The “Academic Year Opening Ceremony” of the 2015-2016 academic year of Hasan Kalyoncu University was held at the HKU Congress and Cultural Centre (CCC) building, and was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The ceremony was held at the HKU Congress and Cultural Centre (CCC) building with the participation of the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and his wife Emine Erdoğan, members of the Gaziantep Provincial Protocol, Gaziantep Members of Parliament, the University Board of Trustees, HKU academic and administrative staff and HKU students.
Excitement filled Hasan Kalyoncu University at the Academic Year Opening Ceremony. The programme began in the foyer of the HKU Congress and Cultural Centre (CCC) with a viewing of the Photography Exhibition (HKU Photography Club) and the Architects of the Future Exhibition (HKU Architecture Club). The Opening Ceremony continued with the opening speeches, following a moment of silence, the singing of the National Anthem and the screening of the HKU Promotional Film.
Following the moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem, the Opening Ceremony continued with the opening speech of the HKU Rector, Prof. Dr. Tamer Yılmaz. Rector Yılmaz said: “I hope that the 2015-2016 Academic Year, which we will begin with this enthusiastic programme, will be auspicious for our University and all its members, and I greet you with love and respect. Universities are institutions that offer the products of scientific thought and research for the benefit of their country and all humanity, and that are integrated with the region in which they are located. With the awareness that serving the university means serving the country, we aim, together with all our internal and external stakeholders, to produce projects that add value with a scientific approach and to create a contemporary world university able to compete with international universities. HKU, which was founded in 2008, admitted its first students in 2010 and gave its first graduates in June 2015. Today our University continues its education and teaching activities with 5 Faculties, 2 Schools, 1 Vocational School and 22 Departments. Our preference and occupancy rates increase with each passing year. As of this year, we have reached a 99% occupancy rate. Many of our departments have been among those admitting students with the highest scores.
Our University is a young and dynamic educational institution. In such an institution, an institutional management system is needed in order to establish and run smoothly a contemporary, democratic and participatory tradition of management. In this context, I would like to share with you our important approaches within the framework of institutionalisation and planning for the future. First of all, we aim for a management approach that is innovative, entrepreneurial, solution-oriented, dynamic, transparent and participatory, that encourages and rewards its employees, that puts performance-based fairness and consistency first, that welcomes every kind of opposing view and criticism with tolerance, and that is open to scrutiny. We aim for an approach to Education and Teaching in which student-centred education and teaching is delivered and accredited in line with world standards, cultural, artistic and sports activities are expanded, all the possibilities of educational technologies are used, modern libraries and laboratories are available, and suitable accommodation, study and rest areas are provided for students. We aim for an approach to Research and Development that finds solutions to the problems of society and industry, produces science and technology, establishes collaborations with national and international universities, and carries out R&D for industrial organisations. All our stakeholders who have supported us so far and will support us from now on – we received the “brand university of a brand city” award with your support and for you. I offer you my endless thanks,” he said.
Cemal Kalyoncu, Chairman of the HKU Board of Trustees, made the following remarks in his speech: “We laid the foundation on 12 December 2008 and, with the first buildings completed, began education and teaching in 2009-2010. Thanks to the efforts of our Rector and our teaching staff and to successful students choosing us, our university’s occupancy rate ranks among the top 20 universities (according to base-ceiling score calculations and including the universities in Istanbul and Ankara). In some departments we have even ranked among the top 5 universities. Our goal is to be among the top five in every branch in the shortest possible time. Looking at the student profile, it will be seen that we have a very diverse profile. Students from 65 provinces of Türkiye and 22 different countries have chosen our university. This shows us that we are moving towards becoming an international university, beyond being a regional university. In short, the main aim of our university since the day it was founded has been to educate individuals with high academic knowledge and professional competence, with a sense of national unity and loyalty to their values, and to contribute to shaping the Türkiye of the future,” he said.
Honorary Doctorate Title Conferred on President Erdoğan by HKU
By the decision of the HKU Senate dated 20 October 2015 and numbered 9, it was unanimously decided to confer an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in recognition of his contributions to raising economic prosperity across the country by increasing national income; to allocating a larger share of national income to R&D and supporting localisation in production; to the development of industry and its attainment of a competitive advantage at the international level by encouraging university-industry collaboration; and to education- and technology-focused development and economic stability by developing a culture of entrepreneurship and expanding universities.
After the title was presented to him, President Erdoğan thanked the Hasan Kalyoncu University family and the HKU Board of Trustees for the “Honorary Doctorate” awarded to him.
Following the opening speeches, the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, congratulated those who contributed to HKU’s coming into operation and to its contribution to the teaching and scientific community, saying: “I pray to my Lord that the 2015-2016 academic year of Hasan Kalyoncu University will be auspicious and will be successful for our faculty members and our students.”
President Erdoğan gave students messages of unity and solidarity, saying: “I congratulate all my fellow students. You are students of a very different and exceptional university. Appreciate the value of this university. God willing, you will present a picture of which your teachers will be proud of you and you will be proud of your teachers; I believe in this wholeheartedly. I wish you continued and increasing success. I was pleased to learn that Hasan Kalyoncu University gave its first graduates in June 2015. I know that this university, which bears the name of the late Hasan Kalyoncu, will fulfil his dreams. I know that the education and existence of every student here will be recorded in his book of good deeds.
I have witnessed that the University has come a long way in a short time. I thank those who contributed to this, above all my brother Cemal Kalyoncu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and his children and family, on my own behalf. I know that the events we have been experiencing for some time in our country and especially in our Gaziantep will lead us to build very strong bridges between our past and our future. I know that the people here have the patience of the Ansar. I applaud you all,” he said.