88% of the AGU's first graduates have been employed and more than 50% received job offers while still students. This year, the university is proud to be graduating the second round of students.
Addressing the graduates, the 11th President Abdullah Gül said:
"Whatever you do, make it your aim to serve people. Always have principles, morals and values."
Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu stressed:
"AGU is the youngest university in the top 200 worldwide. In particular, AGU achieved great success ranking 4th best university in the 'Sustainable Cities and Communities' category worldwide.
AGU graduates are educated to be world citizens who are aware of global issues and Turkey-backed UN development goals for social welfare around the world, thus to have excellent command of English, and be able to work in each and every country of the world.
---
Abdullah Gül University (AGU) held its second graduation ceremony. The 11th President Abdullah Gül joined the ceremony and addressed to the graduates: "Whatever you do, make it your aim to serve people. Always have principles, morals and values." Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu stressed in his address that AGU progressed fast in becoming an international university: "AGU is the youngest university in the top 200 worldwide. In particular, AGU achieved great success ranking 4th best university in the 'Sustainable Cities and Communities' category worldwide."
AGU produced its first graduates only last year and 88% of them have been employed and more than 50% received job offers while still students. This year's ceremony was held on the Sümer Campus.
Besides the 11th President Abdullah Gül and Kayseri Governor Şehmus Günaydın, Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu and his spouse Semra Sabuncuoğlu, many parents, students, academics, dignitaries, AGU Foundation members, and guests joined the ceremony.
At the ceremony, the 11th President Abdullah Gül addressed the students and graduates: "Whatever you do, make it your aim to serve people. Always have principles, morals and values."
The 11th President Gül reminded that when they decided to establish AGU bearing his name, their aim was to create a model university, that he always stressed the importance of education in his personal life and as a statesman. Gül stated, he always supported education because he believed that the biggest richness of a country was its qualified manpower as human capital.
Gül added that it made everyone happy to see that the university was advancing with firm steps and thanked everyone working for the advancement of such a good university established in Kayseri at the center of Anatolia.
Gül also expressed that he had no doubts that the university would prove itself more gradually and said:
"Being a good human comes first. Be good. To be good, be transparent. Do not forget that the greatest power lies with transparency. Do not hide anything, be open and transparent. Even when you have contrarian views, defend and express them transparently. Whatever you do, make it your aim to serve people. Always have principles, morals and values. Never go after daily situational success. Always aim for long-term success. Seek success that will serve not only you, but all humanity."
"AGU is the youngest university in the top 200 worldwide."
In his address, Rector Prof. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu highlighted AGU's international achievements gained in a short span of time.
Reminding that in April of the current year, Times Higher Education, an international higher education rating agency, announced the world ranking of universities measuring their social impact for the first time, Prof. Sabuncuoğlu said: "In the ranking, AGU was placed at the top of the range 101-200 landing just after the first 100 universities with its total points in the general category. With this result, it became the youngest university in the top 200 worldwide. In particular, AGU achieved great success ranking 4th best university in the 'Sustainable Cities and Communities' category worldwide."
In the latest rankings of the URAP, also known as an international rating agency for higher education, Sabuncuoğlu said, AGU was placed 2nd among the 86 universities established after 2000 and had a place in the rankings.
Sabuncuoğlu reminded that AGU was ranked 12th in TÜBİTAK's "Entrepreneurial and Innovative Universities Index" becoming the most successful state university in the category of universities established in the last 25 years. Moreover, AGU was the youngest university to pass YÖK's external quality assessment and became a good example mentioned at every meeting, Sabuncuoğlu added.
The Rector also enumerated achievements of the AGU faculty:
Our faculty collected awards of respectable institutions and programs such as TÜBİTAK, TÜBA (Turkish Academy of Sciences), BAGEP (Science Academy's Young Scientist Awards Program), and the Royal Academy of Engineering. They had 28 patents registered. I extend my gratitude to them for this pride on behalf of the university and the city.
Permanent global success can only be achieved with local strength and integration. In this regard, we cooperated with many companies including first and foremost the Kayseri Chambers of Industry and Commerce. We carried out research and development projects with many companies including Kayseri Transportation Inc., Orta Anadolu, Güven Makine, Başyazıcıoğlu, Hasçelik, etc.
Moreover, within the scope of university-industry cooperation at the national scale, we have implemented 22 projects with a total budget of approximately TL 13 million with many companies including ASELSAN, TT, TURKCELL and Arçelik.
AGU's Technology Transfer Office Incorporated Company was established together with the Kayseri Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Availing myself of this opportunity, I extend my gratitude to both chambers and their esteemed presidents for their cooperation with and support for our university."
Sabuncuoğlu indicated that AGU was the state university with which students were most satisfied and shared the 2019 results of the National Student Satisfaction Survey (TÜMA) conducted by the University Assessment and Research Center (UniAr) in which AGU was ranked 1st among Turkish state universities.
Sabuncuoğlu also added that AGU graduates were educated to be world citizens who were aware of global issues and Turkey-backed UN development goals for social welfare around the world, thus to have excellent command of English, and be able to work in each and every country of the world.
Afterwards, Mustafa Çıkrıkçıoğlu, president of the Abdullah Gül University Support Foundation (AGUV), delivered his speech at the ceremony: "What a great happiness for us to see you graduating from this university with skills and knowledge that you will need stepping into the work life. It will be a great honor to witness that you will shape the future of our country by bringing your high-quality education into your jobs."
Berkay Güncan, the Alumni Association Head, and Hüseyin İlcan, the Class of 2019 Valedictorian from the Civil Engineering, also made speeches at the ceremony. Following the speeches, high-ranked students of the university received their awards and each graduate took their diplomas.
The Class of 2019 threw their caps and continued the celebration with DJ performances.
Meanwhile, the 11th President Abdullah Gül met the first AGU graduates for a chat at the Abdullah Gül Presidential Museum and Library.
