Üsküdar University Hosts the "10th High Humanitarian Values Awards" Ceremony!

The High Humanitarian Values Awards, given by the Senate Selection Committee of Üsküdar University to individuals and institutions recognized for their exemplary work in their fields, were awarded for the 10th time this year, with the goal of preserving 24 golden values.

The High Humanitarian Values (YİDER) awards, presented for achievements that have left a mark and provided benefits in the fields of sports, current affairs, finance, literature, education, and science, were given this year to Fatma Şahin, Özdemir Erdoğan, Ahmet Çalık, Jenny Molendyk Divleli, Mehmet Yıldız, İskender Pala, the Board Members of the Tohum Autism Foundation, Prof. Yunus Ali Çengel, and Assoc. Prof. Zeliha Bürtek.

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, President of Üsküdar University, drew attention to value erosion and corruption. Emphasizing that the decay of values is a social cancer, Tarhan added that global peace would be impossible without high humanitarian values. He also stressed the importance of conscience as a crucial value.

Prof. Nazife Güngör, Rector of Üsküdar University, expressed the university’s goal of offering its intellectual potential in service to humanity. Güngör said that "Because here, we are training the youth who come to us. At the same time, we aim to send them to society as people who love humanity, are aware of their own humanity, and are conscious of humanitarian values."

Üsküdar University awards the "High Humanitarian Values Awards" every year to individuals and institutions recognized by the University's Selection Committee, with the goal of preserving 24 golden values such as Justice, Honesty, Compassion and Mercy, Transparency, Courage, Empathy and Responsibility, Trust and Loyalty, Modesty, Humility, Cooperation, Reconciliation, Generosity, Sacrifice, Gratitude, Pluralism, Participation, Liberalism, Accountability, Innovation, and Loyalty.

Distinguished individuals were honored...

This year’s 10th High Humanitarian Values (YİDER) Award Ceremony of Üsküdar University was held at the İbni Sina Auditorium of the NP Health Campus. At this year’s ceremony, the awards were presented to various individuals, including Fatma Şahin, the Mayor of Gaziantep, who works to increase women’s participation in politics, supports projects related to women’s employment, and promotes the integrity and continuity of family unity. The award for Şahin was presented by Zehra Ünal, Deputy Mayor of Gaziantep, to Halide İncekara, the Rector’s Advisor.

The award for musician Özdemir Erdoğan, who has contributed to Turkish music by blending jazz, Turkish folk music, Turkish classical music, Turkish light music, and Anatolian rock through his musical education from a young age, was presented by Prof. Nevzat Tarhan. The award for businessman Ahmet Çalık, who has greatly contributed to Türkiye’s economic growth and international promotion, as well as important projects in the field of education, was received by Mert Turgut Çalık, Member of the Board of Directors of BKT Albania and BKT Kosovo, on behalf of Çalık. The award for author Jenny Molendyk Divleli, who, after converting to Islam and introducing her children to Islam and Prophet Muhammad, has contributed to helping children understand Islam correctly through her books, was presented by Özcan Demir, Head of the Health, Culture, and Sports Department, and Sadık Paksoy, Manager of the Health, Culture, and Sports Department.

The award for author Mehmet Yıldız, who organizes talks and conferences on religious and spiritual topics through the "Hayalhanem" channel, offering in-depth information about Islam, personal development, and various aspects of life, was presented by Prof. Mehmet Zelka, Rector’s Advisor. The award for author İskender Pala, who has contributed significantly to Turkish literature by blending history, literature, and culture in his works and transferring the roots and meanings of divan poetry to younger generations, was presented by Prof. Türker Tekin Ergüzel, Vice Rector.

The award for the Board Members of the Tohum Autism Foundation, who have supported early diagnosis and education for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and facilitated access to educational and rehabilitation services for individuals with autism through the foundation, was presented by Prof. Hikmet Koçak, Vice Rector, to Burçak Karakaya, General Manager. The award for Prof. Yunus Ali Çengel, who has contributed to energy systems through academic projects and is a pioneering figure in modern engineering education, was presented by Prof. İsmail Barış, Rector’s Advisor. The award for Assoc. Prof. Zeliha Bürtek, an academic who meticulously addresses issues such as social desensitization, alienation due to individualism, ethical erosion, and value loss, and inspires concrete steps to prevent social decay, was presented by Prof. Nazife Güngör, Rector.

Nevzat Tarhan: “Are we heading toward a society of violence?”

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, President of Üsküdar University, recalled two incidents covered by the media, where in Kars, a specialist sergeant killed someone simply for "looking at him wrong," and in Kadıköy, a 15-year-old was killed by his peers just for saying "pardon, brother." Tarhan posed the question, "Why are these things happening? Why are they increasing? Are we heading toward a society of violence? While seeking answers to these questions, our emphasis on values comes to the forefront. What are those values? Some things are eroding, decaying, and as they corrupt, negative impressions accumulate in society's collective memory. Trust in relationships weakens, and wrong values replace the right ones. Instead of societal benefit, individual benefit comes to the forefront. Opportunism takes over, and as a result, what happens? A small spark leads to a fire."

“The values of the younger generations are changing”

Pointing out that humanity is facing serious challenges worldwide, Prof. Tarhan stated, "Perhaps World War III will not happen in reality. We believe it will not. But in an era with nuclear warheads, everyone is afraid of large wars. Psychological warfare methods are being used. Voluntary imperialism is being applied. Colonialism continues by changing its form. And the most damaged are human relationships and the younger generations. The values of younger generations are changing. When asked 'What are values?' the younger generation says 'Pleasure and success.'"

“There is injustice in the world”

Prof. Tarhan remarked that the mentality of "You work, I spend" and "Let the snake that doesn't touch me live" is becoming more widespread among the younger generation, which he sees as a sign of value erosion. He continued, "You see the events happening now, like the Gaza events. There is a lot of injustice in the world. Against this, there is indifference, silence in the face of evil, and desensitization to evil. This is one of the reasons for the increase in evil. Dante even has a quote: 'The deepest part of hell is reserved for those who remain silent in the face of evil.'"

“Without communication, people become selfish and egocentric”

Stating that they are teaching positive psychology and communication skills to students for the first time in Türkiye, Prof. Tarhan said, "If you examine the content of this course, you will see that it is entirely about helping young people learn human values through scientific methodology, various modules, and psychodramas. Being honest, not lying, transparency... All of these need to be taught. To preserve values, one must also know how to establish healthy communication. Without communication, people become selfish and egocentric. And when they become selfish, they turn into cancer cells."

“Value decay is social cancer…”

Prof. Tarhan expressed that people with corrupted values are like cancer cells, saying, "Value decay is social cancer. It rots, rots, and rots society. Look at the fall of Rome. Rome was once the only superpower. But when the cause of its collapse was examined, it was found that the rise of hedonism, selfishness, and cruelty in the later periods contributed to its downfall."

"Without High Human Values, there will be no global peace"

Prof. Tarhan, drawing attention to the ongoing trade wars, continued:
“We are likely to experience very interesting events as a result of serious value corruption and faulty decisions arising from excessive power blindness. However, in such situations, someone needs to warn, saying ‘This is the right path, this is the direction, this is what should happen!’ The biggest obstacle to the existence of values in society is hopelessness and pessimism. Looking at this social corruption, value erosion, and decay in society, we should never say, ‘This country, this humanity cannot be fixed, it will only get worse.’ When we look at the order in the universe, without high human values, there will be no global peace, no global tranquility. Once the negative consequences of evil become apparent, I believe we will enter an era of the rise of good and beautiful things.”

"Conscience is a very important value"

Prof. Tarhan noted that when values erode in society, trust also weakens. He said, "When trust weakens, people no longer trust each other. Conflicts arising from something as trivial as ‘looking at someone the wrong way’ are rooted in a lack of trust. People do not trust one another, so they perceive every situation as a threat. They begin to give disproportionate and excessive reactions."

He also emphasized that values must be preserved to prevent the rise of new Hitlers. "Critical thinking lessons prevent people from indulging in selfishness. They teach us to know our own limits. They teach us to understand boundaries. Where there is criticism, human maturation occurs. The most important feature that makes a person human is not good intentions. The most important feature that makes a person human is accountability. That is, accountability to society, to others, to laws, to social norms, and to the norms of conscience. In this context, conscience is a very important value."

Prof. Nazife Güngör: “As humanity draws closer to matter, it becomes further from itself”

In her opening speech, Prof. Nazife Güngör, Rector of Üsküdar University, mentioned that in today’s world, where the capitalist system is becoming more entrenched, humanity moves further away from itself as it becomes more focused on material values. Güngör said, "As humanity values matter more and more, as materialism becomes the rising value, humanity itself has become an increasingly lost value. It is gradually undergoing value loss. Therefore, we want to remind society of this, and we aim to raise awareness about this issue. Scientists, intellectuals, and the enlightened people in society have a duty in this matter. Since intellectuals are the leaders of society, they should point out when things are going wrong for humanity and society, and their primary role is to highlight these issues and help bring order to the situation, or at least contribute in some way to making the course of events more organized. If intellectuals don’t do this, we can’t expect it from anyone else."

“Humanity is not on a good path today”

Prof. Nazife Güngör, the Rector of Üsküdar University, expressed that they aim to utilize the university’s intellectual potential in service to humanity. Güngör said, “Because here, we educate young people who come to us. We do not just train them for their professions. We also want to send them out into society as people who love humanity, who are aware of their own humanity, and who are aware of human values. Because each young person raised here will contribute to society when they leave the university’s doors. Not only with knowledge, not only with professional skills, but also as an individual contributing to society. Humanity is not on a good path today.”

Award recipients...

On behalf of the Mayor of Gaziantep, Fatma Şahin, the award was presented to Deputy Mayor Zehra Ünal by Rector Advisor Halide İncekara. Zehra Ünal said, “Our population is approximately 2.5 million, and we have 500,000 Syrians. This is not a matter of 10-15 years. Aleppo is our sister city. We have always had relations. As a municipality, in coordination with foundations, NGOs, universities, and the governorship, we have given the world a very important lesson in humanity. We live together as brothers with 500,000 Syrians. Yes, small incidents have occurred, but we have never experienced an event that escalated to a crisis level.”

The Family Academy of Gaziantep became a key resource

Zehra Ünal also shared that they established the Family Academy in Gaziantep. She said, “The academy was established based on the great efforts, guidance, and insights of our professor, Nevzat Tarhan. Currently, the birth rate in Gaziantep is 2.1. The Family Academy has become a resource for Gaziantep in terms of psychotherapy, psychological counseling, and social services.”

 

Özdemir Erdoğan: "The important thing is to be rewarded while living"

Musician Özdemir Erdoğan received his award from Prof. Nevzat Tarhan. Reflecting on one of the greatest rewards in life, Erdoğan shared, “One of the greatest rewards in life is receiving recognition for what you have done throughout your life. Especially receiving it while you are still alive is, in my opinion, one of the greatest rewards and happiness in the world. For some, the greatest peak in an artist's life comes after their death, as the saying goes, ‘The blind dies, and his eyes become almonds.’ But the important thing is to be rewarded while living. As our grandparents and ancestors said beautifully, ‘Excellence is subject to admiration.’ I would like to thank you very much for this special feature of Üsküdar University. I am very happy today because I have received the admiration and reward of special individuals. I sincerely thank, first and foremost, Prof. Nevzat, all the administration, and this institution for this honor.”

 

Ahmet Çalık’s award presented to Mert Çalık

On behalf of businessman Ahmet Çalık, Mert Çalık received the award from Fırat Tarhan, a member of the Üsküdar University and Tarhan Foundation Board of Directors. Mert Çalık thanked for the award and mentioned that they would make serious investments in the fields of education, technology, and science through the foundation.

 

Jenny Molendyk Divleli: "We must not ask ourselves what values we are trying to protect"

Writer Jenny Molendyk Divleli received her award from Özcan Demir, the Director of Health, Culture, and Sports, and Sadık Paksoy, the Administrator of the same department. During her speech, Divleli expressed her gratitude for the award, stating that it wasn’t given for her past achievements, but rather for the work she aims to do in the future. She said, “Today’s world is a time of war, genocide, and oppression. We must ask ourselves, what values are we trying to protect?”

 

Mehmet Yıldız: "We have some dreams"

Writer Mehmet Yıldız was presented with his award by Prof. Mehmet Zelka, a Rector’s Advisor. Yıldız spoke about his future projects, saying, “We have some dreams. We have started a large campus project in Mersin. We invite all of you to join us in turning these efforts into even more diverse forms.”

 

İskender Pala also received the high human values award

Writer İskender Pala was presented with the High Human Values Award by Prof. Türker Tekin Ergüzel, the Vice-Rector. Pala reflected on the values listed for the award, saying, “As I read through the 21 high human values, I checked my own life to see how many of these values I carry. I realized I carry 21 of them, and I felt grateful.”

 

“There are more than 2 million autistic people in our country”

Burçak Karakaya, the General Manager of the Tohum Autism Foundation, received an award on behalf of the Foundation’s Board of Directors from Prof. Hikmet Koçak. Karakaya shared important statistics and insights, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis for children with autism. She said, “We are trying to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis for autistic children. Special education, starting with early diagnosis, has a success rate of nearly 50%, which is very valuable. Recent global research shows that 1 in 36 newborns is diagnosed with autism. When we look at the statistics for Türkiye, there are over 2 million autistic people, with 700,000 of them in the 0-18 age group, who need education. According to Ministry of Education data, only around 42,000 children have access to school, creating a significant gap in education. Without education, these children cannot integrate into life and society.”

 

Prof. Yunus Çengel: “Now, tools must be ethical too”

Prof. Yunus Ali Çengel received his award from Prof. İsmail Barış, a Rector’s Advisor. Reflecting on the importance of ethics in today’s technological world, Çengel said that “As an engineer, the ethical values being discussed are becoming increasingly important. Today, with artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and everything becoming technological, it is not just humans that need to be ethical; however, now even vehicles must be ethical. Ethical discussions are at the forefront in fields such as law, engineering, and philosophy.”

 

Assoc. Prof. Zeliha Bürtek: "These values show the path"

Assoc. Prof. Zeliha Bürtek received her award from Prof. Nazife Güngör, the Rector. Bürtek highlighted the importance of high human values, saying, “These values are written in the Holy Book. The Holy Book gives you a path, and you just walk it. These values show the way, the compass of the path.” She also emphasized that courage is a value, and showing the courage to reflect these values is equally important.

At the end of the ceremony, the awardees were presented with the "Feeling Human Statue."

The event was broadcast live on Üsküdar University TV (ÜÜ TV) and the official YouTube channel, concluding with a group photo.

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)