On Thursday, November 3, two Bilkent student organizations, Siyaset Platformu Kulübü and Bilkent Medeniyet Topluluğu, organized a lecture by former prime minister of Turkey Prof. Ahmet Davutoğlu. The topic of Prof. Davutoğlu’s talk was “Bilgiden Bilince Üniversite Misyonumuz” (Our University Mission, From Knowledge to Consciousness).
The event attracted tremendous interest from students. Even before the talk began, Prof. Davutoğlu engaged with those in attendance by inscribing his books for audience members who had brought along their copies to be signed.
To open his remarks, Prof. Davutoğlu elucidated the meaning of his topic, referring to the transference of data into consciousness. He then noted how cultures and civilizations have been intermixed throughout history, and how technology is transforming human morals and behavior today. “Civilizations are built by entities, information and values,” he declared. “Now the world is literally globalized and produces knowledge.”
Throughout his lecture, Prof. Davutoğlu emphasized points of particular relevance to the many students in the audience. “You will have colleagues from all nations when you work in a company,” he reminded his listeners. “The aim is to be a universal intellectual. Knowledge is universal. Our universities will assist students in developing a universal consciousness.”
Following his talk, Prof. Davutoğlu welcomed questions from the audience and answered them at length.