2023-2024 Academic Year Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony for the 2023-2024 academic year at Altınbaş University took place with the participation of the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş.
Altınbaş University inaugurated the academic year 2023-2024 with a ceremony held at the Fatma Altınbaş Conference Hall. The event was attended by distinguished guests, including Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Abdullah Uçgun, the District Governor of Bağcılar, Mehmet Boztepe, the District Governor of Bahçelievler, Abdullah Özdemir, the Mayor of Bağcılar, Prof. Dr. Çağrı Erhan, the Rector of Altınbaş University, and Ali Altınbaş, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, along with numerous faculty members and students.
The program commenced with a moment of silence and the singing of the national anthem. Following protocol speeches, the inaugural lecture took place.
Addressing the audience in the first lecture, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmuş remarked, "The situation in Palestine, which has reached 42 days, is a disgrace to humanity. Some may hesitate to name it, but this has surpassed massacre and turned into genocide. This genocide has not happened coincidentally; it is a historical result of the collapse of the world system's mentality."
Speaker Kurtulmuş estimated that the death toll in Palestine has reached around 15,000, and he expressed his distress at the unseen destruction beneath the unattainable rubble, emphasizing the human tragedy unfolding. He criticized the silence of many countries, especially in the West, in the face of such atrocities.
Rector Prof. Dr. Çağrı Erhan spoke about the joint celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Republic and the 15th anniversary of Altınbaş University in 2023. He highlighted the university's achievements in science, sports, and the arts, and announced the establishment of Technopark and the Faculty of Communication with the approval of Presidential decrees. Prof. Dr. Çağrı Erhan also shared that Altınbaş University has 13,500 students, including 6,500 international students from 105 different countries, making it the 20th university in the world in THE's (Times Higher Education) internationalization ranking.
Regarding the Palestinian issue, Prof. Dr. Çağrı Erhan conveyed a message of hope, stating that humanity's shared belief will eventually halt the common oppression being displayed. He mentioned that Altınbaş University hosts 400 Palestinian students, 120 of whom live in the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank with their families. Prof. Dr. Erhan expressed solidarity with all the pain and concerns, emphasizing the university's active participation in solidarity activities initiated by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) for Palestinian students and academics.
The ceremony included the presentation of a plaque to Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş by Ali Altınbaş, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and the gift of a calligraphy with the word "read" by Rector Prof. Dr. Çağrı Erhan.
At the end of the program, awards were given to high-achieving administrative staff, faculty members, and students.