting, the partners continued with a working dinner to align on upcoming strategic engagements. This included preparations for the meeting at the Swedish Consulate General in Istanbul on 17 November 2025, where the consortium planned to highlight GEMSTONE’s major results, its best practice book and policy brief, and opportunities for strengthening Swedish-Turkish scientific collaboration.
The team also evaluated the success of ACU NeuroConnect, held on 15 November 2025, noting its strong impact on dissemination and outreach, student engagement, and the project’s visibility.
As GEMSTONE enters its final phase, the consortium remains committed to ensuring a successful closure and to sustaining the collaborations and capacities built throughout the project.