Get Together with the Families
Bilkent faculty members met with the families of students who entered the University in the 2009 fall semester, in the Faculties of Engineering, Business Administration and Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, during the first "Bilkent Families Get Together Day" organized on Sunday, October 18. This university welcome started at Odeon with various activities throughout the day.
"The major aim of Bilkent University is to educate effectual individuals not only for our country, but also for the whole world," said Rector Ali Doğramacı in his opening speech. "Through this four-year-long process, the real achievement is not a diploma, but a total experience of preparation for the real life."
He then showed how Bilkent is a rendezvous point for both science and art by giving the stage to the musical talents of maestro Işın Metin and the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra.
Following that, Bilkent graduate students from different departments shared their experiences about the business world and how it is such a privilege to be a member of Bilkent. The event went on with a short campus tour and lectures by various professors.
"We know that being a member of Bilkent family is a privilege," said Arzu Sert, mother of Can Sert (Electrical and Electronics Engineering). "That is why we are here now..”. Can Sert shared his belief that Bilkent has an outstanding academic staff and an international reputation, working with many international universities.
"It is crucial that Bilkent is a university founded on the basis of M.Kemal Atatürk," said Hatice Ermen, mother of Volkan Ermen (International Relations). "It's a modern and impeccable school."
"It was a great time!" said Okşan Alpdemir (International Relations). "I got to meet a lot of the faculty and staff, including the rector, who delivered a great speech on the importance of hands-on education and learning for enjoyment, not just learning by being book-smart and following a set class schedule."
Günseli and Temel Gündoğdu said they chose Bilkent because compared to other universities in Turkey, Bilkent has an advantage in terms of international opportunities, a good reputation, job placement rates after graduation and a sophisticated campus culture. Moreover, without exception, everyone expressed how grateful they were for the organized manner in which Bilkent staff took care of both parents and students throughout the event.
Seda Yıldız (COMD/III)
Prof. İnalcık Receives Honorary Doctorate
Prof. Halil İnalcık, a renowned historian and founder of Bilkent's Department of History, has been recognized with an honorary doctorate from Dumlupınar University. Professor İnalcık, known around the world as the doyen of Ottoman historians, has won such recognition for his contributions to the study of Turkish and Ottoman history
"Prof. İnalcık is an international
scientist and historian," said Professor
Güner İnce, Rector of Dumlupınar
University, at the honorary doctorate
ceremony. "It is very important to
properly write, read and comment on
history. We are grateful to Prof. İnalcık
for his works in Seljuk, Ottoman and
Turkish Republic history."
Prof. İnalcık, Professor of Ottoman History at Bilkent since 1993, is an
authority on classical Ottoman
economic, social and institutional history,
and has published more than 300 scholarly articles and 30 books.
"The Kurdish Initiative:
Some Thoughts on Contentious Issues"
Professor Metin Heper, Dean of Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences and Chairman of the Department of Political Science, gave the first Library Lunchtime Lecture of the 2009-2010 academic year at the Bilkent University Library on October 14, Wednesday. Prof. Heper discussed the ongoing debate around the "Kurdish Initiative" and how this debate has turned into a battle on matters such as the true meaning of the term "Turkish nation." He also addressed the question of whether the Turkish state has adopted an assimilation policy against its Kurdish citizens.
In the first part of his presentation, Prof. Heper discussed what constitutes the root cause of the Kurdish issue in Turkey. He said there are several proposed solutions to this problem, but the appropriateness of the solutions highly depends on the accuracy of the assumptions that lie behind them. According to one assumption, the root of many problems is that the Turkish state has attempted to assimilate its Kurdish citizens against their will. Kurds resisted as a method of preserving their ethnic identity. The Kurds also resorted to rebellion, and the state suppressed their uprisings with force so it could go on with its assimilation policy.
(Continues)
Bilkent News Interactive is
best viewed by 800x600 resolution.
You can send comments, questions, etc. about Bilkent News Interactive by clicking this
link.
|
H1N1 Virus Under Control at BLIS
Several students at the Bilkent Laboratory & International School (BLIS) and four parents were diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, last week. The necessary precautions have been taken by the administration of the schools and university, in collaboration with officials from the Ministry of Health. In order to ensure the well-being of the students at the school community while further tests were being taken, BLIS has been closed for a week.
Medical teams have been carrying out home visits to examine the students and 32 people have been diagnosed so far. There have been no reports of H1N1 among university students. The Bilkent University Health Center reported that none of the patients required hospitalization and 20 of those infected by the flu have already recovered.
Ministry of Health officials have indicated that this strain of swine flu is milder than the seasonal flu outbreak, and all cases encountered in Turkey have recovered quickly. Health Minister Recep Akdağ alarmed the public a week ago when he expressed his concerns about a possible swine flu outbreak coinciding with the arrival of winter. He said the Government has purchased 40 million units of the swine flu vaccine.
"We have taken this seriously but we have not over-reacted. We believe we have taken every precaution to keep our students safe and healthy," said James John Swetz, Director General of the Bilkent Laboratory & International School. “We have met with officials from several ministries and university administration. Daily information has been sent to parents. The school has been thoroughly cleaned.”
The Revised Student Union Election Calendar
The Election Committee has revised the Election Calendar for the Student Union Elections.
The revised calendar allows better participation of BUSEL students in the voting process by shifting the voting period beyond the Course 1 Examination period.
This calendar revision also extends the deadline for applications to candidacy until Wednesday, October 21, 4:30 p.m.
Calendar for Student Council Elections
October 7, 2009 (9 a.m.) through October 21, 2009 (4:30 p.m.)
Applications to Departments as Candidates for Department Representation
October 22-October 26, 2009
Eligibility Checks of Candidates
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Announcement of Eligibility of Candidates for Department/Institute Representation at the Departments /Institutes
November 4, 2009 through November 13, 2009
Election Campaign by Candidates
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
First Round of Elections for Department/Institute Representatives
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Second Round of Elections (In Departments where results are not obtained in the first round)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Third and Last Round of Elections
(In Departments where results are not obtained in the second round)
November 23-24, 2009
Election of Faculty/School/Institute Representatives at respective Faculties, Schools or Institutes, and notification of the Student Affairs Office by Deans/Directors
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 (3 p.m.)
Election of the University Student Council Executive Committee, the President, and the Board of Overseers in the General Assembly (Zeynep Köksal Hall, Student Union Building)
Also in this issue:
|
