Bahçeşehir University Begins the 2010-2011 Academic Year!

Bahçeşehir University welcomed the 2010-2011 Academic Year with an opening ceremony held on its Beşiktaş Campus. At the ceremony, the title of Honorary Doctorate was conferred on Prof. Dr. Murat Günel, whose work in genetics has paved the way for treatments of diseases such as intellectual disability and brain hemorrhage.

The ceremony began with a moment of silence for the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the martyrs, followed by the National Anthem, and a message sent by President Abdullah Gül was also read.

Taking the podium for the opening speech, President Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Esmer said that Bahçeşehir University, opening its 13th academic year this year, has developed greatly over 12 years and has reached a level where it has 10,000 students and approximately 500 academic staff. Noting that Bahçeşehir has secured an important place among other universities not only in quantity but also in quality, Prof. Dr. Esmer said: "The top 1,000, and even the top 100, now choose Bahçeşehir University. This year, for the first time, the student who ranked first in Türkiye chose Bahçeşehir University."

Stating that universities have duties such as producing and transferring knowledge, the President said that a university draws its strength from its academic staff. Continuing by explaining that a school and a university are two different concepts, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Esmer said that at a school, what matters is how many hours courses are taught and what is taught, whereas at a university what matters is how much knowledge is produced and how it is heard. Saying, "No university can succeed just by teaching wonderful courses," the President also noted that, in addition to good education, a university must bring enlightened people to the sector.

Emphasizing the importance of unconditional free thought, the President said that freedom of thought given to people whose intellectual creativity has been imposed upon by dogmas, absolute truths and the impositions of the system would be of no use.

Saying, "The university is the road where untraveled paths are chosen. It is the road where those who choose these paths are supported," the President also read a stanza from the poem "The Road Not Taken" by American poet Robert Frost.

Explaining that Bahçeşehir University's goals this year are to establish more international relations, to transfer knowledge more effectively, to conduct more research and publications, and to build closer relations with the world outside academia, Prof. Dr. Esmer concluded by saying that, in the concept of the university he defined, "learning is regarded not as a means but as an end, and knowledge is not classified as useful or useless."

"Moving On"

Taking the podium after the President's speech, Chair of the Board of Trustees Enver Yücel wished the academics success and said that Bahçeşehir University, having left 12 years behind, would continue on its way in its 13th year. Underlining that achievements matter not only in numbers but also in content, Yücel said that Bahçeşehir's success comes from its liberal structure.

Explaining that 200 students from countries in the region will study at Bahçeşehir University this year, Yücel said: "Next year we plan to bring at least 300 and at most 500 international students to our University."

Pointing out that Türkiye has significant problems due to its geographical location, Yücel said that the state should support universities in order to become a regional leader. Explaining that the education given to students from abroad can be seen as an export, Yücel said: "The best way to export Turkish culture is education. Bahçeşehir has set its sights on Africa. If the promotion of textiles abroad is supported today, education should be supported too. If there are 46 foundation universities, the state should stop taking international students for free."

Saying that equality among universities has not been achieved, Yücel said: "We want to compete with other countries in the world. We have set a goal. 2023 is the 100th anniversary of our Republic. By then, we will be among the world's top 500 universities."

Explaining that the book collection in the University's Beşiktaş Barbaros Library is constantly growing, and that this year a single person donated 30 thousand books, Yücel also shared some good news: he announced that Saint Pierre Han in Galata has been leased by Bahçeşehir University for 40 years and that the building will be restored within two years at the latest and used for cultural and artistic activities. Saying that the Bahçeşehir University Center for Civilization Studies, MEDAM, is also planned to move to this building and be elevated to an institute, Yücel said that doctoral and master's programs could be offered by this institute. Yücel also stated that the University building will be further expanded within 2 years and that agreements have been reached with some nearby properties on this matter.

After Yücel's speech, the Senate Members were invited to the stage and the Honorary Doctorate Ceremony began. The diploma, read in Turkish and English by President Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Esmer, was presented to Prof. Dr. Murat Günel, who has carried out many studies in genetic research beneficial to humanity.

After being introduced to the Senate members, Prof. Dr. Günel took the podium and briefly explained his field of work and informed the participants about the past and future of gene technology. Stating that Gene Technology has a 200-year history but also many unknown building blocks, and that countries continue to invest in this field, Günel, after his speech of thanks, said: "A visionary, forward-looking and free university like Bahçeşehir will also take part in this work."

The team led by Prof. Dr. Murat Günel, Chief of the Division of Neurovascular Surgery and Director of the Brain Genetics Program at Yale University, had discovered a new gene that plays a very fundamental role in brain development as well as four genes that cause brain hemorrhage. Prof. Dr. Günel's discovery is promising in that it may greatly reduce the risk of brain hemorrhage in the future and prevent genes that hinder brain development.

In his most recent article, Prof. Dr. Günel worked with Dr. Hande Kaymakçalan from Bahçeşehir University, and this article contributed to Bahçeşehir University's international recognition.