History of the I. International Balıkesir Applied Sciences Congress (IBAS-CON)
The first International Balıkesir Applied Sciences Congress (IBAS-CON) took place in Balıkesir on 13–15 September 2024. Around 120 participants from 25 universities in Türkiye and abroad attended. Of these, 65% came from the Marmara Region, 20.7% from the Aegean Region, 6.3% from the Black Sea Region, 1.8% from Central and Southeastern Anatolia, and 4.5% from abroad.
A total of 84 papers were presented. By field, 52.5% were in tourism (42 papers), 15% in finance and banking (12), 13.75% in gastronomy and culinary arts (11), 10% in international trade (8) and 8.75% in business administration (7).
The first congress offered a platform for academic collaboration, for sharing new research perspectives and for discussing developments across the applied sciences. Its success laid the groundwork for future editions and strengthened the international scientific standing of Balıkesir.