The Secret to Achieving Success

The opening speech of the conference, organized by the Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, was delivered by the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. İpek Altınbaşak Farina. Recalling the words of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic, that one of the requirements of becoming a strong nation is to ensure that women rise in every field, Farina said: "Turkish women have made their mark in history with their achievements in science, medicine, literature, the arts, the press, politics and many other fields."

 

At the conference, the participants shared the secret to achieving success with examples from their own lives. Karatay said: "My mother was one of the first teachers of the Republic. There is something that comes from the family, and when we push our limits and trust ourselves, the ability to create becomes very important. In 1972, I became a specialist in internal medicine at Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine. I wanted to go abroad, but language was very important. A British Government scholarship opened. While working at the university, I took the exam and won the scholarship. My professor at the university said, 'If you go, you cannot come back here.' I told him I trusted myself, and I left. I had been accepted to the most important kidney center in London, but my professor did not want to send me. I went and became a cardiologist at another center. I came back as a cardiologist and I am serving Türkiye. That is why you need self-confidence, language skills and self-improvement. Science is the truest power. If you value science, your self-confidence increases and you can achieve success and reach your goals."