The High Human Values Awards, which Üsküdar University gives to individuals and institutions that think about society, nature and the universe, set an example and inspire with their lives, were presented to their owners for the third time. This year's awards were given to Prof. Dr. Özcan Köknel, Prof. Dr. İhsan Süreyya Sırma, Prof. Dr. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, Prof. Dr. Colin Turner, Amputee National Team, Nuri Pakdil and Hülya Koçyiğit. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Rector of Üsküdar University, stated that there is a serious erosion of values in the world and that violence and unhappiness have increased due to this reason and said, "Human values are very important in the reconstruction of society. We need to realize these values." Prof. Dr. Tarhan also underlined that values are the cement that holds society together.
The third High Humanitarian Values Awards, given by Üsküdar University with the aim of rewarding behaviors, events and individuals who will set an example to the society and encourage humanity to goodness in order to develop social values, found their owners this year.
As a result of the evaluation made by Üsküdar University Senate, it was decided to give the 3rd High Human Values Award to Prof. Dr. Özcan Köknel, Prof. Dr. İhsan Süreyya Sırma, Prof. Dr. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, Prof. Dr. Colin Turner, Amputee National Team, Nuri Pakdil and Hülya Koçyiğit.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "There is a serious phase of values in the world"
Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who made the opening speech of the award ceremony held at Üsküdar University Altunizade Campus Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall, said that with these awards, which have now become traditional, they aim to bring social values to the forefront, to reward exemplary behaviors that contribute to the development of these values and the people who show these behaviors. Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "We attach importance to human values for the following reason. When we look at the general course of the world, there is a serious erosion of values and as a result, although the welfare level of humanity increases, the level of happiness does not increase and social peace does not develop. Divorces are increasing, violence is on the rise. The capitalist system glorifies power and money the most. In a society where this is a value, the weak are oppressed, income distribution is unjust. Cruelty increases, and in such an environment values are defined as the strong want them to be. In such situations, it is necessary to keep human values alive and bring them to the forefront. It is important that we do this without paying a price. Nearly 50 million people died in World War 2. The biggest reason for this was the acceptance of racism as a value."
Stating that human values are very important in the reconstruction of society, Tarhan said, "We need to put these values into practice. Investments in human values do not bear fruit immediately. There is a beautiful Chinese proverb; 'If you want one year of wealth, plant wheat, if you want 10 years of wealth, plant trees, if you want 100 years of wealth, raise people'. Values emerge in such sociological phases of 30, 60, 90 years. As a university, we need to emphasize these values as a concept in order to keep them alive in society."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Values are the cement that holds society together
Prof. Tarhan stated that the West has realized the erosion of values and that efforts are being made to keep them alive, and that we, as a society, need to revive these values. Prof. Tarhan said, "People have an understanding of happiness based on external reasons, whereas happiness should be based on internal reasons. As a philosophy of life, we need to be happy with ordinary things. When a person fails to achieve this, they break down. One should be happy under all circumstances. It is the values of people that bring this. If we think of society as a building, individuals are the materials of the building. The stone is the brick. Values are the cement between them. A building without cement cannot stand. For this reason, we need to keep the values, the universal values that keep people together. If we can keep our values alive, the world will be more livable. The future of the world will be better."
Prof. Dr. İhsan Süreyya Sırma: "The Islamic world must start reading again"
The 3rd High Human Values Award was presented to Prof. Dr. İhsan Süreyya Sırma for his outstanding efforts in establishing the feelings of justice and fairness in the students he has raised through his works and studies, for being a role model, and for his contributions to Islamic history and culture. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan presented Sırma's award. Thanking Üsküdar University for the award, Sırma stated that the Islamic world must read in order to experience enlightenment and said, "There was no science in Europe until the Crusaders came to the Middle East. Crusaders learned science in this geography, and when we took them out, something happened. They took away the science and the madrasahs they had taken from us, and we left them in parallel. Muslims have no problems. Europeans came and learned that problem," he said. Prof. Dr. Sırma stated that although the writers in Europe wrote our history, we did not write that history and said, "Because we have finished that love. We all have mindless phones in our pockets, these mindless phones have prevented reading. Let's go back to reading again, we have no other choice."
Prof. Dr. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil: "Human values and science completely overlap"
The 3rd High Human Values Award was presented to Prof. Dr. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil for being a role model for the scientific world with his scientific research and discoveries in the field of health sciences, and for his unique impact on the dissemination of project culture and entrepreneurship among students. Prof. Dr. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil was unable to attend the ceremony due to his schedule in the USA, and the award was presented to Begüm Mutuş, General Manager of the Sabri Ülker Food Research Foundation. In his video message, Prof. Dr. Hotamışlıgil thanked Üsküdar University, Prof. Dr. Tarhan and the members of the Senate and said, "How indispensable human values are for the performance of science, how much they need to be internalized and internalized, in fact, human values and science completely overlap. It gives me happiness to feel that science has taught me the efforts I have made in 30 years. Like science itself, the path to becoming a human being is very long and arduous. I hope I will make a significant progress on this arduous path. You have indescribably honored me with this award. You have been like a river in the generosity you have shown me in making this decision, like the sun in the compassion you have shown me, like the night in seeing my flaws. Thank you very much. I need to accept this award like the earth."
Award to Amputee National Football Team
Another award was presented to the Amputee National Football Team. The 3rd High Human Values Award was presented to the Amputee Football National Team for demonstrating that disability is not an obstacle to productivity, being a role model by creating a unique and widespread impact around the world with courage, effort, hope and spirit of cooperation, representing our country at the highest level in the amputee football branch, which is rapidly recognized and growing in our country, and showing that obstacles do not remain in the body. The award of the Amputee Football National Team, who could not attend the ceremony due to the camp program, was presented to Federation Board Member Av. Oğuz Cerik. Oğuz Cerik was presented the award by Halide İncekara, Advisor to the Rector.
Prof. Dr. Özcan Köknel: "This award is a source of happiness, pride and honor for me"
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Özcan Köknel was also awarded the 3rd High Human Values Award at the ceremony. Prof. Dr. Özcan Köknel was presented with the award for his works, studies, preventive and preventive health services in community and individual mental health, and his unique influence and contributions as a role model for students and their relatives. Prof. Dr. Özcan Köknel, who could not attend the ceremony due to health reasons, thanked Üsküdar University and Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan for awarding him with the award through a video message. Stating that he will turn 90 in March, Prof. Dr. Köknel said that receiving such an award in March is of great value for him. Köknel said, "The fact that I received such an award from Üsküdar University is a source of happiness, pride and honor for me because the contributions of the rector, whom I have known for 40 years, to the university and the effort to evaluate some people in the society in this way and to show them as role models to others is really an initiative that has not been thought much and implemented much to my knowledge until today. I sincerely thank him for this initiative, both for myself and for the social benefits that this initiative will bring."
Nuri Pakdil also received an award
The 3rd High Human Values Award was given to writer Nuri Pakdil. Pakdil was deemed worthy of the award for his original value and widespread influence in the reconstruction of our national values and in the dissemination of futüvvet ethics through his literary works in the way of being a good person, and for his service in transferring human values to young generations, as well as for his contributions to Turkish literature, education and cultural life. Necip Evlice received the award for Pakdil, who could not attend the ceremony due to his health condition. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zelka presented the award.
Prof. Dr. Colin Turner was also awarded
The last High Human Values Award was presented to Prof. Dr. Colin Turner for his contributions to the understanding of Islam and Muslims in the West in general and in the UK in particular through his books, scientific and popular works, and for his activities and activities in Muslim countries, which have led to intercultural rapprochement. Prof. Dr. Colin Turner's award was received by Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zelka presented the award.
Hülya Koçyiğit: "I thank Üsküdar University for reminding us of humanity"
The 3rd High Human Values Award was given to an artist for the first time this year. The award was presented to Hülya Koçyiğit for her exemplary life in keeping the family values that keep the society together, her contributions to the establishment of a culture of respect that keeps the layers of society together, her activities in the field of social responsibility and her unique impact on the art of Turkish cinema. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan presented Koçyiğit's award. In her speech, Hülya Koçyiğit said, "I would like to thank Üsküdar University for reminding us of humanity, which we really need to remember once again today, and for deeming me worthy of this award. It is a great honor to be deemed worthy of such an award. I am very grateful for this. When I was a little girl, my mother told me, 'You will be an example for your siblings, so first of all you must learn to be a good person'. Learning to be a good person, yes, being a good person is something that can be learned, it starts in the family. Sacrifice, loyalty, justice, honesty, sincerity, honesty, sincerity and so on, all these emotions that express the meaning of this award are emotions that can be learned, but for some reason I realize that today we are slowly moving away from these emotions. Not only in our country, but all over the world. Really justice, compassion, sharing and many others are disappearing and melting away. I would like to thank you again and again for this High Human Values Award from Üsküdar University, which reminds us of these things. For telling us what a human being is again, for reminding us of this. In later years, when I suddenly became a famous person in Turkey with the movie Susuz Yaz at a very young age, my mother said to me, "Hülya, look, now you are a role model for young people and women in this society. They will look at you, they will watch you and they will draw a path for themselves with you, so you must work hard to be a good person first and foremost. Today, 50-odd years later, I am very, very touched to be deemed worthy of such a meaningful award. I am very grateful, thank you very much. I have tried to be worthy of these values all my life. More precisely, I have tried to be worthy of this noble nation. Today, with this award, I feel the honor and pride of having deserved it. Thank you very much."
Hülya Koçyiğit also commemorated the 8 soldiers who were martyred yesterday and said, "We had a very painful event yesterday. We lost our precious sons of our country. I would like to express my gratitude to our Mehmetçiks who gladly sacrificed their lives to protect their country, to protect the borders, to stop this painful terrorism that has been going on for years."
Awards turn into educational scholarships and saplings in the Forest of Goodness
A sapling will be planted in the Üsküdar University Goodness Forest in Şile on behalf of the recipients of the Üsküdar University High Humanitarian Value Award, while a scholarship for a student in the 2018-2019 Academic Year will be given on behalf of the awardees.