Universities welcome academic year with vibrant events

Zülal Atagün - İZMİR

As the nation gears up to kick off the new academic year for higher education institutions, many universities across the country have greeted their students in unique and engaging ways, featuring vibrant festivities and orientation programs.

Professor Necdet Budak, the rector of the western province of İzmir’s Ege University, welcomed students with “boyoz,” a puff pastry particular to İzmir, and “gevrek,” a unique way to refer to the country’s bagel-like “simit” in the province, on Oct. 7 as a way to mark a welcoming start of the semester.

Slated to hold orientation programs throughout the week, the university also held a welcoming festival for its new students yesterday. Student clubs set up stalls during the event to present their missions, with a local band playing in the evening.

In an intriguing move, Anadolu University in the central city of Eskişehir used social media to get its students to decide on the first lunch menu of the new academic year. The president of the Council of State, Zeki Yiğit, held the opening lecture titled “State of Law and Justice” at the university.

In the capital Ankara’s renowned Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), the orientation efforts commenced on Sept. 26, featuring the rector’s speech, the unit’s presentations and the demonstrations of the student clubs.

Harran University in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa held orientation activities from Oct. 1 to 3 this year. These events included a variety of enjoyable activities, such as horseback riding, athletics, darts, and karaoke contests. Additionally, chess competitions, streetball tournaments, art exhibitions, and traditional "Sıra Nights" — which typically take place in Şanlıurfa and involve gatherings of people eating and singing with traditional instruments — were organized to promote the social and cultural development of the students.

Ankara's Hacettepe University on Sept. 16 held the orientation program that saw the participation of a total of 6,985 students. This inauguration day also included instructions on topics such as digital addictions, boundaries and intimate relationships, environmental inspectorate and psychological resilience.

Süleyman Demirel University in the western province of Isparta inaugurated the new academic year on Sept. 26. Alper Gezeravcı, the first Turkish astronaut, held the first lecture of the new semester, emphasizing the importance of science and technology. Gezeravcı highlighted the significance of pursuing aspirations, noting that “getting to space is a dream coming true.”

Similarly, Nobel Prize winner Professor Dr. Aziz Sancar delivered the first lecture of the academic year at Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), covering his research on a chemical called "EdU" that may offer a cure for brain cancer.