Bahçeşehir University 2019-2020 Graduation Ceremony Held

Bahçeşehir University's graduation ceremony for the 2019-2020 academic year was held online. Wearing their caps and gowns in front of their computer screens, students joined the ceremony via video conference. During the ceremony, the students' most memorable moments from events held throughout the year and their photos in caps were projected on screen.

Mudrik Muhammed Haji, who came to Türkiye to study at university from Tanzania, 11,431 kilometers away, finished this academic year at Bahçeşehir University (BAU) in first place. While the 25-year-old Haji, who came to Türkiye on the advice of his friends, celebrated to the fullest with his relatives in front of the computer screen at the online graduation he joined from his country, his diploma was received by Tanzania's Ambassador to Türkiye, Prof. Elizabeth K. Kiondo.

THE DIPLOMA WAS RECEIVED BY THE AMBASSADOR OF TANZANIA

Among the graduates, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering student Mudrik Muhammed Haji, who came to Istanbul to study at university from Tanzania, 11,431 kilometers away, was proud to graduate from Bahçeşehir University in first place. Haji joined the graduation ceremony from his country due to the pandemic, and his diploma and the 'golden brain', the symbol of outstanding achievement awarded by the university to top graduates every year, were presented by BAU Global Chair Enver Yücel and President Prof. Dr. Şirin Karadeniz to Tanzanian Ambassador Prof. Elizabeth K. Kiondo.

"MY GOAL IS TO BRING CHANGE TO MY COUNTRY"

Born on the island of Zanzibar, Mudrik Muhammed Haji said he chose Türkiye for his university education on the advice of his friends. The eldest of three children, Haji said he studied at university on a scholarship. Describing his student life as wonderful, Haji said, "I met many people from different countries. I learned a lot about their countries, cultures and languages. I had an experience I will be glad of for the rest of my life. My goal is to bring change to my country. I think the experience I have gained will help me do what I want to do."

"SET BIG GOALS AND FIGHT HARD TO ACHIEVE THEM"

Sharing his feelings at the ceremony, Haji thanked his family for supporting him in realizing his dreams and said:

"You have sacrificed so much for me. As a child, I never understood why my father worked every day of the week, including weekends, and came home so late. Now that I have grown up, I understand that all we were doing was making sure we would have a better life and succeed. And my mother... I have met many professors, but you are the best of them, because you taught me everything I know today. I am also very grateful to my aunt, who played a big role in raising me. Even if I gave you the world, it would not be enough for the sacrifices you have made. I have learned never to give up, no matter what, and to be patient. Because in the end everything passes, and everything has a time limit. Whatever happens, look ahead, set bigger goals that scare you, and fight hard to achieve them. I thank the Turkish people for hosting international students in their beautiful country. I would also like to thank all the academic and administrative staff of Bahçeşehir University. I wish us all the best on our way."

YÜCEL: "WE ARE ADVANCING WITH EXCELLENT STEPS ON THE ROAD TO BECOMING A RESEARCH UNIVERSITY"

Stating that they have set an example for many universities around the world in distance education, BAU Global Chair Enver Yücel said, "Bahçeşehir University is growing every day. We strive to grow in depth in terms of quality. Because the role of a university goes beyond simply awarding students a diploma; it must also be a structure that conducts research and contributes to science and technology. Our work is progressing with excellent steps every day on the road to becoming a research university. The position our university has reached in the world rankings is a source of pride, and I would like to thank all my academic colleagues and staff who contributed."

"WE PIONEERED THE NEW-GENERATION UNIVERSITY APPROACH"

Emphasizing that they have given students a broad culture, Yücel said, "We introduced the idea of being a citizen of the world. Because when we were founded, we said, 'We will be an international university.' You have also brought academia and industry together and applied theoretical courses in practice. We pioneered the new-generation university approach in the world. We will take this work even further. We will do even better things. Whatever work you do and wherever you are, do not cut off your relationships and dialogue with each other and with the university. You have many international friends. They will open big doors for you in the business world. I wish you good health and every success on your way."

FIVE THOUSAND STUDENTS GRADUATED

Saying that they were very excited, BAU President Prof. Dr. Şirin Karadeniz said, "5,000 of our students are graduating. Due to the pandemic, we held the graduation ceremony in hybrid format. There will be an online ceremony, followed by face-to-face ceremonies for each faculty and department within the framework of coronavirus measures. So far, we have graduated 43,000 students from 124 countries. All our graduates have gained many competencies. From now on, they will need to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing and transforming business life, but they have already acquired these competencies at university. Through online education during the pandemic, they have come to understand the online working process. During this period, they also continued with online internships. They need to be confident in the business world, and it is worthwhile for them to build a good CV. It will be useful for them to understand that business life is a dynamic process."

"INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BECOME OUR COUNTRY'S AMBASSADORS OF FRIENDSHIP"

Prof. Dr. Karadeniz said, "Our international students are our country's ambassadors of friendship, and this is very important for our country. We are very happy that this year's top graduate of our university is from Tanzania. With the education he received here, he will join our alumni network and continue his education. I congratulate his family and the Tanzanian education system. It is not easy to come to another country, study, graduate and finish in first place. From now on, we must continue to increase the number and quality of our international students from different countries every day."

At the end of the ceremony, the students, who had received distance education during the last four months of school due to the pandemic, graduated by throwing their caps in the air in front of their computer screens.