CIU Hosted the 2nd International Apitherapy Congress

The 2nd International Apitherapy Congress, hosted by Cyprus International University (CIU), was held from October 15 to 17, 2025. The event brought together researchers, healthcare professionals, and practitioners to share scientific knowledge, clinical experiences, and innovations in the field of apitherapy.

Apitherapy, a traditional and complementary medical practice that uses bee products such as honey, propolis, bee pollen, royal jelly, beeswax, and bee venom for therapeutic purposes, has supported human health for centuries. In recent years, the field has expanded to include innovative approaches such as bee air inhalation, bee sound therapy, and bee yoga. The congress, hosted by CIU, focused on the safe and effective use of bee products and practices in complementary medicine while addressing standards, legal regulations, and the future vision of apitherapy.

Congress Chair Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erkay Özgör, Vice-Rector of Cyprus International University and faculty member of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, expressed his satisfaction with the congress, noting that it successfully fostered new collaborations, ideas, and sustainable solutions in the fields of beekeeping and apitherapy.

Among the keynote speakers were Prof. Dr. Meral Kekeçoğlu from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Düzce University, who presented on “Factors Affecting the Quantity and Quality of Honey Bee Venom Production”; Prof. Dr. Nuray Ulusu from the School of Medicine at Koç University, who discussed “The Effects of Honey Bee Products on Alzheimer’s Disease”; Prof. Dr. Banu Yücel from the Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University, who spoke on “Production and Quality Characteristics of Bee Products Used in Apitherapy”; and Prof. Dr. Sibel Silici, who delivered a presentation on “The Importance of Bee Products Used in Apitherapy for Health.”

At the conclusion of the congress, a joint declaration was published to encourage the integration of scientifically-based apitherapy practices into healthcare systems and to raise public awareness about the field.