CIU Students Win “Best Project” Award at ICAMES 2026

A project titled “HYDRO-LIFT: A Self-Activating Passive Barrier System for Flood Protection,” developed by students of Cyprus International University (CIU), was awarded the “Best Project” prize at the International Cultural and Academic Meeting of Engineering Students 2026, hosted by Boğaziçi University.

The international event, held for the 30th time this year and organized by the Engineering Society of Boğaziçi University (ENSO), took place between 4–11 May 2026. The gathering brought together university students from various countries, providing undergraduate students with the opportunity to present their projects in both academic and cultural settings.

As part of the project developed by CIU students, an environmentally friendly, passive, and self-rising flood barrier system was designed to address flooding disasters, which have become a significant issue in Northern Cyprus in recent years. The system is intended to activate automatically as water levels rise, providing protection without the need for human intervention.

The project was supervised by Assist. Prof. Shihab Ibrahim and Mehrnoush Kohandel Gargari from the Department of Civil Engineering, along with Ali Bin Eshaq, a graduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The project team consisted of:

• Yara Kalam (Mechanical Engineering)
• Samuel Gbemi (Mechanical Engineering)
• Joudi Kalam (Pharmacy)
• Donatien Kavuala (Civil Engineering)

The achievement at this international event once again demonstrated the innovative engineering approach and interdisciplinary collaboration skills of CIU students.