Seminar Series of the Faculty of Applied Sciences – Fall 2025 – 4. Seminar

Dear Students of the Faculty of Applied Sciences,

You are kindly informed to welcome Founder of “Refika’s Kitchen”, Chef, YouTuber and Writer; Ms. Refika Birgül as the guest speaker of the seminar series. The co-authors of "Miras Türk Mutfağı Teknikleri 1” will also be hosted at the seminar: Chef Burak Arpak, Chef Furkan Yılmaz, Chef Adile Sarıtaş, Chef Osman Kınsun.

Date      : Thursday, 20 November 2025

Time      : 14:40-15:30

Place     : AB3 #150 / Zeynep Alp Köseoğlu Auditorium

Ms. Refika Birgül was born on May 19, 1980 in İstanbul. She graduated from Robert College and then studied Psychology at Koç University. She received leadership training at the London Business School. After graduating, she worked in production for the IF Istanbul Independent Film Festival and the Istanbul Arts and Culture Foundation. She then became a high-level executive and general manager for Özel Doğan Hospital for six years before finally listening to her heart and founding Refika’s Kitchen.

Ms. Refika Birgül is renowned for her unique practical and contemporary take on Turkish cuisine that advocates for seasonality, local ingredients and respect for traditional techniques. She describes part of her vision as witnessing the joy of a time when it will become totally ordinary for a French cook to make lahmacun for dinner at home.

In February 2017, Ms. Refika Birgül founded the Turkish-language YouTube channel “Refika’nin Yemek Okulu” (Refika’s Culinary School) which now has more than 2.6 million followers. The channel’s goal is to make culinary knowledge easy and accessible to everyone for free. In 2020, she launched the English-language global version, “Refika’s Kitchen”, on YouTube.

In addition to her YouTube presence, as a food writer, Ms. Refika Birgül has published five cooking books and produced three TV shows over the past decade.

In 2013, Ms. Refika Birgül became a founding partner in the “Refika’dan” cookware brand, designed to showcase the original designs and work of craftspeople devoted to preserving their art as well as her own designs.

Ms. Refika Birgül is also a founding partner in “Borek Productions”, the company behind her Turkish and English-language YouTube channels as well as the TV show “Refika’yla Öze Dönüş” (Back to Essentials with Refika) and food-focused video and photography productions for various brands.

In the seminar class, Ms. Refika Birgül will present on “Heritage, Understanding and Popularizing Turkish Cuisine Through Techniques”.