A new era has begun at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN). Appointed as the BEUN Rector with the approval of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ulusoy took over the position from Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer at a handover ceremony.
In accordance with the appointment decision signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and published in the Official Gazette dated 18 August 2026, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ulusoy was appointed Rector of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University pursuant to Article 13 of Higher Education Law No. 2547 and the relevant provisions of Presidential Decree No. 3.
BEUN Senate members and academic and administrative staff attended the handover ceremony held in the Rectorate Senate Hall.
Rector Prof. Dr. Ulusoy: “We will work to further advance university’s achievements”
Appointed as the Rector of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ulusoy stated the following in his remarks:
“Dear Rector, Esteemed Members of the Senate, and distinguished members of the BEUN family; first of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for entrusting me with the position of Rector of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University. I would also like to thank our President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, and the YÖK family for their efforts to advance our higher education system and to ensure that our universities have a stronger and more qualified structure, as well as for their valuable support throughout this process. We will work to fulfill this great responsibility properly and to serve our University in the best possible way.
I feel great pride and happiness in assuming the Rectorate of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, one of Türkiye’s long-established higher education institutions. We take great pride in BEUN’s strong position within the higher education community, its academic knowledge and experience, and the successful work it has carried out to date. Our primary goal will be to carry this valuable legacy further, add new achievements to those of our University, and make stronger contributions to our country’s higher education goals.”
Rector Prof. Dr. Ulusoy: “We Will Strengthen Our High-Quality Scientific Production and University-Industry Cooperation”
Evaluating BEUN’s goals for the upcoming period, Rector Prof. Dr. Ulusoy said:
“During our term as Rector, we aim to increase our University’s academic production capacity, support high-quality scientific research and innovative studies, and transform the knowledge produced into concrete value that contributes to the needs of our country and region. We will also strive to take university-industry cooperation to a further level, enabling academic knowledge and experience to come together more strongly with production processes and further increasing our University’s contributions to our city and region.
One of the most important responsibilities of universities is to educate our young people as qualified individuals needed by our country and the world, through the knowledge they acquire and the experience they gain during their higher education. We will work hard to ensure that our students complete their education in the best possible way, graduate from our University with strong professional and personal skills, and contribute to the future of our country.
With these feelings and thoughts, I would like to express my gratitude to our esteemed Rector, Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, who has made great contributions to bringing our University to where it is today, for his valuable services, efforts, and dedication throughout his term. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to all our administrative staff, academic and administrative personnel who have contributed to the development of our University to date, with our esteemed Rector at the forefront.
I wish our esteemed Rector, Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, health, peace, happiness, and success in the next chapter of his life. I hope that the new term will be beneficial and auspicious for our University, Zonguldak, our higher education community, and our country, and I wish that the upcoming 2026–2027 Academic Year will bring health, success, and happiness to our university family and the higher education community.”
Prof. Dr. Özölçer: “This Is a Relay Race”
Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, who handed over the Rectorate to Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ulusoy, stated that they had worked together with the academic and administrative staff to further advance the University during his term and said:
“At Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, where I have served for approximately 25 years, I assumed the position of Rector four years ago with the approval of our President. To properly fulfill this important responsibility and advance our University, we worked with great dedication, together with our valued colleagues in particular. I sincerely thank all our academic and administrative staff and our valued students for their outstanding service, dedication, and efforts to our University throughout my term.
Today, we are handing over a position. However, I see this not as an end, but as an ongoing relay race in the service of higher education. We are handing over this responsiblity to Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ulusoy, who was appointed Rector of our University with the approval of our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. I would like to express my heartfelt belief that his valuable experience, particularly his service at the Council of Higher Education, will be a great asset for our University. I sincerely believe that he will carry Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University much further than where it stands today. With these thoughts, I sincerely congratulate our Rector and wish him all the best and outstanding success in his new position.”
Rectorate Position Handed Over at Ceremony
Following the speeches, Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer presented flowers to Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ulusoy, who was appointed Rector. The ceremony concluded with a commemorative photograph after good wishes.
