Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN) Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ulusoy attended the “2026-2027 Higher Education Academic Year Opening Ceremony” held at the Presidential Complex.
The “2026-2027 Higher Education Academic Year Opening Ceremony,” held at the Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center at the Presidential Complex with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was attended by state officials, President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, rectors, academics and students.
At this meaningful ceremony, which brought together the state leadership and the higher education community, BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ulusoy was accompanied by Rector Advisor Prof. Dr. Tekin Akdemir; Yusuf Taha Çimen, a student of the Department of Computer Engineering who identified a security vulnerability on UNESCO’s official website in 2025; Sude Nur Basancı, Muaythai world champion and a student of the Faculty of Sports Sciences; Seymen Hiçyılmaz, representative of the T3 Foundation BEUN TEKNOFEST Club and a student of the Faculty of Engineering; and Dilara Ulama, a student of the Department of English Language and Literature who achieved significant rankings in kurash.
President Erdoğan: “A Teacher Shares His Experience with His Student and Instills a Scientific Culture in Them”
Addressing academics and students at the ceremony, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wished the new academic year to be beneficial to the higher education community and Türkiye. Stating that they have made qualified higher education accessible across Anatolia, President Erdoğan emphasized the importance of the teacher-student relationship and the human factor in the age of artificial intelligence and said:
“The bond between a student and an academic is not limited to the transfer of knowledge. A teacher shares his experience with his student and instills a scientific culture in them. He measures what and how much the student has learned and where they have difficulties; when necessary, he directs them to new sources and research. If the human being is not the main actor here, the knowledge transferred will neither be sound nor lasting. Because knowledge that is not based on research and acquired without any effort disappears and is lost immediately, like writing on water. I believe that our universities need to think thoroughly about these issues, particularly in the context of teaching methods and principles in relation to artificial intelligence and new technologies.”
YÖK President Özvar: “Türkiye Ranks Third in the World in Global Higher Education”
In his speech, YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar stated that Turkish higher education has shown significant development in terms of both capacity and quality over the past 24 years. Stating that Türkiye has a huge ecosystem with 208 universities, 6.3 million students and nearly 190,000 academics, Özvar drew attention to the results of international rankings and said:
“Türkiye’s increasing representation in global higher education is clearly visible. In the international ranking in which approximately 3,000 universities from 118 countries were evaluated, Türkiye was represented by 124 universities and became the third country in the world with the highest number of universities represented, after the United States and China.”
Following the speeches, President Erdoğan presented the “Council of Higher Education 2026 Outstanding Achievement Awards” to the scientists and universities that received the awards. Following the presentation, the ceremony came to an end with the taking of a commemorative photo.
Rector Ulusoy: “I Wish the 2026-2027 Academic Year to Be Beneficial to Our University”
Making evaluations following the ceremony, Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ulusoy expressed the following:
“Under the gracious hospitality of our President, we had the honor of coming together with the state leadership and our higher education community at the Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center. During the ceremony, we listened carefully to the historic addresses and guiding evaluations of our President, which broadened our horizons regarding our higher education vision. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for his strong support for qualified academic production and his visionary leadership.
During the ceremony, we also listened to the valuable speech of our YÖK President, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, which highlighted the development of Turkish higher education on a global scale, its international achievements and future goals. On this occasion, I would like to thank our YÖK President, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, and the entire YÖK family for continuously increasing the visibility and quality of Turkish higher education in the international community and always supporting us.
Today, at this meaningful ceremony at the Presidential Complex, we represented our University together with our valuable students who make us proud in every field, from cybersecurity to sports and from our technology teams to our academic projects. As Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, we will continue our efforts with determination to add value to our country’s goals through our scientific research, our strong contributions to the National Technology Initiative, our qualified academic and administrative staff, and our valuable students. I wish the new academic year to be beneficial to our University, our city and our country, and wish for a year full of success.”
