TDP's Voluntary Education Project Brings Primary School Students to Bilkent
 
On March 1, at the Main Campus Sport Hall, Bilkent's Social Awareness Projects (TDP) organized a knowledge competition between primary schools involved in their Voluntary Education Project. Students from Bucuk, Gazi Osman Paşa, Mamak, Mehmet Yetkin, Nedim İnal, Polis Amca, and Şehit Cihan primary schools competed with each other in a variety of activities.
One hundred and fifty students came to Bilkent, and were amazed as this was the first time they had ever seen a university campus. The competition was exciting for both students and volunteers. During a lunch break of hamburgers and creamy biscuits, all of the students showed great curiosity about the results of the morning's competition, but the award ceremony would have to wait until the end of the day. The Juggling Club performed for, and played with the students before it was time to award the top three schools with cups and medals: Nedim İnal, Polis Amca and Bucuk. Gifts were given to all competitors. Awards and medals were also given to the winners of the “Expectations for the New Year” composition, poetry and painting competition and the children had the chance to present their works.
The aim of the Voluntary Education Project is to create new ideas and widen view points within students, and have fun while doing it.
Robotics Club Prepares Its “Robotic Awakening Plan”
Although it is in it's early months, the Bilkent Robotics Club is working hard to introduce the field of robotics to the campus. As one of the unique technical based social clubs, they have started to organize lectures and lab tutorials on basic robotics topics, presented by its current board of dedicated senior students. The first lecture and lab tutorial was attended by 75 members from both technical and non-technical faculties. The club has scheduled more lectures and lab tutorials on further topics that will help 18 teams complete the construction of a line-follower robot by the end of March.
One of the main goals of the club is to represent Bilkent in various robotics competitions and organizations around the country. Moreover, the most promising activity of the Club will be the creation of "Bilkent University's Robotic Days," starting in May 2009, and developing a national robotics competition. It will include some very popular contests: line-following, sumo-wrestling and self balancing robots.
As well, they are planning to develop two more unique contests that will bring much more attention to the University.
With this annual competition, the club is planning to attract more than 500 contestants to the school and enhance the university's reputation in the field of robotics.
All Bilkenters are kindly invited to join the club and be a part of their “robotic awakening plan.” For those who are interested, the club website is http://robotics.clubs.bilkent.edu.tr All lecture documents and relevant material can also be found on the site.
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Board of Trustees Meeting Results in Several Changes
Bilkent University's Board of Trustees reviewed the final procedures for the establishment of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, accepting the proposal of the University Senate. Upon approval by the Higher Educational Council of Turkey (YÖK), the department will admit its first students in the fall of 2009. Prof. Adnan Akay, the newly appointed chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, stated that the department aims to excel in research and teaching by attracting talented faculty members and good students in all of its programs.
The Board also discussed and approved a proposal by the Senate to rename the Department of Archeology and History of Art as the Archeology Department. Furthermore, the Department of Archeology will admit students based on equally weighted ÖSS scores, rather than verbal scores. There will be no material change in the undergraduate curriculum as a result of renaming the department.
Another Board decision concerns the students admitted to departments of Banking and Finance and Accounting Information Systems. These students will no longer be required to have a preparatory year for French. Instead, French classes will be scheduled in the first year of the undergraduate curriculum, including a summer session. This way, students of these two departments will not be spending an extra year learning French. The new rule does not apply to the Department of Translation and Interpretation; these students will continue to do the prep courses in French.
The Board of Trustees also took this opportunity to consider and agree upon the tuition fees for the
2009-2010 academic year.
Accordingly, tuition fees for the upcoming year will be as follows:
Students to be admitted in 2009: 16,900 TL (8% VAT included)
International Students to be admitted in 2009: $13,000 (8% VAT included)
Students admitted in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008: 16,900 TL (8% VAT included)
Students admitted in 2004:
$9,690 (8%VAT included)
Students admitted in 2001, 2002 and 2003: $8,270 (8%VAT included)
International Students admitted in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 : $12,680
International Students admitted in 2002, 2003 and 2004: $10,240
Annual World Poetry Day Program Organized
Bilkent's Center for Turkish Literature will present its annual World Poetry Day program on Thursday, March 19.
Turkey's two major poets, Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca and İlhan Berk will be featured. Prof. Talat Halman will briefly discuss Dağlarca's and Berk's stature and contributions, after which excerpts from Dağlarca's Bilkent speech from April 6, 2000, and Berk's Bilkent program from December 2, 1999 will be shown on video. Senior lecturer Hilmi Yavuz and Department of Turkish Literature students will read select works by the late poets. English and French translations of some poems will be read by Talat Halman and Laurent Mignon.
The World Poetry Day program will take place in the FEASS Building
C- Block Auditorium, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome.
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