The 2018-2019 Academic Year Opening Ceremony of Üsküdar University, Turkey's first thematic university in the field of behavioral sciences and health, was held with the participation of Binali Yıldırım, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. During the ceremony, Binali Yıldırım, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, was presented with an Honorary Doctorate degree and was robed by Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Rector of Üsküdar University.
The 2018-2019 Academic Year Inauguration Ceremony held at the Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall of Üsküdar University Central Campus was attended by Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Binali Yıldırım, Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality President Advisor Prof. Dr. Erman Tuncer, Üsküdar District Governor Murat Sefa Demiryürek, Kadıköy District Governor Dr. Mustafa Özarslan, Provincial Head of Public Health Services Dr. Abdullah Emre Güner, Üsküdar District Health Director Dr. Yusuf Taşçı, Üsküdar University Board of Trustees Member Mustafa Ataş, Provincial Director of Credit Dormitories Cemil Bağlama.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan: "We chose neuroscience as our R&D focus"
Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan made the opening speech of the ceremony. Giving the first lecture of the academic year titled "The Changing World and Youth", Tarhan said that the university, which held its 7th Academic Year Opening, has 14 thousand graduates and has around 19 thousand students in 5 faculties, 1 health vocational school and institutes. Stating that they are trying to do the best as a foundation university, Tarhan pointed out that universities have 4 important functions and said, "Providing vocational training, informing the society, conducting R&D and transforming knowledge into products. We take care to focus on these four together. As a university, we are working on neuroscience as an R&D focus."
Neurobiology of intention is being researched
Stating that the neurobiology of intention is currently being researched in the world, Tarhan said, "The decision-making region of human beings is also the intention region. Whatever you intend, when your brain imagines something, for example, when you imagine eating, that part of the brain works as if you are eating. For this reason, it is known that intentional behavior is the basic behavior in people's behavior. This led us to positive psychology studies, to the neurobiology of morality. When a person intends, the mirror neurons of the brain work. Therefore, intentional behavior is now a scientific category. It is not only a subject for literary scholars and linguists, but also for psychology. Currently, positive psychology courses are being taught at Harvard University."
Stating that the positive psychology course has been among the compulsory courses at Üsküdar University since 2012, Tarhan said, "We teach human values in this course. The theory of Positive Psychology is as if it was taken from Mevlana, systematized, turned into a methodology, and explained on scientific grounds, but unfortunately they did not give a reference. This is also our fault."
Giving up critical thinking stopped the progress of thought
Referring to the reasons why the Ottoman Empire missed the industrial revolution, Prof. Tarhan said, "In the 18th century, logic, mathematics, astronomy and philosophy courses were removed from madrasas. Ibn Sina, Ibn Rushd, Farabi, who was called the Second Aristotle, were removed from education. While Europe in the Middle Ages started the school of critical thinking, the madrasa education under the protection of the foundation gave up critical thinking and acted protectionist. It stopped the progress of thought."
It is necessary to teach critical thinking
Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed to the importance of teaching critical thinking in schools and said, "It is very important that religious education and positive sciences are taught together. In order to ensure the progress of thought. Raising a generation that can criticize and question is important in this respect."
Value-based education is important
Stating that the issue of artificial intelligence is a topic that is being discussed worldwide and that there is currently a crisis of civilization in both the West and the East, Tarhan said, "There is a changing youth in relation to this. It is important to have a value-based education. It is important to teach benevolence, forgiveness and being a good person. This is how we can win the new young people."
We must respond to the psychological needs of young people
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that young people today have three fragile points and said, "The young generation has high expectations of justice. They hate the imperious approach and have high expectations of freedom. If we do not respond appropriately to these expectations and psychological needs of young people, it is very difficult to establish a connection between us and the younger generations. Sultan Abdülhamid was a very good leader, a sultan. He did great things, including a strong military structure, but in doing so, he left a gap somewhere, and that gap was that he could not establish a dialog with the younger generations. For this reason, the children he raised turned against him. For this reason, we need to take lessons from here and succeed in establishing an emotional bond with young people."
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan read the reason for the honorary doctorate
Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean and Advisor to the Rector Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan read the rationale for the honorary doctorate and the honorary doctorate ceremony was held. In the rationale for the Honorary Doctorate, it was stated that "With the decision taken by the Üsküdar University Senate, an Honorary Doctorate was presented to Binali Yıldırım, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, for his significant contributions to Turkish politics, democracy and the Turkish people with his social responsibility and infrastructure works, his personality that unites the society and his principled stance.
Honorary doctorate was presented to Binali Yıldırım, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
Binali Yıldırım, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, was presented with an Honorary Doctorate and his robe was put on by Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Rector of Üsküdar University. Yıldırım made a speech at the ceremony, where Üsküdar University's Feeling Human Sculpture was also presented.
Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Binali Yıldırım: "These young people are becoming the hope of our future"
Stating that more than 19 thousand young people are studying at Üsküdar University, whose foundations were laid by NP Group in 1999, in 4 faculties, 5 institutes and 1 college, Binali Yıldırım said, "These young people are becoming the hope of our future with the formation education they receive. Because Üsküdar University is a university that brings together positive sciences that seek the truth and social sciences that seek the good, the beautiful and the right. Our friends told me that the university is Turkey's first behavior and health themed university."
Üsküdar University is trying to bring the multidisciplinary approach from diagnosis to treatment to Turkey
Stating that today it is not possible to be good in every field and every subject, and that the era of 'I can do everything, brother' is now a thing of the past, Yıldırım said:
"People and institutions now tend to do work that will be referenced in the fields they have identified. In this context, we see that Üsküdar University is trying to bring the multidisciplinary approach from diagnosis to treatment to Turkey by combining neurology, psychiatry and psychology. I can also say that it is a university that differs from other universities in this respect. In the meantime, it is also a fact that it is trying to move health sciences from the classical field to a computer-based reality. I can say that this quality of the university appeals well to our young people who are interested in psychology and behavioral health sciences. The university, which means universe and city, is the gateway to reach from the local to the universal. It accepts the universe as a whole and tries to reach a new synthesis with different beliefs, thoughts and interpretations by making use of the accumulations of humanity. At this point, it is very important not to act ideologically and naturalistically. It is obvious that universities are needed to produce knowledge in a systematic way, to teach academic thinking and to acquire the power of analysis. We also need universities to mature democracy by seeing differences as richness and developing a culture of communication and consultation. In this sense, universities that produce knowledge and value in fields such as health, engineering and social sciences make a great contribution to the human family."
Parliament Speaker Yıldırım thanks Rector Tarhan
Binali Yıldırım, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, said: "Today, I have seen and witnessed that Üsküdar University, which expresses its principles as open to criticism, libertarian, pluralist and participatory, offers you great opportunities. Once again, I would like to thank everyone who contributed, especially Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who put forward and realized the idea of this university."
He appreciated the social responsibility projects
Noting that Üsküdar University is not only engaged in academic education and training but also carries out social responsibility projects, Yıldırım said, "I also appreciate the fact that you are extending a hand to our children and young people who are abused and in need of shelter through non-governmental organizations such as Haydi Tut Elimi, Mutlu Yuva Mutlu Yaşam Association. This is what it means to integrate with society and move from theory to practice. I also congratulate you for being actively in the field to solve our social problems."
These are your golden years, make the most of them
"Dear young people, you are undoubtedly our best assurance and source of strength in protecting Turkey's future and looking to the future with hope," said Binali Yıldırım and added: "Learn a language while you are at university. Learn to write, speak, learn a language in every aspect. These years are your golden years. If you don't learn during these years, it is a bit more difficult later on. I am 45 years old now, I went abroad for 2 years, I left my children behind and learned a language. I also did a specialization. But we need this. No matter what profession you are trained in, if you want to open up to the world, if you want to understand what is happening in the world, you must learn a language. Learn 1, no matter which one," he advised.
Speaker Yıldırım: "Do not stop reading"
Stating that there is no age for learning, Binali Yıldırım, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, said: "The moment you stop reading, you are old. Whether you are 60 or 20, reading keeps you young. Therefore, young people, we will read. We will read more. Reading in a sense, it rasps people in a sense. It completely eliminates the quarrelsome identity. Reading brings everything to the point that it is better to handle everything with mutual understanding."
Prof. Dr. Sevil Atasoy presented their robes
Academic Promotion Robe Wearing Ceremony was held at the ceremony. At the ceremony, new robes were presented to the professors who received the title of doctoral faculty member, associate professor and professor.
Firstly, Prof. Dr. Sevil Atasoy, Vice Rector of Üsküdar University, presented the robes to the professors who were promoted to doctoral faculty members. Merve Çebi from the Department of Psychology (English), Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Zeynep Bahadır Ağce from the Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences; Çetin Sayaca from the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences; Sultan Mehtap Büyüker from the Pharmacy Services Program of the Vocational School of Health Services; Ebru Özkan Oktay from the Laboratory Technology Program of the Vocational School of Health Services; Feride Kulalı, Miraç Kamışlıoğlu, Özge Kılıçoğlu from the Nuclear Technology and Radiation Safety Program of the Vocational School of Health Services, Tuğba Kaman from the Vocational School of Health Services Medical and Aromatic Plants Program wore their robes.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zelka presented the associate professorship robes
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zelka, Vice Rector of Üsküdar University, presented the robes to the professors who received the title of Associate Professor. Feride Zeynep Güder from the Department of Media and Communication, Özgül Dağlı and Dinçer Atlı from the Department of Advertising Design and Communication, Çiğdem Yazıcı from the Department of Philosophy, Işıl Göğcegöz Gül from the Department of Psychology, Türker Tekin Ergüzel from the Department of Software Engineering, Cemal Onur Noyan from the Department of Occupational Therapy, Mesut Karahan from the Biomedical Device Technology Program, Tuğba Altıntaş from the Department of Health Management, Hüseyin Ozan Tekin from the Radiotherapy Program.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan presented the professorship robes
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan presented the robes to the academicians who received the title of professor. Tunç Çatal from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (English), Nedret Hızel from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Defne Kaya from the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Arif Şanlı from the Department of Audiology, Abdullah Karatay and İsmet Galip Yolcuoğlu from the Department of Social Work, and Niyazi Beki from the Sufi Studies Institute Program were presented their robes.
At the end of the ceremony, which was broadcast live on UU TV, a souvenir photo was taken together.
After the ceremony, Binali Yıldırım had lunch at Üsküdar University and was served a special dried bean dish made from Erzincan beans.