Support from Nanjing University in China for a Research Project by Our University’s Academic Staff Member, Prof. Dr Utku Bağcı

A research project prepared by Prof. Dr. Utku Bağcı, a faculty member in the Department of Geological Engineering at our university’s Faculty of Engineering, on the Şahvelet (Erzurum) has been awarded funding under the Open Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Critical Earth Material Cycling and Mineral Deposits at Nanjing University in China. As part of the project, Prof. Dr. Bağcı will travel to China to conduct mineral chemistry and geochemical analysis studies.

Project Budget and International Partnership

The project, titled “Petrography and Geochemistry of Mantle Tectonites, Chromites, and Ultramafic Cumulates of the Şahvelet (Erzurum) Ophiolite in Eastern Turkey,” will be carried out from June 2026 to December 2027 with a budget of 100,000 Chinese yuan. The research will be conducted in scientific collaboration with Prof. Dr. Dongyang Lian, a faculty member at Nanjing University.

Shedding Light on the Evolution of the Oceans

Ophiolites shed light on the formation and evolution of ancient oceans, while the chromites they contain constitute the primary source of chromium metal. Within the scope of the project, the aim is to obtain new data on the formation of the ancient oceanic lithosphere, mantle processes, and chromite formation by examining the rock and mineral characteristics of the Şahvelet Ophiolite located in Erzurum. Field observations and petrographic examinations will be evaluated in conjunction with mineral chemistry and geochemical analyses to be conducted in the laboratories at Nanjing University.

Contribution to Doctoral Research and Bilateral Collaborations

The project also encompasses a portion of the doctoral thesis research on the Şahvelet (Erzurum) Ophiolite being conducted by doctoral student Özmen Evcimen under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Utku Bağcı. The data obtained is intended to contribute to the student’s thesis research and scientific development.

The project, which strengthens scientific collaboration between researchers at our university and Nanjing University, is expected to contribute to the understanding of the geological evolution of ophiolites in Turkey and serve as a foundation for joint scientific publications. It is also intended to contribute to future joint research, new project proposals, and the exchange of academic knowledge between the two universities.

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