Üsküdar University 2017- 2018 academic year graduation ceremony was held at Ülker Sports and Events Hall. Approximately 4,900 students who graduated from associate, undergraduate and graduate programs experienced the joy of graduation with a magnificent ceremony. Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan gave important advice to young people.
Graduates of the Department of Child Development took the stage with a banner drawing attention to violence against children and received their diplomas. Üsküdar University Bioengineering Department Head Prof. Dr. Selahattin Gültekin gave the diploma of his daughter Cansu Gültekin, who graduated from the Department of English Psychology. There was also a surprise marriage proposal at the ceremony.4

At the ceremony held at the Ülker Sports and Events Hall in Ataşehir, approximately 4,900 students graduating from Üsküdar University's associate, undergraduate and graduate programs experienced the joy of graduation. Üsküdar District Governor Murat Sefa Demiryürek, Pendik District Governor İlhan Ünsal and Zeytinburnu Mayor Murat Aydın also attended the ceremony.

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "We added 13 thousand people to Turkey's educated human staff"

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Rector of Üsküdar University, said that Üsküdar University held its fifth graduation ceremony and graduated 4 thousand 993 students on this important day, adding that they added 13 thousand 322 people to Turkey's educated human staff, which made them very happy and excited. Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that Üsküdar University, which has 16 thousand students, will continue this journey with the same enthusiasm.

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan's advice to young people

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who gave important advice to the young graduates in his speech, stated that it is important to learn from the mistakes of others in life and emphasized the importance of being principled, cooperation and team spirit.

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that young people should set three important goals and said the following: "The first one is to have a goal pyramid. A person with a goal pyramid puts not concrete but abstract goals at the top. He thinks about what kind of person I should be and how I should be remembered when I reach the end of my life. How we want to be remembered when we reach the end of our lives, let's put that goal in our ego ideal. If we are limited to concrete goals, if we live only with the dream of a house or a car, be sure that it is difficult to achieve those goals and it is difficult to be happy.

Let despair be your worst enemy

The second important point is that it is important to earn with your labor. It is very important to be able to earn with the sweat of your brow and to have value judgments and to be able to live with honor. In order to live with your head held high, it is important to set your goals and road map well. When asked what makes a kite fly, we say that the wind makes it fly. Actually, the wind does not make the kite fly. It is the position we take against the wind. When you face a challenge, let despair be your worst enemy. Focus on how to overcome this obstacle. Remember the saying that blows that don't kill make you stronger. My other advice is to make peace with technology, but technology is a tool, not a goal. Remember this."

Don't focus only on success

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that Üsküdar University offers two important courses: "One of them is Project Culture and Entrepreneurship; the other is Positive Psychology and Communication Skills. We should not only focus on success, but we should also aim to be at peace with ourselves. We should also aim to be good people. We also need to learn the science of being happy."

Start changing the world with yourself

Stating that they see the graduates as the representative of Üsküdar University in their future lives, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also asked the graduates to maintain their heart connection with the university. Prof. Dr. Tarhan concluded his words as follows: "When young people came to us, they were sparks. We tried to make a flame here. A flame illuminates itself, illuminates and warms its surroundings. For it to do this, it needs to burn itself. We cannot heat without burning. You need to put your emotions and excitement into what you do. If we can do this, we can be successful. Let's start changing the world from ourselves. Let's change ourselves before changing the world."

Students made speeches

At the ceremony, Sümeyye Çalışkan, the undergraduate winner of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Social Work, Rabiye Demir, the winner of the associate degree Social Services Program, Zerrin Kübra Akdemir, the winner of the associate degree Medical Laboratory Techniques Program, Oktay Çavuş from the Forensic Psychology and Behavioral Evidence Program made a speech on behalf of the master's graduates of 2018. Representing the foreign students, İsmail Hermann Horace Walid, a student of Üsküdar University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Computer Engineering from the Central African Republic, and Tayfun Gözler, President of the Alumni Association, delivered speeches.

Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Üsküdar University Chairman of the Board of Trustees Furkan Tarhan and Member of the Board of Trustees Fırat Tarhan gave diplomas to graduating students, including the top students.

Don't be silent even if the child is silent

Graduates of Üsküdar University Child Development department took the stage and received their diplomas with a banner drawing attention to violence against children. The young graduates condemned the violence against children by saying, "If a child's smile is life / Leave their smile alone! / Don't be silent even if the child is silent, / Be the voice that tiny bodies cannot make."

Their fathers gave them their diplomas

There were also happy moments at the ceremony. Prof. Dr. Selahattin Gültekin, Head of Üsküdar University Bioengineering Department, presented the diploma of his daughter Cansu Gültekin, who graduated from the Department of Psychology in English. Zeytinburnu Mayor Murat Aydın and Pendik District Governor İlhan Ünsal also shared the joy of their children's graduation. They presented the diplomas to their daughters with their own hands.

Will you marry me?

There was also a surprise marriage proposal at the graduation ceremony. Ahmet Fatih Altay, who graduated from the Department of Occupational Therapy, surprised Rumeysa Açıkkol, a 4th grade student of the Department of Occupational Therapy, by saying "Will you marry me?". The young girl, who was sitting in the audience and was surprised, said yes and her friends shared the couple's joy.
Father and son graduated

One of the remarkable portraits of the ceremony was Mehmet Tütüncü and his father Dr. Celal Tütüncü, who graduated from the Department of Audiometry together. Dr. Celal Tütüncü, who received his diploma together with his son, said, "My goal is to get a diploma with my grandson."

Üsküdar University oath was recited

After the flag and pennant handover ceremony, the graduates recited the oath of Üsküdar University accompanied by Prof. Dr. Haydar Sur, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. The graduation ceremony ended with the new graduates throwing their caps. The graduation ceremony was broadcast live on ÜÜ TV and Üsküdar University Facebook account.