Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) 2023-2024 Academic Year Opening was held.
The ceremony was attended by Governor Türker Öksüz, Burdur Mayor Ali Orkun Ercengiz, Burdur Chief Public Prosecutor Osman Kara, President of the Justice Commission Musa Talih, MAKÜ administration, academic and administrative staff.
The ceremony started with Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar laying a wreath at the Atatürk Monument. The ceremony, which continued with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem, proceeded with a speech by Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar.
Life Came to Burdur and Our University
Rector Dalgar, starting his speech by saying, “After a long break due to Covid and unfortunately the earthquake disaster we experienced subsequently, we are in a state of melancholy for having suspended education. Thankfully, today we are starting education with approximately 36,850 registered students as the Mehmet Akif Ersoy University family.”; “We are a large family consisting of 1,100 academic staff, approximately 900 administrative employees, 2,000 people, and 36,850 students. Today, life came to all the streets of Burdur, our campuses, and our faculties. We are experiencing the happiness and excitement of this. In this process, I would like to thank each of the previous rectors, administrators, and everyone whose names I cannot mention who contributed to the development of our university to this point. Within the framework of this new duty we have taken over, we will do our best together to take this large family further, to ensure that our students become well-educated world citizens who are more beneficial and contributive to their country and nation. Each of them has a talent, a gem inside. We will only strive to bring out the gem inside them and ensure they grow for the benefit of this country. Therefore, especially in this period when our students are distanced from education and their faculties, we need to embrace our new students more and mentor them. We have a responsibility to present them to the service of this country as well-educated individuals who know both their responsibility and affiliation. I trust you, my dear colleagues, very much in this regard. I have full confidence that you will embrace them like your own children and make great efforts to ensure they are well-educated. Hopefully, in the upcoming period, we will implement these together and bring Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University to a point worthy of its name, worthy of Burdur, and worthy of a developing and growing Turkey. We need your support in this regard. We have a saying called societal contribution. By societal contribution, we mean from universal knowledge to societal contribution. Inspired by Mevlana's understanding where the right hand of the whirling dervishes faces the sky and the left hand faces the earth, we came up with the motto from universal knowledge to societal contribution together with our friends. We attach great importance to each of our academic units producing value from their respective points and contributing to their country and nation. We will make every effort to achieve this and try to create its mechanisms. We have full confidence that each of the 1,100 academicians, well-educated people raised by the state and nation, can be a remedy for a societal issue. We want everyone to definitely bring the knowledge from the other end of the world and reflect it on the issues of this society from their respective points. We will do our best for this, and our prominent saying will be “from universal knowledge to societal contribution.” Within this understanding, I wish the new academic year to be auspicious and successful, and I hope it will be a happy and peaceful period where we embrace our students. I thank each of you for your participation.”
Later, in his speech at the ceremony, Burdur Governor Türker Öksüz, starting his speech by wishing the new academic year to be auspicious for our University, our Province, and our Country, said; “We are rightfully proud to have one of the important universities of our region, like Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. I want to express that universities are the lifeblood of the social and cultural life and economy of the cities they are established in. Although it has been a short time since I started my duty, in the visits and inspections I have carried out on various occasions, and in the meetings I attended here, I had the opportunity to closely observe that Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University has made great progress since its establishment in 2006, has undertaken significant works, and has made important contributions to our Province in many areas.
With its educational infrastructure, academic staff, increasing number of students each year, and important projects and works carried out on a regional, national, and international scale, our University, which adds value to its province, region, and country, has demonstrated such development in a short time despite being a young university, which is a very significant achievement. While expressing this, I congratulate everyone who has contributed to this success. I also want to emphasize that the biggest share in this success belongs to our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who showed the will to establish a university in 81 provinces and put forth this vision.
In this important year, where we are experiencing the pride of the 100th anniversary of our Republic, as we step into the second century of our Republic with the vision of the New Century of Turkey, our universities are among the most important institutions with a vital role in our country's development move.
Of course, our university, which bears the name of our National Poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who represented our Province as a deputy in the 1st Gazi Parliament, also undertakes an important responsibility and mission with the name it carries. On this occasion, I also commemorate our Independence Poet, the contemplative and heartfelt person, the late Akif, with mercy.”
Addressing the students, Governor Öksüz said; “Dear young people; Of course, as the state and nation, our expectations from you are high for you to be able to grow in this direction. As individuals who are free in thought, conscience, and intellect, as pointed out by the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, we need to educate you in the best way possible. In this direction, as free individuals who use their minds, whatever you become, be yourself first. For the survival of the Republic of Turkey, for the peace, prosperity, and happiness of this noble nation to be better than today, work very hard day and night. Educate yourselves to be individuals who produce, are nourished by accurate information, transform the knowledge they learn into societal benefit, are attached to their national and spiritual values, and base their lives on love and respect. We believe in you, we trust you, and we love you very much.
Expressing that we will act in close cooperation with our University in the works to be carried out for the development of our Province in every sense, I wish a successful and auspicious year to the entire MAKÜ family in the new academic year, and I greet you all with respect.”
