Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) 2022-2023 academic year graduation ceremony was held enthusiastically.
The ceremony, which started with Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar laying a wreath at the Atatürk Monument in Burdur Cumhuriyet Square, continued with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem.
Mustafa Oğuz and İzzet Akbulut, Isparta Member of Parliament Hasan Basri Sönmez, Burdur Deputy Mayor Hülya Eraslan, Chief Public Prosecutor Osman Kara, President of the Justice Commission Musa Talih, MAKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander J. Col. Mustafa Güder, Provincial Police Chief Ümit Bitirik, Provincial Health Director Specialist Dr. Sırrı Şenbayram, Provincial General Assembly President Murat Akbıyık, Provincial Special Administration Secretary General Asım Ertilav, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Ömer Tekşen, Prof. Dr. Hakan Öner and Prof. Dr. Oğuz Gürsoy, Secretary General Ali Nihat Gündüzalp, protocol members, academicians, students and their families attended.
At the ceremony, where approximately 11,450 students graduated this year, the performances of the MAKÜ Folk Dance Team and the students' ceremonial march were colorful moments. In the march, where the photos of MAKÜ students who lost their lives in the February 6 earthquake were also carried, the deceased students were commemorated with mercy.
Starting his speech by commemorating the students who lost their lives in the earthquakes on February 6 with mercy and offering condolences to their relatives, Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar “Today; it is a day to be proud once again with your children, whom you have looked into their eyes and meticulously nurtured with great effort. How fortunate that you are reaping the rewards of this effort today. You are witnessing the success of your children and the first day of their new lives. We are proud of the children of this noble nation, which I firmly believe is the "Hope of the World", not just our country. We share your happiness with the most sincere feelings.
I want you to know that; our university, with its student-centered approach and practical education approach aimed at vocational training, has done its best to nurture our students in line with current developments. For this, I would like to express my gratitude to my academic colleagues, with whom we have written the success story of both our university and your children, who have made sincere efforts. I would like to thank our academic staff, who have taken on great projects in line with the regional development mission undertaken by our university, sometimes sacrificing their own family time, perhaps even the time they would spend with their own children.
Thank you, my professors, for being with us. In addition, I would like to express my thanks to all our administrative staff, who have helped our students with a student-centered approach in their academic and administrative processes, made our work easier, and enabled us to run towards our goals without looking back, with their smiling faces and sincerity. We are a big family. As the MAKÜ family, we will continue to prioritize effort, success, and peace. We will hold our colleagues, who share our efforts and contribute to our success, in high esteem. I want you to accept this as the first promise of a newly appointed rector.
I would also like to thank our past rectors, administrators, the Governors of our province, members of parliament, mayors, and all our stakeholders, whom I cannot name, who have contributed to our university with their donations, and the very valuable philanthropists who love Burdur.
I want to open a parenthesis here. I would like to thank, on behalf of our university, our Burdur Member of Parliament Prof. Dr. Adem Korkmaz and the valuable professors who served in his administration, with whom we have walked together for the past 8 years for our university and Burdur, worked day and night, brought a new vision to our university and Burdur, and contributed to the acquisition of the works we are in. I also extend my gratitude to our President, who has provided us with the opportunity to render these honorable services to our homeland and has supported our university since its establishment.
Today is your celebration. You deserve to be happy the most. From now on, you should know that your responsibilities towards yourself, your family, and our country have increased even more. You are starting a new life. This is a new challenge for you. You will write a story on a clean page. The successes you achieve in this process and the contributions you make to the society you live in will elevate Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University as much as they will elevate you and your family and will honor us repeatedly. On the first day of your new life, as I address you for the last time, there are a few things I would like to humbly express. Life is too short to learn everything by experiencing it. While smart people learn from their own experiences, smarter people learn from the experiences of others.
In this context, if you ask me what I have learned from this life, I have learned that no effort made to contribute to this beautiful country and this noble nation, to represent this ancient civilization, and to pass it on to our generations is wasted. I have learned that being brave at the right time, taking responsibility and action, and defending what is right, no matter the cost, makes a person meaningful. I have learned that a person who walks on the path they believe in never runs out of energy. I have learned that a person is not what they dream of in their sleep, but what they earn through their effort and work. While striving for the betterment of humanity, I have learned that I must first improve myself. I have learned not to look at the end of the road, but to set out on the road and walk with determination. I have learned that protecting the history, civilization, ancestors, and people of this land, and working sincerely to serve the country, are sacred values. I have learned that prioritizing societal gains over personal gains is more valuable. Young people; do not let your diploma limit you, trust yourself. Continue to invest in your personal development. Be among those who do not resist change but adapt to it and turn it into an opportunity. Be a broad-minded individual who transfers universal knowledge to the development of the society you live in, and lastly, do not forget these years, us, and your university, whose doors are always open to you, where you have made many beautiful friends and memories. May God open your path and fortune.” he said.
Students Took the Graduation Oath
The ceremony continued with the presentation of awards to the students who graduated with honors by the protocol members. The awards for the top students of the 2022-2023 academic year from faculties, schools, and vocational schools were presented by the protocol members.
After the awards were presented to the top students, Dr. Lecturer Hakan Acar administered the graduation oath to the graduating students.
Caps in the Air!
The ceremony ended with the students graduating from Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University throwing their caps into the air together. The happiness in the eyes of the students doubled as they embraced their families. The students immortalized this moment by taking graduation photos with their families and friends.
