Rector of the Istanbul University and Chairman of the Board of Overseers of the Haliç University, Prof. Dr. Mahmut Ak attended the academic year opening ceremony carried out in Sütlüce Campus.

The program started with the Turkish National Anthem and a moment of silence, and ended with the speech of Haliç University Rector Prof. Dr.Abdurrahman Eren. Starting by wishing everyone a good and a successful academic year, Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Eren continued “I believe this year to be a milestone in the 18-year long history of Haliç University. As you all know, with the decree of Council of Higher Education, Istanbul University was assigned to the administration of Haliç University as it is the guarantor university to Haliç University. After the assignment of Istanbul University, our fill rates reached to almost 100%. Our academicians and employees received their long lost paychecks, and some vacant positions were filled. Our Sütlüce campus was strengthened with new classes, laboratories, dining hall and environmental planning.”

Promising students a qualified academic year with the collaboration of Istanbul University, Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman Eren ended his speech by saying, “The graduation certificates of Haliç University graduates are even more important now. I salute you all and wish our country and our university a good academic year.”

“Innovation is inevitable”

Rector of the Istanbul University and Chairman of the Board of Overseers of the Haliç University, Prof. Dr. Mahmut Ak started his speech by indicating his happiness to be there, at the opening ceremony. Prof. Dr. Mahmut Ak, who mentions that innovation and renewal is inevitable in a society consisting of precious youth, said: “In our country, students as muh as some countries’ population get higher education. The biggest wealth of our country is its young population. We should determine a vision in order to use this wealth effectively.”

Prof. Dr. Ak, implying the importance of the vision in higher education, said: “ I think, there are some principals, values that we should focus apart from grand narratives, numeric datum, criterions when we talk about vision in higher education. If we look at the world, we see that a same tendency becomes widespread and higher education institutions follow a specific vision, thus the numbers of the studies is more prominent than their qualities and effects. A strategy stands in front of us when we think what we should pay attention to produce visions in higher education and to reach these visions. Future should be planned by considering past and present. The success of this plan is up to being tactful, focusing results, using technology effectively and not wasting time with trivial things.”

After the speech of the Rector of the Istanbul University and Chairman of the Board of Overseers of the Haliç University, Prof. Dr. Mahmut Ak, the Dean of Faculty of Literature Prof. Dr. Oya Oğuz gave the ‘opening lecture’.

The opening ceremony of the Academic Year of 2016-2017 ended with an opera recital from Zafer Erbaş and a musical recital from Haliç University Conservatory under the leadership of Chief Mehmet Erenler.

Prof. Dr. Mahmut Ak and other attendant academic members have had their photos taken together. Prof. Dr. Ak then visited the booths of the student clubs in the garden and chatted with the students.

After they attended the opening ceremony, Istanbul University Board Members that also constitute the Board of Overseers of Haliç University, conducted a meeting.

Translated by: Eda AYDEMİR, İrem YAŞAR

IU Department of Press and Public Relations