Opening Ceremony of 2013-2014 Academic Year Held

Our university’s 2013-2014 Academic Year Opening Ceremony was held. Governor of Konya Muammer Erol, Metropolitan Municipality Mayor of Konya Tahir Akyürek, our university’s Rector Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Şeker, vice rectors, deans, other universities’ delegates, academicians, administrative supervisors, students and their relatives attended the opening ceremony took place in Ahmet Keleşoğlu Faculty of Education Erol Güngör Conference Hall.

Inauguration of ceremony was made by a brief concert put through respectively by Turkish classical music and folk music ensembles constituted by instructors and students of Music Department of Education Faculty. Following the greeting speech of Abdullah Yusuf Koç, head of student council, ceremonial speeches were delivered.

Tahir Akyürek, Metropolitan Municipality Mayor of Konya, in his speech, drew attention to importance of universities for a city, putting into words as: “Konya is proceeding rapidly in becoming a university city. In this development, we as municipality are constructing social and cultural areas rapidly of which students can make use of. I would like to advise our student fellows: Never forget that time is very valuable; put your years as student to very good use; renovate yourselves not only through school but also social and cultural activities. You, students, during your lifetime will serve to country by occupying various posts by means of competencies you obtained in these years. Having these feelings I would like to celebrate your new academic year, wish it brings along beneficence.”

Muammer Erol, governor of Konya in his speech emphasizing the importance of universities for a country, said: “A high educated community is the one contributing the construction of civilization. This kind of community builds a strong country. You estimable youngsters; always have the passion to serve this country someday completing your education by utilizing the opportunities introduced to you in the best way. I wish success and easiness in your education life and beneficence for the new term.”

In the ceremony, our university’s rector Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Şeker in his speech stated:  

“Parallel to the increase in quantity occurring in higher education of our country, our university improves itself at a rapid pace. Our adventure begun as Konya University now continues as Necmettin Erbakan University.

We as university do not consider ourselves as a newly founded small university. Necmettin Erbakan University is the inheritor of deep rooted higher education tradition and experience of Turkey and Konya. Our Theology and Education Faculties became half century-old plane trees, graduates of which serve in the country and abroad. Having an appreciable knowledge accumulation, in this region our Medical Faculty occupies position of the leading health center.

We would like to present our sincere thanks and gratitude to those who contributed their efforts in achievement of the institutions’ current success and commemorate the ones passed to the hereafter with gratitude and mercy.

In recent years, over the rise of portion of education in national budget, we would like express our happiness; on the other hand it is necessary to underline the in adequacy of this. Possessing a young generation our country can only achieve goals if it can raise its human source capital as a qualified one.

By a rapid structuring we have started education in our newly founded faculties. In addition to faculties; Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Faculty of Tourism, we opened last year, students admissions for Faculty of Aviation and Space Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science and School of Applied Sciences has begun this year. I would like to welcome them. It makes us happy to be able to reach full student capacity at undergraduate programs this year too. As this month, our student number has reached around 23,500; 4,100 of them are post-graduate (MA,MS) students.

Besides, there are faculties and schools in Seydişehir and Ereğli joined our university’s body; I would like to say welcome to these units of us.

Among the fundamental subjects we as university administration emphasized always and everywhere, the leading subject was to give importance to quality in education and instruction. We should grow not horizontally but vertically. Therefore, we put importance to the activities of research and development. We stand by the opening of new post-graduate programs (MA, MS, PhD).

We aim that our number of post-graduate students at least equals to one quarter of the number of undergraduate students. To attract qualified students we give special importance to research infrastructure projects. In this way, we augment our connections with universities abroad. We signed and go on signing mutual agreements with many universities located in different countries, such as United Stated, Germany, Malaysia, and Kirgizstan. We enforce our academic staff with foreigners. We encourage joint research projects. Turkish language education aiming our foreign students continues, together with our more than 500 foreign students from 50 different countries we bring colorfulness and multi-vocality in to the life in Konya.

Estimable guests and my valuable friends,

Our efforts related to physical infrastructure of our university is proceeding. Tender related to master plan preparation of Köyceğiz Main Campus design has resulted. We work closely with winning firm and local authorities. Soon campus layout plan will be finalized.

Construction of buildings of 3 blocks situated in I. stage designed to be common classrooms in Campus has finished at the rate of 90%. God willing, we will transfer some of our faculties to there. In the week of 17 December we plan to fulfill the opening of these buildings. Of course it is just a beginning and through cooperation with Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ) step by step, stage by stage our campus will be finalized. Our university will be mentioned with its rope railway in greens of Meram, its historical, cultural, architectural view as owning one of the most beautiful campus areas of Turkey.

From here I would like give some good news to our Meram Faculty of Medicine and Konya. We modernize our Medicine Faculty undertaking a great part of health services of this region by uniting the old, dispersed hospital blocks. The project of our hospital of 600 bed capacity and God willing we will lay the foundation in the early months of 2014. In this subject, I would like to express our thanks mainly to local authorities and Ministry of Development, representatives of Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ). I would like to express that we fulfill this job (academicianship) neither for fame nor for flour, as our dear departed master Prof. Dr. Süleyman Oğuz Kayaalp, member of Turkish Academy of Science (TÜBA), told last month just before his death in the interview published in our magazine. On the other hand, for us naturally it is also very important that academicians reach dignified life standard as they deserve. We are aware of the issues related to the personal rights of academician. We consider that in recent years academicians have gone through significant losses in their salaries compared to other vocational parties. This is of course an issue relating government and politics. Nevertheless, we would like you to know that at the level of Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and bureaucracy by means of reports we prepared, we are in effort to do more that we ought to. We are in hope and expectation of a regulation related to this matter before New Year.

Hereby I would like to address to my student fellows: We consider you as a part of our family. You are important for us and for the city. You are the future of our country. As administrators we are to serve you. Do not content yourself only with education in classrooms. Endeavour to benefit at utmost amount possible from intellectual savings and values of Konya which has the historical accumulation of thousands year old civilization and was capital city of previous Turkish states. We will continue to support you through active student clubs in our university.

In cooperation with local authorities and Non-Governmental Organizations (STK) we put into practice many scientific and cultural activities, in a desire that our youngsters finalize a second university education by taking part in these activities.

Last year together with our student council we implemented “Project of Tomorrow’s Leaders” and obtained very satisfying feedbacks. This year also in addition to many new activities, we will continue to support Selçuklu Project of Education of Values (SEDEP) project and arranging City Conferences. Last year by means of under the surveillance of Dear President of Republic of Turkey organized serial programmes, we tried to acquaint you with master Necip Fazıl, our country’s prominent scholar and poet. Programme of 30 books 30 speaker was recorded in the history as a good example of fidelity.

This year alike last year, we will carry on familiarization of authors of the world of intellect and letters. We are open to suggestions coming from you as well. Our expectation from you is to make yourselves more qualified by means of these kinds of social events and raise yourselves on your own.

Our objective is to raise qualified BEAUTIFUL HUMANS who will serve humanity.

With these thoughts and feelings I would like to thank you for your participation and express my sympathy and regards to you together with my wish that new academic year bears beneficence.” 

After speeches, “Also a little music” themed first lesson of the academic year was lectured by Hanefi ÖZBEK, Instructor at Pharmacology Department of Faculty of Medicine of İstanbul Medipol University.