2016-2017 Academic Year Opening Ceremony
27.09.2016

Honored with the Opening Lecture of the Ambassador of Russian Federation

His Excellency Andrey Karlov...

2016-2017 Academic Year Opening Ceremony of Atilim University started with the speech of our President Prof. Yildirim Uctug.

Drawing attention to the rising quantitative graphic of our university in preference and registration period and our success achieved by ranking in the top 4 in Turkey and in the top 500 in the world in “Times Higher Education” rankings, President Prof. Yildirim Uctug said that “although the quantitative rise of our university is pleasing it is obvious that it will multiply our educational burden.

Now, we are not the members of a university aiming to be successful, on the contrary we are a part of an institution which has already jumped over the success bar and has to maintain its success constantly. From now on, each step of us has to be in accord with these rankings and the complaisance shown to us. Each research of us has to be first class now. Anyone at this university will not be a regular person and carry out his/her duties as before. Each individual at Atilim University must act in accordance with the fact that our university is involved in the top 500”. Prof. Yildirim Uctug continued his speech and indicated that “curricula of our departments have been revised and curriculum of Preparatory School has been updated”.   Stating that the changes projected in Student Registration System could not be finalized until this semester, Prof. Yildirim Uctug indicated that our university aims to finalize the new system after cleansing junk data from the past and the performance management system prepared for academic and administrative departments will be applied in the new year. Prof. Yildirim Uctug emphasized that increasing student and employee satisfaction and taking possible measures for this purpose are at the agenda of the university and added that we should set to work considering the responsibilities of being among the top 500 universities in the world.

Presiden Uctug referred to education and thus the role of the young as the way out the hard times that our country has been encountering recently and expressed that:

“We faced the assault of the inner traitors controlled by outsiders. They attempted to overthrow our state. Our country woke up to the second independence war in the morning of July 16. At the moment when internal enemies captured all institutions of our country, our nation showed reflect to protect our institutions as it was in the independence war. Meeting of many people on republican values gave hope to us for the future. This invasion and coup attempt should be a warning for the young. Education is at the top of the list of the measures to be taken against this sort of attempts. We should offer our people a democracy culture in which they live their religion freely and religion-based gangs are eliminated.

Showing respect to different opinions is the indispensable principle of democracy. However, the concepts of rule of law and human rights adopted with the foundation of our democracy must be the common ground of these different opinions. Otherwise, these malicious attacks occurring in our territory often will go on incessantly. If we want to leave a bright and prosperous Turkey to the next generations, we have to question these fundamental values.

July 15 and incidents occurring after the attempt gave all of us an opportunity to understand and appreciate the value of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Foreseeing that internal and external enemies may overtake every corner of the state, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk found the solution in the noble blood of our youth.

I reckon that we will hand down a Turkey where sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation”.

Delivering the first lecture of the new academic year in the ceremony, Andrey Karlov, Ambassador of Russian Federation interpreted the cultural, economic and cultural relations between two countries under the topic “Russian Federation - Turkey: New Synergy in the New Period”.

Mr. Karlov stated that it is possible to make gradual progress to ensure economic, social and political recovery again after the crisis occurring in the relations with Turkey. Mr. Karlov said “we should not hurry” on the visa exemption between Russia and Turkey which is one of the most important issues in terms of the tourism sector in Turkey and indicated that Operation Euphrates Shield is not legal “as Turkey did not take the permission of Syria”.

Claiming that “the tragedy arising around our Russian fighter aircraft became a challenge for the relations between two countries”, Mr. Karlov reminded that the relations between Turkey and Russia were frozen for seven months after the incident. Mr. Karlov stated that the new period after the crisis in the relations between Turkey and Russia started with the meeting between Vladimir Putin, the President of Russian Federation and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held in August and added that “I am delighted that the leaders of two countries found the way out of this challenge and our relations entered into development phase again. I am know that our friend Turkish nation encountered with very tough and tragic incidents and I would like to specifically emphasize that our President Mr. Putin was one of the leaders who supported Turkey first. Russian nation feels deep sadness for young Turkish boys and girls who became martyrs on the purpose of protecting their country and nation. I believe that their names will never be forgotten in Turkey”.

Suggesting that economic relations between two countries should be restored and brought to the previous level, Mr. Karlov shared this information with regard to the economic table between Turkey and Russia:

“As you know Russia was one of the primary commercial partners of Turkey. The trade volume between two countries was higher than 30 billion dollars. Indirect trade or service trade were around 15 billion dollars. However, as we understand, the past seven months caused severe damages to our economic relations. We are developing a series of action programs which will contribute our relations and enable us to reach the previous level within 1.5 - 2 years and open new horizons afterwards. Two countries are at the last stage of preparing medium-term programs in commercial, economic and cultural areas. A medium-term program covering 2016-2019 will be the route map of our bilateral economic relations.

Emphasizing its will to draw attention to two important projects in economic relations, Mr. Karlov reminded Akkuyu Nuclear Power Station as the first nuclear power station of Turkey. Mr. Karlov indicated that “Russia will fulfill all of its responsibilities for the completion of the project in time and with high quality in terms of Turkish economy. Giving strategic investment status to Akkuyu Nuclear Power Station, which was mentioned by President Erdogan in the meeting of two leaders in this August, will contribute to the realization of this project considerably”.

Mr. Karlov wanted to share an important information with students: “More than 250 Turkish students have been receiving education in the leading technical universities of Russia in the recent years. They will work in Akkuyu after their graduation and they are the ones who will manage the power plant. I am sure that completion of their higher education program and internship at the nuclear power plants in Russia will be simultaneous with the end of the construction of the power plant in Turkey”.

Indicating that academician/teacher exchange programs should be applied between two countries as well as student exchange, Mr. Karlov addressed to our university and said “I am sure that Atilim University will benefit from the opportunities we gave”.

Mr. Karlov answered the questions of participants after his speech.

The ceremony ended with a cocktail given after the reward ceremony organized for our personnel who completed their 10th year at our university and the academicians who have new academic titles and published scientific publications.