CIU opens new Academic Year with Ziya Selcuk delivering the “First Lecture”

2023-2024 Academic Year official opening of Cyprus International University (CIU) started with the Former Minister of National Education of the Republic of Turkey, Ziya Selçuk, delivering the first lecture on "Getting through Difficult Times".

The ceremony took place at CIU Çevik Uraz Center Conference Hall, among the attendees were CIU Board of Trustees President Mete Boyacı, CIU Board of Trustees Vice President Prof. Dr. Abdullah Öztoprak, CIU Rector Prof. Dr. Halil Nadiri, Vice-rectors, academics, and students. 

In his opening speech, CIU Rector Nadiri reminded that every new academic year starts with new  beginnings full of hopes and opportunities, and said, "The new academic year offers our students the opportunity to discover new knowledge and develop themselves, and for our faculty members the opportunity to transfer knowledge and raise new generations."

Stating the importance of quality education in the whole world is increasing day by day, Nadiri said, “There is a need for versatile and high-standard research and teaching models carried out in universities more than ever. Universities need to be active, creative, open-minded, impartial, take a leading role, be creative and open to changes." 

In his speech, Nadiri expressed his pleasure in hosting Selçuk at the university, and wished all academic, administrative and managerial staff as well as students a successful new academic year.

Ziya Selçuk drew attention to the following points in his opening lecture on " Getting through Difficult Times".  He stated that we are a generation that has witnessed the agricultural, the industrial, the digital and finally the artificial intelligence society. “Current age is a difficult one because never in the history of the world has there been a study on how to implement the current structure or functioning to the next level through technology and science." 

Pointing out that everything is determined by level engineering today, Selçuk said, “The direction the world should be headed to is designed well in advance. He pointed out that the changes experienced due to technology and science affect everything, and so it becomes imperative to redefine the school concept.

Selçuk noted that there is a shining object syndrome in human life and that individuals constantly focus either on social media or something else. He added that this age does not put people at the center, but places them on the sidelines, so it is not possible for people to think clearly or get out of automation mode.

At the end of his speech, Selçuk talked about the things that should be taken into consideration when questioning this structure, and pointed out the importance of knowing oneself in this process, creating a balance of control and autonomy, carrying out pioneering studies in the field of artificial intelligence and adopting a transdisciplinary thinking approach.

The ceremony ended with a photo shoot to commemorate the day.