The 8th Academic Year started with the lesson by the 9th President of Republic Mr. Süleyman Demirel

10 OCTOBER 2008

The 9th President of Republic Süleyman Demirel, IUE Board of Trustees President Ekrem Demirtaş, IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Attila Sezgin, Lieutenant Governor Sait Topoğlu, İzmir Chamber of Commerce President of the Assembly Necip Kalkan, the rectors of various universities, military and civil authorities, IUE Board of Trustees Members, presidents of chambers, IUE academicians, students and their families attended the ceremony that took place in the IUE Conference Hall.

In his opening speech, İzmir University of Economics Rector Prof. Dr. Attila Sezgin talked about the accomplishments of the university in 7 years. Prof. Dr. Attila Sezgin said “Welcome to the 8th academic year opening ceremony organized for the opening of 2008-2009 academic year of our university that left 7 successful years behind.

I am very glad to see you in here and thank you for being with us. I first condemn vociferously the atrocious Aktütün Police Station attack that resulted with martyrize of our 17 soldiers. I damn the PKK terror organization that continues its cruel attacks and I want to express my belief in Turkish Nation that will preserve its unity and integrity forever.

Our university that advances towards its targets in seven years has gained an eminent seat among the universities in the country. Under the auspices of our university with twenty four different departments, there are five Faculties, two Graduate Schools, one Vocational School, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences and seven Research and Application Centers. Our university executes academic programs on associate degree, undergraduate degree and graduate degree. I am glad to express that this university gives graduates from associate degree to PhD degree. The number of students rise 9,5% and became 6018. 159 of these are in Vocational School, 5642 are in Faculties and 218 are in graduate programs. At present 20 students are being educated in PhD program.”

IUE Student Council President Begüm Şele, who made a speech in the name of the students, said “I believe that with my friends we will experience another academic year on the way leaded by the Great Leader Atatürk full of science, research and innovative ideas. Being a student at İzmir University of Economics means different things for each of us. We are being educated in an institute of higher education which provides academic knowledge on the level needed by the sector, business life and the world. The second foreign language that we learn besides English provides a privilege for us. Our entrepreneurial spirit is supported by both the academicians and the administration. Embryonix Unit provides all the infrastructure and consultancy services in order to effectuate our innovative ideas. We are very happy to be a part of İzmir University of Economics.”

We will not give up Güzelbahçe Campus

Board of Trustees President Ekrem Demirtaş stated that IUE has become one of the best foundation universities in Turkey in seven years and told about the difficulties they experienced about Güzelbahçe Campus.

Demirtaş reminded that there are 23 foundation universities in İstanbul but there just 4 in İzmir. He said “I say it each year and I will talk about again this year. I am not tired of explaining it. In 2005 we bought a land in Güzelbahçe with 131.724m2 for a second campus area because we were using 100% of our capacity. We had dreams. We prepared feasibilities. We prepared different projects. According to our plans we were to begin giving education in 2007-2008 academic year and 10.574 students were to be educated in 2013. It would become “Education Park”. Unfortunately it did not happen. We are working on it for four years.

We could not get reconstruction permit. This area declared to be Natural Reserve, Forested Land by the municipality. In İstanbul forest lands are allocated to universities in here an infertile land is declared to be forested land. We objected to it. A justified decision came as an answer. Apart from this decision Kocaoğlu, who accidentally became Mayor said that there is an unearned income there. We made a press conference on the land, I explained it there too. My friends, board of trustee, Chamber of Commerce, all of us will have an income there. But that income cannot be money. That is our youth. That is the youth that will contribute to the brilliant future of our country. We will benefit from it. That will be the blessings of the parents of the students that will get education there. I would like you to give the first lesson in our Güzelbahçe Campus too. We will establish some faculties like Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technologies there. Not much left for March 2009! We want to create another story of success. İzmir University of Economics has placed its flag on the peak. We are experiencing the happiness of fulfilling Atatürk’s will that says the chambers of commerce should establish universities.”

The 9th President of Republic Mr. Süleyman Demirel gave the first lesson of 2008-2009 academic year. Demirel talked about the economic crisis in the world.

Demirel told that Turkey would also be affected by the crises and we had to take precautions. He said “The world is global; we cannot live on our own. The crisis appeared in America effects the whole world. It is impossible for Turkey to run away from it. In fact free market economy rejects the interference of the state. However, the USA gives 700 billion dollars. There some interferences in Europe too. Some people criticize it but this has to be done. They did not do it in the crisis in 1929. The USA experienced the biggest crisis in the world for four years. They have the same fear now. Right now, the crisis is in credit and stock market. This should not be reflected to production. The production will decrease, unemployment will increase. Turkey needs to take necessary precautions. It is clear that growth will decrease and it is foreseen that this crisis will continue until the last months of 2009.”

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