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Bahçeşehir University 2017-2018 Graduation Ceremony
Bahçeşehir University (BAU) bid farewell to its 3,500 new graduates with a ceremony held at the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall. As thousands of students threw their caps in the air, families stood by their children on this special day.
At the graduation ceremony of Bahçeşehir University, which celebrated its 18th class of graduates this year, a total of 3,500 students, including hundreds of international students from 64 different countries, threw their caps. The ceremony began with a mini concert and continued as the students took their seats. The opening speeches were delivered by Enver Yücel, Chairman of the Bahçeşehir University Board of Trustees, and Bahçeşehir University President Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın.
"DO NOT COMPROMISE YOUR FREEDOM"
Delivering the opening speech of the ceremony, BAU Chairman of the Board of Trustees Enver Yücel offered advice to the new graduates. Reminding the students that the power in their hands is freedom, Yücel said: "Do not compromise your freedom. Your greatest strength should be a free environment from which you can draw strength, produce and grow. You do not need to buy the sky for freedom; just do not sell your soul. Let this be your motto in life. We have an example like Mustafa Kemal Atatürk among us." Yücel sang the 3rd stanza of the Turkish National Anthem together with the students.
"NEVER LEAVE THE LIGHT OF ENLIGHTENMENT"
Yücel congratulated the graduates, their families and the academics for their efforts and told the students: "In difficult times, find the strength and power within yourselves and never leave the light of enlightenment." Reminding the students that school life was over and the school of life had begun, Yücel said: "Just as this life will have good days, it will also have difficult moments. This road will have ups and downs, sometimes with problems, sometimes without. Know that Bahçeşehir University will always be by your side. In these difficult times, find the strength and power within yourselves and never leave the light of enlightenment. Make the strength of your culture and civilization your shield and armor. Nothing else is needed, because I believe you will succeed. Walk on with desire and determination, without tiring and without losing your enthusiasm. Nelson Mandela said, 'The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall,' so never give up. May your paths be open, I wish you all the best of luck. I am also proud to be a part of this big family."
"WE WANT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CREATE JOBS, NOT WHO LOOK FOR JOBS"
Stating that they were excited to celebrate their 18th class of graduates this year, BAU President Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın wished all students success. Yalçın said: "I know that our students will achieve great things with the vision they have gained. We want these young people to be not job seekers but job creators in this country. For this, they need to be courageous and self-confident; this is very important for us. Especially to be able to do business in the international arena, they need to keep themselves alive by constantly renewing themselves, and we have great confidence in our students."
Stating that they try to offer their students great opportunities at every chance to prepare them for the future, Yalçın said: "Through our university-industry cooperation practices, we have made many plans to prepare our young people for life. Even before graduating, they gain at least 3-4 years of experience in the environments where they will work. We are happy and we wish our students success. We can call today our harvest time. You work hard all year long and then harvest time comes. I feel great happiness and pride."
"RANKING FIRST WAS NO SURPRISE"
Kaan Özkorkmaz, an Industrial Engineering student who graduated first in the university with a GPA of 3.99, said: "I spent four full years at university. Ranking first was no surprise for me."
Stating that he became a university student through the ApplyBAU system, Özkorkmaz said: "It was a student-centered and very special system. For this reason, my time was full both academically and with extracurricular activities. With a Board of Trustees scholarship, I also took part in many education programs within the BAU Global education network. Since I studied my courses with great pleasure, ranking first was no surprise."
Saying that he consciously chose the Department of Industrial Engineering, the student stated that they were taught by masters of the profession. Kaan Özkorkmaz said: "My focus is on strategic management and marketing, and I was a student of expert masters in this field. This is a matter of culture. Bahçeşehir University is a very dynamic school with a global vision. Because of this, it was very inspiring for someone like me who aims for a career in strategic management. I did not spend my four years only on course-related activities; I was also involved in outstanding extracurricular activities and very special projects. What matters is choosing the right department in line with one's abilities and goals. Then you get motivated together with very valuable professors and friends, and success comes as no surprise."
A post shared by Bahcesehir University (@bahcesehiruniversity) on Jun 9, 2018 at 1:17pm PDT
You can watch the BAU 2017-2018 Graduation Ceremony, where 3,500 students from 64 countries graduated, below.
