OMU brings academic community together for 2026–2027 Academic Year Opening

12 October 2026, Monday - 22:15 Updated: 13 October 2026, Tuesday - 22:20

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The ceremony brought together Samsun officials, academics, and students, featuring an address on the “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, an opening lecture by transplant surgeon Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan, and awards recognizing outstanding academic and institutional contributions.

The Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) 2026–2027 Academic Year Opening Ceremony and 2025 Academy Awards were held at the Atatürk Congress and Culture Center (AKM), bringing together representatives of Samsun’s public institutions, the academic community, students, and guests.

The ceremony featured an address by Samsun MP Ersan Aksu on the “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative and an academic opening lecture by renowned transplant surgeon Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan. Academics, students, and administrative staff who distinguished themselves through scientific productivity and institutional contributions were also recognized with the 2025 OMU Academy Awards.

Before the program, Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın and members of the University Senate laid a wreath at the Atatürk Monument on the Kurupelit Campus.

The ceremony at AKM was attended by Samsun Governor Orhan Tavlı, Samsun MP Ersan Aksu, Chief Public Prosecutor of Samsun Mustafa Çakmak, Samsun University Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmut Aydın, Justice Commission Chair Nahit Köseoğlu, former Samsun MPs Fuat Köktaş and Hasan Hüseyin Ceylan, AK Party Samsun Provincial Chair Mehmet Köse, MHP Samsun Provincial Chair Burhan Mucur, Provincial Police Chief Faruk Aydın, Coast Guard Black Sea Regional Commander Rear Admiral Gökmen Gücüyen, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Brigadier General Bahittin Murat Yakın, district governors, mayors, public institution administrators, donors, academics, and students.

Following a moment of silence and the Turkish National Anthem, the program continued with an introductory film about the University, protocol speeches, a musical performance, the academic opening lecture, and the presentation of the Academy Awards.

Rector Aydın emphasizes universities’ role in science and society

Delivering the opening address, OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın outlined the University’s goals of strengthening research capacity, improving the quality of education, and expanding its contribution to society, and wished the academic community a successful new year.

Drawing attention to OMU’s more than half a century of accumulated knowledge and experience, Aydın emphasized the role universities play in scientific advancement and social development.

“It is a fact that every institution built on a strong sense of belonging to its country has the potential to provide important services to its nation,” Aydın said. “In this respect, the institutional identity of universities carries particular significance. When constructing the theoretical foundations for solutions to the challenges facing a country, universities are among the first institutions that come to mind.”

“We must position our campuses as centers of science, not merely repositories of information”

Aydın said scientific productivity and strong academic institutions play a decisive role in shaping the future of nations.

“In today’s world, countries with strong academic systems are those that have a voice, while others find themselves in a position where decisions are made for them,” she said.

“We therefore have a responsibility to position our campuses as centers of science rather than merely repositories of information. Instead of educational processes based on repetition and received knowledge, we must move toward the future through competitive scientific policies grounded in insight, competence, and critical thinking.”

Aydın highlights Türkiye’s international role and scientific independence

Addressing Türkiye’s position in the international system and the importance of scientific development, Rector Aydın said the country should reinforce its independence through the knowledge and technology it produces.

“We are witnessing an era in which, within the international system, power often carries more weight than being right,” she said.

Aydın argued that Türkiye had sought to maintain a strong humanitarian position at a time when, in her view, major powers had failed to respond adequately to injustice.

“We are determined not to give opportunities to those who seek to destabilize our social fabric or constrain our future,” she said. “Through the knowledge we produce and the technology we develop, we are determined to overcome such challenges.”

“The belief that ‘I can do it’ is one of the strongest motivations for scientific progress”

Rector Aydın also reflected on the scientific achievements of Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan, who was invited to deliver the academic opening lecture.

“One of the most important sources of motivation for scientific progress is the belief that ‘I can do it,’” Aydın said. “The environment in which that confidence grows is shaped by examples of people who have already shown that it can be done.”

Referring to different philosophical traditions concerning human relationships, Aydın contrasted the expression “man is a wolf to man” with what she described as a cultural understanding in which “one person can expand another person’s horizons.”

“In our culture, qualities such as knowledge, effort, and good conduct are often revealed through our encounters with other people,” she said.

“Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan, whom we have invited to deliver our opening lecture today, represents a story that can broaden the horizons of our young people through the remarkable achievements of his scientific journey.”

Ersan Aksu: “‘Terror-Free Türkiye’ is an important step in building our common future”

As part of the Council of Higher Education’s call for the “Terror-Free Türkiye” objective to be discussed during university academic year opening programs, AK Party Samsun MP Ersan Aksu, a member of both the Parliamentary Plan and Budget Committee and the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, addressed the initiative and its implications for Türkiye’s stability and development.

Aksu discussed Türkiye’s long experience with terrorism and its social and economic consequences.

“At the beginning of my remarks, I would like to share several points that I consider important in relation to the vision of a Terror-Free Türkiye,” he said. “I will try to explain how our shared history in Anatolia, extending back nearly a thousand years, can serve as a compass for our common future.”

Aksu argued that the economic costs accumulated over decades of conflict had affected Türkiye’s potential for development, employment, and social welfare.

“Our thousand-year shared history is a compass for our future”

Emphasizing what he described as Anatolia’s longstanding culture of coexistence and solidarity, Aksu said Türkiye’s different communities form part of a shared historical experience.

“Anatolia is a land shaped by wisdom, foresight, faith, and experience,” Aksu said. “Whether Kurdish, Turkish, Arab, Alevi, Sunni, or from any other background, when we look at this within the same broader framework, we have a shared history extending back a thousand years.”

Aksu also referred to the work undertaken as part of the “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative and provided information about the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission established within the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.

He said the process was being pursued around the principles of social consensus and solidarity.

“We aim for a Türkiye where peace, security, and brotherhood prevail”

Aksu said he believed the process could contribute to democratic development, economic growth, and social peace.

“I believe this process, which can strengthen our democracy and contribute to development and economic reform, will mean that by the time many of you complete your education and enter professional life, you may see a very different Türkiye in its second century,” he said.

“The strength we draw from our common past can serve as a compass for our shared future.”

Aksu concluded by expressing his hope for a country in which fewer families suffer the consequences of violence.

“I want to emphasize how important I believe this work is in building a country where mothers and fathers no longer have to grieve, children are not left without their parents, and solidarity, peace, and social harmony prevail,” he said.

Governor Tavlı: “OMU is a source of pride for Samsun and the region”

Samsun Governor Orhan Tavlı highlighted OMU’s contribution to scientific and social development.

“Since its establishment, Ondokuz Mayıs University has made countless contributions to our region and our country in science, education, arts, and sports,” Tavlı said.

“Since beginning its scientific journey in 1975, the University has educated thousands of highly qualified graduates who now serve throughout Türkiye and in different parts of the world, contributing to the development of our city, our country, and the vision of the Century of Türkiye.”

Tavlı said OMU had contributed not only to Samsun but also to the academic and cultural life of the wider Black Sea and northern Anatolian region through its scientific research, social projects, and cultural activities.

“The achievements of our academics inspire younger generations”

Governor Tavlı said he believed OMU would continue to achieve significant results through its long-established academic tradition, strong faculty, and innovative approach to education.

He also congratulated the academics receiving awards.

“Today, we are also holding an Academy Awards ceremony recognizing the efforts of our valued academics, who work with great dedication in the pursuit of science and knowledge,” Tavlı said.

“These scientists not only contribute to scientific advancement through their work but also serve as examples and sources of inspiration for younger generations.”

He expressed his hope that the awards would encourage further research and motivate the recipients toward even greater achievements.

Piano and ney recital

The musical section of the ceremony featured Prof. Dr. Emre Pınarbaşı of the Turkish Art Music Department at the OMU State Conservatory and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fulya Açıkgöz of the Conservatory’s Department of Musicology.

The two academics presented a piano and ney recital before the academic opening lecture.

Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan: “What matters is not simply living longer, but living healthily and independently”

The academic opening lecture was delivered by Prof. Dr. Ömer Özkan, a faculty member in the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine and Director of the Prof. Dr. Tuncer Karpuzoğlu Institute of Organ Transplantation and Advanced Health Research.

Özkan is known for major achievements in transplantation surgery, including the world’s first deceased-donor uterus transplant and Türkiye’s first face and double-arm transplants. Akdeniz University records his role in these pioneering procedures.

He was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife, Akdeniz University Rector Prof. Dr. Özlenen Özkan.

An Honorary Member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) and recipient of the TÜBİTAK Centennial Service Award, Özkan delivered a lecture titled “From Humanity’s Ancient Dream to Today’s Reality: Organ and Tissue Transplantation and Beyond.”

In his presentation, he discussed milestones in surgery, innovation in medicine, and the importance of multidisciplinary research.

Emphasizing that scientific progress requires courage and determination, Özkan shared with OMU students the teamwork behind operations that have entered the medical literature and discussed his vision for the future of research.

He argued that modern medicine should focus not simply on extending lifespan but on helping people maintain health and independence.

“We need to think about how people can enjoy the ability to live well, peacefully, and healthily without becoming dependent on others,” Özkan said.

Pointing to developments in molecular medicine and nanotechnology, he encouraged students to take an interest in emerging fields.

“We have moved beyond the macro level, beyond even the micro level,” he said. “Medicine is now advancing toward the nano and molecular scales, and there are extremely exciting developments. I want all of you to take an interest in them.”

Prof. Dr. Özkan: “Türkiye should be the home of scientific research”

Özkan said Türkiye has substantial expertise in healthcare and clinical practice but needs to make further progress in areas such as drug development, molecules, and original scientific production.

“If the scientific address of a study is not yours, you cannot claim ownership of its eventual results,” he said. “If we cannot produce a product in this country, we cannot later claim rights over that product. We remain merely one of the countries in which those products are tested.”

He said Türkiye was among the leading countries in the world in many areas of clinical medicine but needed to strengthen the scientific and technological development processes behind those clinical applications.

“In clinical practice, we are one of the best countries in the world,” Özkan said. “But we are not yet sufficiently involved in the kitchen where these products are actually created.”

He called for greater investment in research aimed at developing new drugs, molecules, treatments, and technologies.

Özkan calls for greater local support for scientific infrastructure at OMU

Özkan argued that universities should be regarded not only as educational institutions but also as centers where new technologies and scientific products are developed.

He called for increased financial support for scientific research and encouraged financially capable individuals in Samsun to contribute to the University’s research infrastructure.

“People in Samsun who have the financial means should support the establishment of a strong laboratory at Ondokuz Mayıs University,” Özkan said. “Or they might support the development of an oncology center.”

Highlighting universities’ role in regional and national development, Özkan said universities should become places where scientific knowledge is transformed into tangible products.

“This applies not only to health or engineering,” he said. “Universities should also be places where the scientific foundations are created, where molecules are developed, where, in a sense, the pot is actually cooking. Products should emerge from here.”

“The goal is not simply to live longer, but to remain independent”

In the final part of his lecture, Özkan discussed the meaning of restoration and treatment in human life.

He argued that the true value of a treatment should be measured by the concrete improvement it produces in a patient’s daily life.

The principal objective, he said, should not simply be to extend lifespan, but to enable individuals to remain healthy and independent without relying on others.

Özkan also stressed the strategic importance of developing domestically owned technologies and products, with scientific knowledge and intellectual ownership based in Türkiye, to strengthen resilience against crises such as disasters, wars, and pandemics.

He further emphasized the importance of understanding both the opportunities and potential risks associated with artificial intelligence and next-generation technologies, arguing that researchers and institutions should not remain passive observers but should play an active role in shaping their development.

2025 OMU Academy Awards presented

As part of the ceremony, the 2025 OMU Academy Awards were presented by participating officials to academics, students, and administrative personnel recognized for achievements in scientific publications, projects, citations, patents, institutional contributions, and other areas.

The award recipients and categories were as follows: