AWARDS

    Celebrating and supporting outstanding contributions to child and adolescent psychiatry — in Türkiye, around the region, and among those who inspire and encourage professionals

    Eligibility

    Nominees may be clinicians, researchers, educators, advocates, institutions, or community programs. Activities recognized may include clinical innovation, high-impact research, training and capacity building, policy work, public engagement, or advocacy. For the Türkiye Contribution Award, the nominee’s principal impact should be within Türkiye. For the International Contribution Award, impact should be primarily outside Türkiye. The Encouragement Award recognizes those who actively mentor, fund, or otherwise enable others’ professional development.

    Nomination Process

    Nominations open annually from [dates]. Required materials: completed nomination form; a 500–800 word statement describing the nominee’s impact; up to three supporting documents (publications, evaluation reports, letters of support); contact details for nominee and nominator. Self-nominations accepted where indicated. Submit nominations via the online portal [link] or email info@capacity.org

    National Contribution Award
    Recognizes an individual, team or institution whose outstanding clinical, research or educational work has significantly advanced child and adolescent psychiatry in Türkiye.

    International Contribution Award
    Honors a clinician, researcher or program outside Türkiye that has made a major and demonstrable impact on child and adolescent mental health in their country or region.

    Encouragement Award (Teşvik Ödülü)
    Celebrates individuals or organizations whose leadership, mentorship or advocacy encourages and supports early-career professionals, trainees, and community teams working with children and adolescents.


    Prof. Dr. Kerim Münir
    • 2025

    The recipient of this year’s award is Prof. Dr. Kerim Münir. He serves in the field of developmental psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. For many years, he has contributed to the advancement of child and adolescent psychiatry in our country and has supported the professional development of child and adolescent psychiatrists. He also successfully represents our country at leading institutions in the United States.

    Selenge BALJINNYAM
    • 2025

    This year, the award has been presented to Selenge BALJINNYAM. After completing her high school education in Mongolia, in the Orkhon Valley—where Turkish history began—she pursued her medical degree at Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine in Türkiye. She later completed her specialization in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases at Bezmialem Vakıf University.

    With the aim of effectively utilizing the support she received from Türkiye, she has initiated efforts to contribute to child psychiatry in her own country. She continues to serve as an advisor to the Ministry of Health of Mongolia in the field of child and adolescent mental health and plays an active role in curriculum development. She also collaborates with academics from Türkiye in carrying out Mongolia’s child mental health action plan and scientific advisory work.

    In recognition of her contributions to the development of child and adolescent mental health services in her country, she has been deemed worthy of this year’s International Contribution to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Award.

    Uzm. Dr. Hüseyin Aktaş
    • 2025

    Born in 1989 in Ağrı, Dr. Hüseyin Aktaş completed his medical education at Ege University Faculty of Medicine. He later finalized his specialization in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases at Dicle University and Atatürk University. After fulfilling his compulsory public service, he began working as an Assistant Professor at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University. Currently, he continues his academic career in his hometown of Ağrı, while also providing mental health services to thousands of children. He is recognized for his valuable contributions to the development and wider accessibility of child psychiatry services in Türkiye.

    All National Contribution Award International Contribution Award Encouragement Award