Our University operates an institutional food service system across all of its campuses to support students, academic staff, and administrative staff in accessing healthy, balanced, and affordable meal options. Food services are coordinated by the Department of Health, Culture and Sports, and four-course lunches are provided to students and staff. Menus are prepared by a food engineer, dietitian, and cook, taking into account student satisfaction, the amount of energy and nutrients that should be obtained from a single meal, and the principles of adequate and balanced nutrition. Hygiene and food safety requirements are also observed during the preparation and serving of meals.

Evidence: https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/beslenmehizmetleri

In 2025, our University further diversified its healthy meal options in order to address different dietary needs. Following an arrangement introduced on 11 December 2025, menu diversity was increased and a dual-menu system was introduced to support healthier eating among people with diabetes, vegetarians, and other groups with specific dietary requirements. At the Nejmi Kırkbir Student Dining Hall and the Academic and Administrative Staff Dining Hall, two different choices were made available for the main course and for fourth-group items such as salad, cacık, and dessert. User satisfaction was assessed, and the practice was continued following positive feedback.

Evidence: https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/haber/yemek-cesitleri-artirildi

The affordability of food services is also one of the University’s key priorities. According to KTÜ’s publicly available food-service data for 2025, the meal price was set at TRY 30 for students and TRY 60 for administrative staff. Dining services are not limited to the Kanuni Campus; they are also provided through dining facilities located at different campuses and units, including the Faculty of Medicine, Of, Sürmene, Araklı, Arsin, Trabzon, and Maçka, thereby improving physical access to affordable meals across the University.

 Evidence: https://www.ktu.edu.tr/surdurulebilirlik/kampuste-surdurulebilir-yemek-secenekleri

For students who require additional economic support, the affordable meal system is complemented by a free meal scholarship programme. Under the 2025–2026 Academic Year Meal Scholarship, applications were accepted between 9 and 15 October 2025, and the scholarship was implemented for the period 27 October 2025 to 30 June 2026. Through this programme, students identified as being in financial need are provided with a free lunch at University dining facilities. International students are also included in the meal scholarship system, and the University’s 2025 institutional evaluation records indicate that 152 international students benefited from this opportunity.

Evidence: www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/duyuru/yemek-bursu-basvuru-duyurusu

Our University also introduced a QR-code-based price information system in 2025 in order to strengthen affordability and price transparency in campus canteens, cafés, and restaurants. As of 13 May 2025, students and staff have been able to access up-to-date price lists for these establishments instantly via QR codes and provide direct feedback to the University administration regarding the services they receive. Based on the feedback collected, a tenant monitoring procedure and inspection commission were established, making food and beverage services on campus more transparent and accountable in terms of both pricing and service quality

Evidence: https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sks/yemeklistesi; https://ktu.edu.tr/idarimali/haber/universitemizin-kantin-kafe-ve-lokantalarinda-fiyat-seffafligi-icin-qr-kod-uygulamasi-baslatildi

In conclusion, in 2025, Karadeniz Technical University did not merely provide meals to students and staff. It operated a comprehensive institutional system designed to ensure access to healthy and affordable food through nutritionally balanced menus prepared with professional input, options for different dietary requirements, student-friendly pricing, free meal scholarships for students in financial need, access across multiple campuses, price transparency, and regular user-feedback mechanisms.