The Science and Ideas Festival, organized by Üsküdar University in cooperation with Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education for high schools, will be held for the 6th time this year. Speaking at the promotional meeting of the festival, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that it is important to make young people love science and said, "If we make young people love science, we will save them from many mistakes and traps."
The introductory meeting organized for the festival at Sheraton Grand Istanbul Ataşehir brought together guidance counselors and school principals working in schools on the Anatolian side. Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education Levent Yazıcı and Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan gave information about the festival at the meeting.
It is necessary to project dreams
In his opening speech, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said that studies on neuroscience show that learning is healthier and more permanent in environments where fun and discipline are together. Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "When fun and discipline are not together, learning is temporary. Adding one's emotions to a subject one learns, doing it with love, excitement and affection, and thinking 24/7 form the basis of productive thinking. Productive and exploratory thinking involves dreaming. After dreaming, it is necessary to project it. A dream must also have a purpose. The emergence of a project requires mental labor, ordeal and an incubation period. After the incubation period, there is birth. After that period, very big bright ideas emerge."
Ego ideal should be given against traps
Stating that young people in secondary and high school should be directed to good fields, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "In order to prevent them from falling into the traps of social media, in order to prevent them from falling into the traps of popular culture, it is necessary to give young people an ego ideal. The best ego ideal to be determined in this age is to give them ideals that can be beneficial to the society, that can be beneficial to humanity through science, not just someone who thinks only of himself. We set out 6 years ago dreaming of this."
We must make young people love science
Pointing to the importance of making young people love science, Tarhan said, "If we make young people love science, we will save them from many mistakes and traps. As Üsküdar University, we always care about this vision. Project Culture and Entrepreneurship course is taught as a compulsory course."
Stating that Üsküdar University has been designated as a center of excellence by UNECSO for its work in the field of Neurobiology, Cognitive Medicine and Brain Research, Tarhan said that they provide opportunities for foreign students to conduct research.
We are the first university to represent our country in N20
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that Üsküdar University focuses on R&D and said, "One cannot do everything. In R&D, you choose a subject and focus on it. Like data mining. We chose the brain as a focus. Last week we were in Argentina for the N20 Summit held before the G20 Summit. We were there as the university representing Turkey at the Neurosience meeting, where studies were carried out to determine policies especially related to brain functions. A report was prepared and that report was presented to the leaders."
The biggest problem of young people is loneliness
Stating that one of the biggest problems of young people today is loneliness, Tarhan said that the loneliness study conducted by the University of Manchester and the BBC on young people between the ages of 16-24 has important results. Tarhan said, "Two types of behavior emerge in these young people. These young people do not pay attention to their self-care and do not eat hot food. They spend a significant part of their time in front of the computer. They are in psychological isolation and loneliness. This poses a great risk for the future. Parents and educators need to be careful about this issue. A different generation has started to develop due to the use of technology. A generation that is intelligent but has poor social relations is emerging. There is a digital generation and we have to think about the risks they will face and take precautions."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan thanked Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education and Levent Yazıcı, Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education, who have supported the festival since the first year.
Levent Yazıcı said: "Such festivals make important contributions"
Levent Yazıcı, Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education, expressed his pleasure to be present at a meaningful meeting where creativity and innovation were discussed and to be a part of it. Yazıcı noted that a pleasant learning environment was created in the past festivals and said, "The thoughts of our students were ignited and very important inventions were made with the valuable support of our teachers. Within the scope of the 2023 vision of our Ministry of National Education, we are working to develop both contemporary and future-oriented e
min we want to take steps. In this context, we want to continue our institutional collaborations. As the Ministry of National Education, we want to raise moral children who are equipped with the skills of both the present and the future, who can use these skills for the benefit of humanity, who are curious and passionate about science, and who are sensitive to culture and art." Stating that there is a great need for such festivals, Yazıcı said, "Üsküdar University has a very important background. I believe that the work it has done on the categories it has determined in social sciences, science and technology and health based on Behavioral Science will make very important contributions if it is integrated with our schools."
Prof. Dr. Muhsin Konuk: "This country needs inventors"
Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Muhsin Konuk made the Science and Idea Festival Presentation. Stating that the slogan of this year's festival is "We are looking for brains to invent" Konuk said, "This country needs inventors. Our aim is to raise producers, conscious followers and actors who will shape the science culture and science industry." Prof. Dr. Konuk stated that this festival also aims to socialize young people and warned, "Young people are becoming lonely, especially due to the increase in information technologies."
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan: "We will not leave our children alone"
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, gave a conference titled "Growing Goodness in a Changing World". Pointing out that one of the biggest problems of young people is loneliness, she said: "In the meeting held in Oxford last year, we looked for the main reasons for joining ISIS. The vast majority of those who join ISIS from Europe are not even Muslims. When we look at the background of these children, we see a great loneliness. They are isolated in schools and their families have abandoned them. This is the biggest problem in Europe. We will not leave our children alone. They will be in our families. We will convince those children, we will sit at those tables together. We will sit at those holiday tables. We will be with families, aunts, uncles and cousins. The family system, the community system will remain outside the social responsibility programs.
n every isolated child is a ready-to-hunt victim for all kinds of organized crime organizations."
Deadline for application; February 22, 2019
The 6th Science and Idea Festival, organized by Üsküdar University for high school students in cooperation with Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education, aims to encourage young people to observe, think, research and produce projects, and will take place on April 18-19, 2019. This year, Üsküdar University Science and Idea Festival will accept applications in three categories: Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Science and Technology Sciences. The deadline for the festival is February 22, 2019.
Successful projects will be awarded
The winners will be awarded again this year. Among the top three in each of the three categories; 6 thousand liras will be awarded to the first place winners, 4 thousand liras to the second place winners and 2 thousand liras to the third place winners. Those ranking between 4 and 14 will be awarded 500 liras. Project counselors will receive half of the prize for the winning project.
Before the meeting, counselors came together for breakfast. A souvenir photo was taken at the end of the program broadcast live on ÜÜ TV.