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Our Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver's Message on IKU Agenda – XXIII

Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver published a message regarding the changing IKU agenda with the New Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

Dear Kültür Family,

There are some dates that give us strength in our struggle with the hard and weary aspects of life. Today is September 26th! The anniversary of the foundation of our Kültür College, the architect of our foundation, which inspires the foundations and philosophy of our university. It is a very nice coincidence that my agenda message, which I shared with you on Saturdays during the pandemic, coincided with our founding anniversary.

We have witnessed many changes and transformations in our corporate history of 60 years that we lived to the fullest. It is not known whether the pandemic is the most difficult of our experiences in our corporate memory, but it is one of the times when we feel the pressure of uncertainty most intensely. However, we hope that we will go beyond these days.

Our College resumed education on September 21st last week. The first day excitement of our students, education staff and families in the new normal, their courage and dedication despite all the pressure created by the conditions were very meaningful to all of us. Our wish is to be able to adapt to the new normal in health and safety at all levels of education from kindergarten to university and to meet many academic years together.

Dear Kültür Family,

In our university, there is the excitement of the opening and orientation studies for the 2020-2021 academic year and the preparations for the fall semester. Our common effort continues to ensure that our students do not experience a loss in their educational processes and to minimize the side effects of the pandemic. The presentation of CATS V3 at our university on September 22-23 is the biggest proof of the effort given in this title. General information and basic level usage trainings held in two sessions were very efficient with both their scope and presentation. I would like to thank Ahmet Gökhan Uluçay, Deputy Head of Information Systems and Technologies Department and Software-Innovation Group Manager, and Head of the Kültür Point Unit, our Distance Education Officer Dr. Neslihan Fatma Er, and all our friends who contributed to our distance learning studies.

Dear Kültür Family,

In this process where we manage side effects, we need mental, spiritual and physical well-being more than ever. The more flexible we can be in our thoughts and actions and the more positive we can be in our communication, the more we can maintain our resilience during the fall period, when we will manage with distance education and gain new experiences in various topics. Although we all develop certain reflexes in the process, there are many new details to be learned, heard and seen in life. On Wednesday, September 24, the Resilience: Resilience and Flexibility in Difficult Times workshop, specially prepared by the founder of Kazmirci Coaching and Consultancy, Management Coach and Trainer Belkıs Kazmirci, was a new discovery for all of us. Seeing that our joint effort to become a university with high awareness and sensitivity to the trauma of the pandemic is felt in the workshop, gives hope and confidence for the future. The feedback we received from the training we attended with nearly 400 colleagues from our university staff is also very pleasing. According to the views of our colleagues who participated in the questionnaire organized after the training; The yield is 4.73 out of 5. In terms of recommending it to someone else, our NPS score is 72. It is pleasing to see and feel that our workshop contributes to these days, when it is vital to be able to approach ourselves and our immediate surroundings more compassionately, tolerantly and constructively. I would like to thank all our colleagues who participated and supported with their opinions and feedback.

Dear Kültür Family,

We are making all our preparations for the fall period, where we will learn by experiencing the new normal. Our physical preparations and equipment are carefully monitored. Within the working conditions, basic needs such as service, food and beverage are planned. The list of personnel who will work on the campus for September 28 and after was shared by KOVKOM. I kindly ask all our colleagues to show the necessary sensitivity for the healthy management of the on-campus work process. However, our emotional and mental condition is as important as our campus conditions. This period, when we all need hope, will also be recorded in our corporate history as an experience of cooperation and solidarity. In this title, I would like to share with you that IKÜMED, which brought the Kültür family together on the ground of social responsibility since the first phase of the pandemic, is preparing a new campaign. We will share the details of this project, which aims to support the elimination of digital inequality in education and will take place under the coordination of IKUMED, in the coming days. Our agenda messages regarding our university will continue in different periods in the fall semester. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much for your interest and feedback on the Kültür Agenda posts.

Hope to communicate on healthy and beautiful days ...

Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver
Chairman of the Board of Trustees