Former Minister of the Republic of Turkey National Education, Prof. Dr. Ziya Selçuk, participated in a conference organized by the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Faculty of Education. The conference took place on Thursday, 1 June, 2023, at 10:30 am at the Mustafa Afşin Ersoy Hall. Among the attendees were Major General Fethi Oltulu, the Commander of the 28th Mechanized Division, Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın, the Rector of EMU, Ekrem Toklucu, the Education Advisor of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Nicosia, Ersun Kutup, Member of the EMU Board of Trustees, Şirin Zaimağaoğlu, the Director of the Department of Culture at the TRNC Deputy Prime Ministry’s Office, Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Environment, Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Aktuğlu, Prof. Dr. Deniz İşçioğlu, and Prof. Dr. Serhan Şensoy, EMU Vice Rectors, deans, vice deans, department chairs, and young teacher candidates studying at the Faculty of Education.
|Our Vision is to be the Best Faculty of Education in the Region"
In his opening speech at the conference, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Pehlivan, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, discussed the importance of Prof. Dr. Ziya Selçuk's work and the significance of the conference. Prof. Dr. Pehlivan stated that the vision of the faculty is to be the best Faculty of Education in the region and that the aim of the faculty is to educate teachers who are progressive, modern, lifelong learners, entrepreneurial, and critical thinkers.
"EMU is an International University"
During his speech, Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın, Rector of EMU, emphasized that as a state university, EMU undertakes important responsibilities in providing quality education and serving the community. Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın mentioned that EMU organizes various seminars to contribute to the vision of different fields in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın stated that Prof. Dr. Ziya Selçuk would deliver an important presentation on new educational paradigms, which is one of the most crucial main tasks of EMU. Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın also highlighted the significant impact of Prof. Dr. Selçuk's innovative work during his tenure as the Minister of National Education of the Republic of Turkey on the education system in the TRNC. Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın emphasized that EMU continues to work towards advancing higher education and creating an international environment where students can receive a solid education and develop themselves in a multicultural setting. Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın thanked Prof. Dr. Selçuk for his visit and expressed his belief that the conference would have positive reflections at EMU and in the TRNC.
"The Future of the Education System and the New Generation"
Following the opening speeches, Prof. Dr. Ziya Selçuk, the former Minister of National Education of the Republic of Turkey, came together with teacher candidates in a presentation titled "New Generation Educational Paradigms." Prof. Dr. Selçuk discussed the importance of artificial intelligence in education, how teachers should approach the new generation of students, and the need to adapt the current education system to meet the needs of the new generation. Prof. Dr. Ziya Selçuk also highlighted that artificial intelligence will dominate the future of education, and traditional diploma and grading systems will become outdated, while employment policies will be entirely based on skills and competencies. After the highly anticipated presentation, Prof. Dr. Selçuk responded to the questions from students. At the end of the event, Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın, Rector of EMU, presented a silver plate to Prof. Dr. Ziya Selçuk, the former Minister of National Education of the Republic of Turkey.
