Turkish scientist enters list of ‘100 Women in Polar Science’

ÇANAKKALE

Ebru Caymaz, an academic from Onsekiz Mart University in the northwestern province of Çanakkale, has become the first-ever Turkish scientist to be selected in the “100 Women in Polar Science” project.

The initiative, funded by the Foundation of Curtis and Edith Munson and conducted by the Ocean Foundation and Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, enables women scientists to conduct research at the poles.

Having worked in Norway, Greenland and Iceland since 2015, Caymaz will now go to Siberia with the help of the project to study the impacts of global warming.

“I will continue my research at the poles and hope to see more women in the list in the coming years,” Caymaz told daily Milliyet on Jan. 9.

Nicknamed the “princess of the glaciers,” Caymaz often climbs glaciers, does ice diving and visits icebergs as part of her research.

“We have to understand the importance of science diplomacy to cause awareness over the impacts of global warming,” she said. “People should unite forces within the scope of the international scientific cooperation.”

Now her next mission will be in Siberia “to meet the local community, known as the ‘Eskimos’ in Turkey, living next to the north pole.”

She does not prefer to use the word ‘Eskimo’ as it means “flesh-eaters.”

“In local languages, they call themselves Yukagir, Nganasan, or Inuits. All of them simply means ‘’human.’ I want to meet them and make observations on the global warming effects there,” she noted.

After graduating from Istanbul University, Caymaz earned her Ph.D. from Istanbul’s Marmara University on “management and organization.”

Caymaz has penned many scientific articles on various research she conducted in arctic. Her latest article, “Thinking the Management in the Arctic Region Amid Pandemic,” that she penned for the Arctic Institute was delivered to the U.S. Congress.

In 2016, Caymaz became the first person with her colleague, Özgür Korkmaz, to go across Greenland in winter.

She passed all through the world’s biggest island in seven days without any assistance as no Danish guide dared to accompany.

“The temperature was minus 45 degrees Celsius. It was a 400-kilometers-route of adventıure,” she said. “There is nothing in this world that a woman can not succeed.”

During a previous interview, Caymaz also stated that she dreams of visiting the South Pole.

“I have some plans for Antarctica, too,” she said without giving any details.