The First Lecture of the New Academic Year by Governor Elban

Izmir University of Economics (IUE) marked the opening of the 2026–2027 Academic Year with great enthusiasm and excitement. Delivering the first lecture of the new academic year, Governor of Izmir Dr. Süleyman Elban shared important messages on disaster preparedness and said, “Some of the disasters we experience are, in fact, familiar natural events. These events turn into disasters because we resist nature or disregard its rules. We need to quickly move away from the complacent mindset of ‘nothing will happen to us’ and make sure that we are prepared for disasters in advance.”

The opening ceremony, held at the Conference Hall, was attended by Mahmut Özgener, Chairman of the Izmir Chamber of Commerce (IZTO) and Chairman of the IUE Board of Trustees; Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu, Rector of IUE; Selami Özpoyraz, Speaker of the IZTO Assembly; members of the Board of Trustees; academics; and invited guests. IUE Student Council President Sevgi Cemre Önen and Eren Bağdat, a Faculty of Medicine student admitted to the University with the highest entrance ranking, also delivered speeches sharing their messages for the new academic year.

Governor of Izmir Dr. Süleyman Elban, the guest of honour who delivered the traditional first lecture, advised young people to read extensively and to benefit from different perspectives. Governor Elban noted that today’s younger generation is fortunate in terms of having access to an environment that supports freedom of thought.

“455 THOUSAND HOMES COMPLETED IN TWO YEARS”

Addressing Türkiye’s disaster management and emergency response capacity, Governor Elban emphasised that the country has a very strong ability to organise during and after disasters. He also highlighted the significant achievements made in the construction of housing, infrastructure and public buildings following disasters. Governor Elban said, “In two years, 455 thousand homes and approximately the same number of public buildings were completed. When we share these figures with our international guests, they think there must have been a translation error. As a society, we have a certain sense of complacency when it comes to disasters-a belief that ‘nothing will happen to us’. We tend to be flexible about taking precautions before a disaster occurs. We build houses in riverbeds or in the middle of forests and then find ourselves facing floods or wildfires. Some of the disasters we experience are actually familiar natural events. These events turn into disasters because we resist nature or disregard its rules. We need to quickly move away from the mindset of ‘nothing will happen to us’ and prepare for disasters in advance.”

“DISASTER RESPONSE SHOULD BE LEFT TO SPECIALIST TEAMS”

Drawing attention to the importance of remaining calm during a disaster and allowing specialist teams to manage the situation, Governor Elban said that uncontrolled interventions, even when well-intentioned, could make response efforts more difficult. Governor Elban said, “The first thing we need to do during a disaster is avoid panic and leave the response process to professionals. Entering disaster zones without the necessary knowledge during forest fires or earthquakes and getting in the way of emergency teams while trying to help can make the situation even worse. Our intentions may be good, but assistance and support must also be properly planned and managed in a disciplined manner.”

“WE HAVE BUILT A STRONG PARTNERSHIP”

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the IUE Board of Trustees Mahmut Özgener pointed out that humanity is going through perhaps one of the fastest periods of transformation in its history, across areas ranging from artificial intelligence and biotechnology to energy and climate technologies. Özgener stated that the University sees interdisciplinary learning, producing with technology, developing foreign language skills, gaining international experience and engaging with the business world while still studying as integral parts of education. Özgener said, “At this point, we would like to emphasise that bringing together the deep-rooted experience of the Izmir Chamber of Commerce with the academic strength of our University is one of the most important characteristics that distinguishes Izmir University of Economics. We believe that this strong partnership has played an important role in our University consistently ranking among Türkiye’s most preferred foundation universities and becoming an institution regarded as a model in higher education.”

“THE GÜZELBAHÇE CAMPUS WILL SET AN EXAMPLE”

Chairman Özgener continued: “We see our Güzelbahçe Campus, which is currently under construction, as one of the most tangible steps in our vision for the future. This project is part of our approach to building the university of the future in Izmir today. We are designing the Güzelbahçe Campus as a next-generation university model where education extends beyond the classroom and where technology, science, creativity and social life come together.”

“HUMAN QUALITIES WILL BECOME EVEN MORE VALUABLE”

Offering advice to young people that could help guide their career journeys, Chairman Özgener said, “Perhaps five or ten years from now, you will be working in professions whose names we do not even know today. Perhaps a technology you develop will solve a problem that has yet to be resolved. For this reason, during your university years, I do not want you simply to focus on your courses; I want you to discover yourselves. Find out what you are good at. Discover what excites you. Engage with different disciplines. “Do not see artificial intelligence merely as a tool you ask questions to. Use it to conduct research, create, design, code, analyse and develop new ideas and businesses. But while doing so, never forget the importance of human intelligence, creativity, conscience and ethical values. Because the more powerful technology becomes, the more valuable uniquely human qualities will be. Your real strength will lie in your ability to empathise, work as part of a team and take initiative when necessary.”

“A UNIVERSITY THAT SHAPES TRANSFORMATION”

IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu stated that the University would continue working towards its goal of becoming an institution that does not merely observe transformation, but actively shapes it through its scientific knowledge and values. Prof. Dr. Abacıoğlu said, “Today, we have access to more information than ever before. Yet it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine which information is reliable, which decisions are right and which developments truly serve humanity. For this reason, the fundamental question of our age cannot be limited to ‘How far can we progress?’ We must also answer the question, ‘Which values should guide our progress?’ “Knowledge and technology can contribute to humanity’s shared future only when they are guided by wisdom. While a university prepares young people for today’s world, it is also a place where we discuss, through scientific reasoning and ethical responsibility, what the future should look like. Education reminds individuals that they have a responsibility in building that future. “This responsibility also places upon universities the duty to contribute to the social, cultural and economic development of society. I warmly welcome the students who have newly joined our community, and I wish all our students a successful, productive and meaningful academic year.”