Abdullah Gül University (AGU) organized its 6th graduation ceremony at the Sümer Campus with the presence of many guests and the 11th President Abdullah Gül, during which he advised the new graduates not to be inordinately ambitious but to be vigorous and work hard to achieve their goals. He also added, "You have not only gained knowledge but also expanded your intellectual and social network. You have expanded your world views and horizons by benefiting from the academic environment here."
Hosted by the AGU Rector Prof. Dr. Cengiz Yılmaz and honored by the 11th President Abdullah Gül, the ceremony was attended by many guests including the Founding Rector of AGU Prof. Dr. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu, the Deputy Governor Dr. Abdullah Kalkan, the Former Minister of National Education Ömer Dinçer, the Former Kayseri Deputy (member of Parliament) Şaban Bayrak, the Former Şanlıurfa Deputy Faruk Bayrak, the Deputy Mayor of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Lawyer Mehmet Savruk, the Rector of Nuh Naci Yazgan University Prof. Dr. Ahmet Fazıl Özsoylu, the Former Rector of Erciyes University Prof. Dr. Mehmet Şahin, the Mayor of Talas Mustafa Yalçın, the Director of AGU Foundation (AGUF) Mustafa Çıkrıkçıoğlu, AGUF members, parents, academicians, department managers, provincial representatives of political parties, directors of chambers, and representatives from non-governmental organizations.
After faculty members and graduating students took their places, the ceremony continued with a moment of silence and singing of the National Anthem. Then, a promotional film was shown to describe the mission, vision, and achievements of AGU and to draw attention to the University’s adaptation to the rapid changes in the world.
Speaking at the ceremony, the 11th President Abdullah Gül addressed the graduates and emphasized the importance of investments in education.
Gül said, "Investment in education is the best investment. This is true for a family, a city, or a country. We should not boast only of educational statistics. The content and quality of education are above all else. As long as you have character and determination, you will always be recognized. I would never tell you to be inordinately ambitious. It is never a good thing to be like that. It is selfishness, but be assertive and work hard to reach your goals. I have repeatedly said here that education comes before everything else. Investment in education is the best investment. This is true for both the family and the country."
Advising the graduates, Gül continued:
"You are being graduated having learned an excellent foreign language. You will see how much it will benefit you throughout your life. You have not only gained knowledge but also expanded your intellectual and social network. You have expanded your world views and horizons by benefiting from the academic environment here. Now, you start real life. Real life is a very demanding and competitive life. You need to work hard. You need to be aware of the fact that education continues from the cradle to the grave, and you need to constantly renew and upgrade yourself. I am sure you will do this because, at this university, they taught you how to obtain and access information and how to use it in the best way. As long as you have character and determination, you will always be recognized. I would never tell you to be ambitious. It is never a good thing to be ambitious. It is selfishness, but be assertive and work hard to reach your goals. I have repeatedly said here that education comes before everything else."
In his speech, Rector Prof. Dr. Cengiz Yılmaz informed the audience about the profile of AGU graduates.
Stating that they frequently receive positive comments about AGU graduates in the business world, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz said that AGU graduates have already achieved notable success and the employment rate of AGU graduates has reached 97%.
Describing AGU's international achievements, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz said that AGU was the only university from Türkiye to be included in the list of the World's 100 Most Innovative Universities this year, and it ranked 15th among the world's most prestigious universities.
Prof. Dr. Yılmaz emphasized that AGU was ranked just after ITU and slightly above METU in the Times Higher Education Social Contribution ranking, and together with these two universities, it is one of the three universities that can be ranked in the top 200. Prof. Dr. Yılmaz said, "Our university was awarded the first prize in the field of "Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership" in the Times Higher Education's ranking of Asian universities, and received its award at the ceremony held in Hong Kong. Although other four Turkish universities made it to the finals, AGU was the only Turkish university to be awarded in this ranking in 2023."
Stating that these achievements have made significant contributions to the recognition and prestige of the university on national and international arenas, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz said, "AGU successfully implements the new generation university model that it has created with its innovative, visionary, and leading perspective and carries its brand power to higher levels every day. As it is known, being recognized and appreciated with a respectable image all over the world is a very difficult process for a university, which requires many years to carefully manage each stage… AGU is progressing towards this goal at a speed far beyond expectations and with a very strong self-confidence, almost causing surprises."
Prof. Dr. Yılmaz also addressed the graduates and advised them not to break the bonds with the University:
"Dear graduates, be sure that whatever uncertainties and difficulties you will face, you are equipped with the knowledge and competencies to overcome them all. Your university will continue to be with you and support you in your future life. Likewise, I ask you to never lose touch with your university, which has already become an important part of your identity.
By choosing AGU, you have internalized the importance of ethical values, social responsibility, and aesthetic sensitivity; you have embraced the skills to explore with passion, imagine and manage change, empathize, and adopted the principle of achieving together.
I am confident that you will be the success ambassadors of AGU in every place you go."
Speaking after Rector Prof. Dr. Yılmaz, Mustafa Çıkrıkçıoğlu, the Director of AGUF, said "We proudly see that our university is among the elite universities in Türkiye and the world," adding that AGU ranks at the top in worldwide ratings every year and is evaluated at the highest levels in all its programs both nationally and internationally in terms of student satisfaction and academic quality.
Çıkrıkçıoğlu said, "At the same time, with the value that our university has added to our city and the freshness it has brought to university-city cooperation, our industry and local governments have come to an important place with the works and projects developed together with NGOs."
Amir Shemsu Lale, the valedictorian of the Bioengineering Department of the Faculty of Engineering, and Emre Aslan, the valedictorian of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, also made a speech at the ceremony. Lale said, "Thanks to the knowledge and skills we have acquired at AGU, we are ready for any challenges that may come our way in the future."
Aslan stated that he preferred AGU because of the opportunities it offers as a 3rd generation state university and its successful, young, and dynamic academic staff, and that they completed their education and graduated with the mission and vision of AGU, which contributes to science and society at a high level with contemporary education.
After the speeches, the award ceremony started, and top students of the University and the departments received their awards from the 11th President Gül, the Deputy Governor Dr. Abdullah Kalkan, the Former Minister of National Education Ömer Dinçer, the Deputy Mayor of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Lawyer Mehmet Savruk, AGUF President Mustafa Çıkrıkçıoğlu along with the AGU Rector Prof. Dr. Cengiz Yılmaz.
All the graduates enjoyed the moment of graduation by throwing their caps in the air together on the stage.
A total of 206 graduates including 174 undergraduate (BA/BS), 20 Master’s, and 12 doctoral students received their diplomas at the ceremony.
Gül Attended AGU Promotion and Preference Days and AGU Alumni Meeting
The 11th president Abdullah Gül, who came to the campus to participate in the AGU’s sixth graduation ceremony, also attended the Promotion and Preference Days for the prospective students at the Rectorate Exhibition Hall and visited the information desks of the departments and student clubs. Gül met with faculty members and students at the stands and had photos taken with the students as a memory.
Later, together with the members of the AGUF, Gül went to the Great Warehouse at Sümer Campus to attend the AGU Alumni Meeting which was held for the first time this year, met with the previous graduates there, and had a conversation with them.
