Abdullah Gül University (AGU), which ranks among the top 10 state universities of Turkey, had the graduation excitement and pride. Joining the graduation ceremony, the 11th President Abdullah Gül said: "People can only become qualified and skilled in good universities. For that reason, with great satisfaction I see today that you have really achieved that." Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu said that students would experience the privileges of graduating from AGU all their lives.
Accepting its first students in 2013, AGU organized a grand ceremony for around 100 students graduating from its 7 programs with the participation of the 11th President Abdullah Gül. The preparations for the ceremony began many days ago on the Sümer Campus. Many parents, students, guests as well as members of the Abdullah Gül University Support Foundation (AGUV), business and industry sectors joined the ceremony.
The graduation ceremony started with a cocktail for the parents and students at the Exhibition Hall. Afterwards, it continued with a moment of silence and the national anthem on the campus garden. A promotional video was screened to show AGU's mission, vision and targets.
At the ceremony, the 11th President Abdullah Gül addressed to the students and said that they were graduating from one of the only 3 universities in Turkey with the medium of instruction as English.
Mr. Gül said: "In 2013 we opened the first academic year here when I was the President. You started the preparatory school then. At the time, I expressed what I expected from a university and how this one should turn out to be. Today, I am glad to see that AGU has reached those targets."
The biggest investment is the one made in education, stressed Mr. Gül and added "All I wished for was building a good, distinguished university and gift it to the youth, Kayseri and all of Turkey. Certainly, it is not easy to make something good. No other university has been established with such efforts spent for AGU. However, its foundation has been laid very strongly. Today we reap its fruits. First of all, you are graduating from the university with a very good command of English. Without a doubt, you will experience its advantages all your lives. 'The biggest investment is the one made in education,' I said. In my life as a politician and statesman, I especially followed the education. The most crucial elements for Turkey are qualified, skilled people whom are called "human capital". And people can only become qualified and skilled in good universities. For that reason, with great satisfaction I see today that you have really achieved that."
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Mr. Gül also advised the students:
"We live in such an age in which it is impossible to catch up with the speed of technology. Many technological gadgets we knew as new yesterday are already old today. Keeping up with that is only possible with skilled people. You have acquired many skills here and from now on, you will reap its benefits. Do not forget, though, education is continuous. You have graduated, yet education is not over for you. Actually, bigger races await you after this point. Do not quit education, ever. Update yourself constantly when you get a job after graduation. Be solid, honest, patriotic and love your country. You will be able to work not only in Turkey but also abroad. AGU's biggest target is educating graduates who can work and find jobs anywhere in the world. I have always repeated this in our meetings with you and today I see with great satisfaction that you have been injected this confidence. With this self-confidence, doing good for all humanity should be another quality of yours besides being beneficial to your families and country. Turkey expects a lot from you. Also remember that there may be problems, from time to time, in your family, whereabouts, country or the world. Do not dwell on them. Always be positive and look to the future with hope."
Speaking after the screening of a promotional video which showed the period from 2013 when AGU accepted the first students until the present day, Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu stressed that students would experience the privileges of graduating from AGU all their lives.
Joining the ceremony with his spouse Semra Sabuncuoğlu, Rector Sabuncuoğlu expressed his excitement and pride in graduating the very first students.
Sabuncuoğlu said: "Do what you love; if you do not love your job, seek another one. My second advice is that do not be afraid of making mistakes; do your research well when you make a decision. Analyze opportunities and threats well and take controlled risks. In life, it is not possible to achieve success without taking initiatives and with zero risk."
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Reminding that the first students were hosted in the promotion tent as there was not a single finished building at the time, Sabuncuoğlu added:
"You probably remember that we hosted you in a tent when you first came to the campus for open days five years ago as we did not have a finished building then. You also reached the tent through a long and dusty path. You were all timid and shy. You had many questions such as 'where are the campuses, instructors, labs; can I have a good education here; what are we going to do after graduation?' We, a handful of believers, explained to you the university and its vision over little models. You believed in us and took a risk. And you won. You will feel more that you won in the future. Because, you have a very good command of English and most of you have been abroad once. Almost all of you did at least two internships, many of you did so abroad. You have not only acquired theoretical knowledge but also know well problems of the business and industry and how to solve them. You have learned not to memorize but how to learn at AGU. Beyond them all, you have learned to dream. You have been taught to be individuals who have the 21st-century skill set needed by the society and who can shape the future. For these reasons, it is a great pleasure and pride to see today that many of our graduates have got more than one job offers and still continue to get others. In 2013 when AGU was established, there were 170 universities in Turkey. Today, there are around 200 universities. Naturally, our community had its reservations and doubts regarding the quality and future of AGU, as would have been the case for any other new universities. 'How will it turn out to be? Will they really be able to achieve fully English-medium instruction?' were some of the many questions we faced. However, we came to these days with much support."
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The Abdullah Gül University Support Foundation (AGUV) President Mustafa Çıkrıkçıoğlu said, in his speech, that investing in the youth was the most valuable investment for our country and the world.
Turkey's development should not only be considered in economic terms; ensuring social and communal development is also crucial, Çıkrıkçıoğlu said and added: "In order for Turkey to reach its targets, it is necessary to give education and do research duly. For that reason, it is also important that universities as sources of education and science contribute to the society. Abdullah Gül University has undertaken this mission in the national and international arena and continue its work visibly and successfully in this regard."
Telling students that they will be rewarded amply for their efforts in the rest of their lives, Çıkrıkçıoğlu added:
"Dear first graduates, it made us very happy to see you graduating. Esteemed instructors, you and we put a lot of efforts to come to this day. We do not have any doubts that you will be rewarded amply for your efforts in the rest of your lives. As professionals, you are now parts of the mission of developing the society and our country. Seeing that you leave your mark in the future of the country by projecting the high-quality education you received here onto your jobs in the best way will make us very proud."
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Fatma Nur Işık who became the valedictorian after completing her education outstandingly at AGU's Electrical and Electronics Engineering and the Mechanical Engineering graduate Berkay Güncan as the Alumni Association Head also delivered speeches.
Fatma Nur Işık stated that thanks to AGU they acquired a researcher's identity that questions and reaches knowledge with research on one's own.
Işık said: "In my opinion, a university should be an institution which aims that students reach knowledge themselves by questioning and researching, and thus they learn the ways leading to right information by way of which they will acquire a researcher's identity outside the academic life rather than one which spoon-feeds information to them as in compulsory schooling. I believe that thanks to this skill we have gained at AGU, we will be individuals who generate the right solutions with the right information not just in science but also in every situation life throws at us. This has been the most important and permanent gain the university offered us. For this reason, I extend my gratitude to our university."
Berkay Güncan, the Alumni Association Head and Mechanical Engineering graduate, said they believed in AGU, entrusted their futures to it, and their trusts were never shaken, both AGU and the AGU Foundation supported them unconditionally and would continue to do so.
Highlighting that graduates, the first ones in particular, carry a university to its rightful place, Güncan said, "We are aware of the responsibilities on our shoulders and will continue to make you proud. As the Alumi Association, we will seek solutions to global problems in line with the third-generation-university vision. We will work with our instructors, university and foundation. In short, we will forge cooperation with all the stakeholders in order to carry our university onwards together. In order to reach the best, we will work with the excitement we had on our first day on the campus."
After the speeches, Faculty Members Prof. İbrahim Akgün and Dr. Ayşegül Öztürkalan received "Innovation in Teaching Awards" due to their innovative approaches in classes.
Prof. İbrahim Akgün and Dr. Ayşegül Öztürkalan were presented their awards by Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu.
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Afterwards, top students of the university, faculties and departments were presented their awards by the 11th President Abdullah Gül and Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu.
The best performing students received another award from the Abdullah Gül University Support Foundation. The AGUV President Mustafa Çıkrıkçıoğlu presented their awards.
Graduating students took their diplomas from the Department Chairs. At the end of the ceremony, graduates threw their caps in the air out of joy.
Graduates, families and academics took a family photograph with the 11th President Abdullah Gül and Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu.
After the ceremony, graduates took many photos to remember the day.
Click here for the text of Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu's speech
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