IUE CELEBRATED ITS 8th FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY

IUE Rector Attila Sezgin made the opening speech after homage and National Anthem and summarized the distance covered in 8 years. Prof. Dr. Sezgin reminded that IUE was founded eight years ago with the Law published in Official Gazette dated April 14, 2001, numbered 4633 and said, “The founder of our university is Izmir Chamber of Commerce Health and Education Foundation. The farsighted, visionary directors of İzmir Chamber of Commerce took the initiative for the foundation to establish such a university. Our university doubtlessly is the work of the precious directors of İzmir Chamber of Commerce who put their energy for their dreams. 8 years have passed after the foundation of our university. However, I want to state that the members of our university always feel gratitude, admiration, and thankfulness for İzmir Chamber of Commerce Directors. Our University that left eight years behind has a place we are proud of in every aspect. We believe that İzmir University of Economics has a very important mission in our country that has a big education deficit with its six thousand students in all levels of higher education. The number of our students in various levels of higher education has become 6.032 in 2008-2009 academic year. In my opinion, even this number is enough to show the importance and enormity of our university's mission in Turkey with a structural higher education deficit.”

IUE EMPLOYS 16.000 PEOPLE

Prof. Dr. Sezgin stated that 80% of the students, that means 4 of every 5 students were from İzmir, the metropolis of the region and from Aegean Region and said "I think, even this fact is enough to see how big our university’s role is in preventing the local intellectual and economical power from escaping from the region or the country. We believe that with the onsite service we provide, our University contributes both to the economy of the region and the people of the region. Even though it is too young and even though only eight years have passed after its foundation, nearly 2500 students have been graduated from our university. The graduates of our university have been very successful in vocational examinations either in private sector or in public sector and they took their place in the business life. We believe that in near future, our graduates will have very important successes in business life and become the mostly preferred employees. Today, İzmir University of Economics accomplishes a very important function for İzmir and Aegean Region. The annual expense over 50 million and the spillover effects caused by this expense, İzmir University of Economics has 250 million income and expenditure each year and thus it makes a serious contribution to the economics of İzmir and Turkey. With such a contribution, our University employs 16.000 people directly and indirectly and provides regular income for 11000 houses. İzmir University of Economics is among the mostly preferred foundation universities among 38 foundation universities.”

In his speech, IUE Student Council President Murat Dede stated that among all universities IUE was the only university that the student council was presented and that the demands of the students are covered in the best way. Murat Dede said that as the Student Council, their aim was to reach to European standards and emphasized the fact that dormitory facilities had to be increased.

IUE Board of Trustees President Ekrem Demirtaş stated that IUE was created out of nothing and said,” When we set forth to establish İzmir University of Economics, they said ‘It is too hard, it will not be successful, you cannot afford it, you cannot find a place'. But we started to a journey with a few people who believed in this project. President of YÖK Kemal Gürüz and the member of YÖK Prof. Dr. Attila Sezgin gave support. The Prime Minister of that time Ecevit, took the law to the first place. On April 14, 2001, eight years ago, our law passed in the parliament. Today is the day that we were bursting with happiness eight years ago. However, on April 15, 2001 we came down to earth. There is no building. There is no lecturer. Our money is approximately 4 million dollars. University entrance booklet was to be printed on May. We needed to take part there; otherwise, we would lose one more year. We decided and made application. We took a risk. We showed the places for rent to YÖK Investigation Commission. We were in the booklet but no one believed that we could start education in 2001. Sümerbank complex in Basmane was given to us. But the workers boycotted. Provincial assembly said that they would give the buildings to primary schools not to universities. We called Piriştina. He said ‘Go and look to Grand Plaza'. Now we left those days behind and here we are. We found lecturers. We had students. That is the short story of our long journey started on April 14, 2001.”

OUR AIM IS TO BECOME THE BEST IN EUROPE

Demirtaş stated that today IUE was a big family with 6032 students 724 of which are on scholarship, 403 academicians, 129 administrative personnel, and said “We are a big university with 5 faculties, 2 graduate schools, 2 schools and 1 vocational schools. So far, we gave 5673 laptop computers to our students. We used 400 km. of cable in the campus. We have 34-megabit wireless internet from 5100 ends to 39 points. There are 1.17 computers, 1.87 m2 laboratories per student. Our land is 38 thousand 500 m2. We made 61-thousand m2 construction. 20 thousand m2 of this construction is old buildings we strengthened and the rest are new buildings.
We built dormitory for 478 students. The number of students, which was 289 in 2001, became 6.032. Dear guests, we employ more academicians. We make more laboratories. However, the place is insufficient. So that in 2009, we will built 6 thousand m2 lecturer room, laboratory and class. The number of users in the library became 4 million 522 thousands 343 so far. But it is not enough either. We need to make more investments. “Everything is for our students”. We are a student-oriented university. We are always after the more qualified, more successful and more beautiful. As the Board of Trustees, we are excited while accomplishing this. Our rector, our academicians, and our administrative personnel are all excited. Our students work hard to succeed. 134 of our students are placed in national and international competitions. In 2008-2009 academic year, Department of Culinary Arts and Management started education. We are the first university founded by the business world. We are the only university in Aegean Region with English medium of education. According to the research of OSYM we are the top 10 universities among the mostly preferred universities. We are the 6th biggest foundation university in terms of the number of students. We give education in the fields needed by the business world.”

After the speeches, the famous Caricaturist Selçuk Erdem and IUE Board of Trustees President Ekrem Demirtaş presented the awards of the students that became first in the 5th International Student Conference and in 2nd Caricature Competition Among High School Students. Later,

IUE Board of Trustees President Ekrem Demirtaş and IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Atilla Sezgin gowned 12 academicians that received various degrees. After the show of IUE students, the ceremony came to an end after the guests sang “10. Yıl Marşı”. The celebration continued till the late hours with the Caricature exhibition and the reception.