Üsküdar University Senior Management meets at a dinner gathering

Members of the Üsküdar University Board of Directors came together at a dinner held following the successful completion of the Institutional Accreditation Program evaluation conducted by the Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK). At the gathering, general assessments regarding the university’s quality assurance efforts were discussed.

The dinner, which took place at Dilruba Restaurant, was attended by the members of the Üsküdar University Board of Directors.

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “The mission of a university is not limited to providing a profession”

President of Üsküdar University and psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan touched upon the university’s scientific studies and international collaborations and said: “Our work in the field of genetics has reached an international scale. The research conducted on the genes obtained after Alper Gezeravci’s return from space was presented last month at the NASA Congress in Australia, and following this, we received a collaboration offer from NASA. In this project on space genetics, we obtained highly original findings. For example, we determined that some genes associated with schizophrenia are suppressed in the space environment. The mission of a university is not limited to providing a profession. Conducting R and D, producing knowledge, informing society, and ensuring that the knowledge produced is transformed into products are also among our fundamental responsibilities. The strong feedback we received from YÖKAK under the criterion of social contribution reflects this. Despite all challenges, we continue on our path as a university that complies with the rules and places scientific production at the center.”

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Furkan Tarhan: “We were accepted into the Turkish University Union and the European University Association”

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Üsküdar University, Furkan Tarhan, spoke about the significant achievements of Üsküdar University: “We were accepted into the Turkish University Union and the European University Association. Therefore, our students will have an identity card that is valid at Turkish and European universities. Additionally, on the hospital side, we received the award in the field of Service Exports as the 12th in Turkey, and on the university side, as the 5th.”

Prof. Nazife Güngör: “This evaluation showed that our hard work has been rewarded”

Rector of Üsküdar University Prof. Nazife Güngör emphasized the importance of the evaluation process for the university and said: “Since 2018, we have been intensively developing our quality processes. Our goal is to achieve a five-year accreditation. The evaluation delegation assessed our university as very strong in many areas, ranging from education and training to R and D activities, from laboratory infrastructure to our capacity for rapid action. This comprehensive external evaluation showed that we are on the right path and that the efforts made over the years have been rewarded.”

Prof. Türker Tekin Ergüzel: “We aim to develop a holistic artificial intelligence model”

Vice Rector Prof. Türker Tekin Ergüzel emphasized that the artificial intelligence-supported model developed using the data produced at the hospital can predict psychiatric diseases with high accuracy and that they aim to develop an integrated model with genetic data in the coming period. Ergüzel said: “The data produced in our hospital is very valuable for researchers and is made available to our physicians. The model we developed can predict a psychiatric disease with 93 percent accuracy using EEG or MR data from a patient it has never seen before. Next year, we aim to develop a model that can distinguish seven different diseases at once and to achieve a first in Turkey by combining this with genetic data.”

Feedback Evaluated

Throughout the evening, board members evaluated the feedback obtained from the Institutional Accreditation Program visit, the steps to be taken to further develop the culture of quality, and the strategic goals of the university.

The discussions, held in a sincere atmosphere, concluded with an exchange of views aimed at strengthening both academic and institutional activities.