İstanbul Kültür University (İKÜ) Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver published a message about the IKU agenda, which has changed with the new Coronary Virus Disease (COVID-19).

Dear Kültür Family,

We are in the days when we try to normalize with our power in the shadow of possible second wave scenarios. We strive to heal, to protect ourselves and each other. In the future, we also collect many memories and experiences to tell about the value of life, to our grandchildren.

Dear Kültür Family,

Last week; we came together with our trustees. The comments on our work in crisis management were extremely positive. The trustees' evaluations regarding our business processes, distance learning outcomes, and our place in the lane gave hope.

A real crisis experience we've had. We all work to manage its side effects and calculate their possibilities. In this process, some of our friends may have higher technical role, related burden and natural visibility. However, let's not forget that Kültür is a family that is too big to fit on a stage. We have come to the Pandemic and normalization period with all my friends who work long and tiring hours in the kitchen of the business and create added value by revealing their potential.

Of course, there is an emotional burden. Last Friday, we had an introspective experience with our Heads of Departments. We tried to express, hear and share our difficulties, emotional ups and downs, the effects of the crisis on our mind and emotion sets, our needs and feelings. The sincere sharing of our Department Heads was very meaningful. I would like to thank all of our colleagues who supported us to overcome the pandemic crisis in Culture with courage, knowledge, labor and sincere sharing.

Dear Kültür Family,

In our return to work scenarios, we grow our apartments in a controlled manner. Our cadres that will work until July 19 were announced by KOVKOM last week. We plan the return for all our staff as the first week of August in the scenario where everything goes well. We have provided physical and hygienic conditions for the healthy management of return. However, our emotional health is also very important in the adaptation process.

It is a fact that our continents of work and private life in our individual world are battered. At this point, we all need the emotional orientation required by the new normal. Human resources requirements of each institution are special and valuable in itself. As Kültür family, we can make a return orientation specially designed for the human resources of our university according to our needs. With our calm and positive stance, we have the power to develop a new normal adjustment program that supports creativity and productivity with our internal resources. My request is to share your ideas with our Human Resources Department and Health Unit in this topic. I believe that we will design this process together and manage it in the best way.

Dear Kültür Family,

I see that we are developing alternative communication solutions in new areas. We have completed the Dean-Student meetings that spanned June. I followed the live broadcasts, which were realized through our Instagram account, with interest. The quality of the dialogue with our students at the level of deanship, the competence and understanding of our Deans and Directors were very successful. I wish the dean-student meetings, inspired by the synergies of our academic and administrative staff, to inspire new projects, and thank all of our friends who contributed.

Our candidate students are another important topic in our communication process. We started planning the scenarios for 2020-2021 with our academic and administrative staff. This year we are working in alternative scenarios on digital communication and physical usage plans of our preference days.

Preference days of this year will be different than previous periods. First of all, we should consider that the candidates and families with whom we will have a dialogue are going through a difficult and stressful period just like we are. When we look from the perspective of university candidates, we have seen that our young people under the age of 20 have undergone a very serious test regarding the value of freedom with the restrictions they face. The university, at this point, is a life triangle for young people in 2020-2021, which they will establish their bond with the world again. Based on the empathy we established with our candidates, we determined the main message of our 2020 communication as “Kültür is Freedom”. Being able to interpret the “Kültür is Freedom” message towards families and candidates is one of our most important tasks at this stage. We are the ones who can best explain the opportunities we provide to young people. I would like to once again state that we expect high level cooperation and solidarity from our academic and administrative staff in our preparations for the 2020-2021 candidate communication process.

My Dear Kültür Family,

For months, we've all been feeling the effects of exhaustion that comes from constantly looking at a picture of a battle for life. It's a kind of axis shift that we're experiencing. What we feel as a result, our expressions, our emotional dissociations are very natural and human. We're not alone, as I've said all along, we're in the same boat. Therefore, we need to understand each other, to show a common force. We'll get through this, too.

Hope to see you again...

Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver
İKÜ Head of The Board of Trustees

The Coronavirus outbreak appears to have given positive acceleration to Turkey-Israel relations, which have continued at the charge d’affaires level since 2018. At the beginning of May, positive messages from Israel following medical supplies and equipment sent from Turkey to Israel created an expectation that diplomatic relations between the two countries could be upgraded to the level of embassy again. Although strategic interests bring the two countries closer together, the problems that blocked normalisation after the 2016 agreement still remain valid. For this reason, a long-term normalization in Turkey-Israel relations requires a redefinition of relations on an interest-based basis. This article sets out the strategic gains and obstacles to cooperation between Turkey and Israel, and questions the extent to which the conditions for normalization are matured.

Selin Nasi
Author&Analyst
İKÜ Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)

Caner Gökay Guguk, 1st year student of the Program of Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Public Relations and Publicity, visited Head of the Vocational School Asst. Prof. Sinan Kesici in our Ataköy campus within the framework of social distance rules. Speaking on behalf of IKU Vocational School students, Caner Guguk said that “Our Vocational School academics have always supported us in every issue during the distance education process and have increased our motivation by fulfilling our education without interruption. On behalf of all our friends, we would like to thank our teachers who were always with us during this process.” Stating that they are planning a “2020 Graduation Souvenir” organization for their friends who will graduate this semester, our student requested their support from Asst. Prof. Kesici.

Head of the Vocational School Asst. Prof. Sinan Kesici stated that all IKU Vocational School staff are trying to do the best in this process for the sustainability of education. He also stated that the share of Vocational School students was great in the success of the distance education process. Our teacher stated that, despite all the traumas, in this challenging process, Z generation also appreciated the rapid adaptation and skills of the distance education tools and online applications. Asst. Prof. Sinan Keser, who gave a plaque to Caner Guguk on behalf of Emirhan Tiryaki, Vocational School Student Representative, who successfully fulfilled his duty, congratulated the students for their performance, their beautiful organizations and all their efforts. During the presentation of the plaque, Assistant Director of the Vocational School Research Assistant Oğuzcan Akgöl was also present.

One of our teachers from the Department of Architecture of Istanbul Kültür University Lecturer Sıddık Güvendi and his team won the third prize in the “5th Region” category of "Istanbul Is Yours, Golden Horn Coasts Design Competition" organized by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Department of Parks, Gardens and Green Areas. We congratulate our teacher and his team.

On Tuesday, July 7, 2020, a webinar titled “Internal Medicine Nursing Education During COVID-19 Pandemic” was organized by the Nursing Department of the Faculty of Health Sciences of İstanbul Kültür University. Webinar was moderated by Asst. Prof. Sevda Türen, one of the academicians of the Department of Nursing and Prof. Dr. Nuray Enç, faculty member of the Department of Internal Medicine Nursing, İstanbul University Cerrahpasa Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing.There were many attendees, nurses and academicians from different universities in Turkey. The Program started with the opening speech of Assoc. Prof. Asiye Gül, head of Nursing Department. Participating as a speaker in the event of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Professor from the Department of Internal Medicine Nursing Asst. Prof. Hilal Efil with Asst. Prof. Sevda Uysal, Cerrahpasa Medicine Faculty, Istanbul University, Cerrahpasa Istanbul University Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing Hospital Infection Control nurse Expert Nurse Nurgül Tayran and one of the senior students Ayşe Gürbüz, discussed the pandemic and the process of theoretical nursing-clinical training with laboratory-clinical applications. The Webinar was concluded with questions from the participants and answers from the speakers.

 The third of the “Entrepreneurship Models Webinar Series” titled "Job Belongs To Knower of It” organized by Istanbul Kultur University Vocational School was held on Monday, June 29 at 21.00.  Özel Florya Hastanesi General Manager & Founder President of the Healthcare Servers and Suppliers Platform Kadir Öz who attended the event as a speaker, made an interview on the theme of “Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Employment in the Health Sector”. Öz, who has been actively working in different fields such as purchasing, medical accounting, health insurance, hospital management information systems throughout his twenty-five-year career, shared his experiences with our participants from a sectoral point of view. Öz who drew attention to the fact that our country, which has shown a great improvement in the health sector in recent years with the health transformation program, continues its foreign dependence in terms of medical devices, also underlined the need for entrepreneurial and innovative perspectives in this field.  Kadir Öz stating that the phenomenon of innovation covers the nature of all employees, emphasized the importance of the concept of internal entrepreneurship with examples from the field of health. Our guest who stated that the size of the institutions, the amount of capital or the position of the person's career is not the only determinant in this regard, also stated that university-industry cooperation plays a key role in overcoming many obstacles.

Kadir Öz stated that the health sector is not only about hospitals, but also consists of various stakeholders such as manufacturers, suppliers and service providers. He gave information about the work of the Health Service Providers and Suppliers Platform, which was established to develop common solutions to common problems and completed the association process.  Öz who evaluated the performance of health institutions in our country during the pandemic period, touched on the conditions of being a healthy healthcare provider and the differences between the manager and the entrepreneur. As a health institution manager, he also commented on what he has done to ensure the development of employees so that they can make a difference. Kadir Öz, who is also a columnist in Sağlık Aktüel magazine, answered the questions of the participants. Our guest gave internship to three students who asked the best question by advising those who want to pursue a career in the health sector.

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Access address: https://ezproxy.iku.edu.tr/login?qurl=https://www.taylorfrancis.com%2f

In collaboration with IKU Department of Foreign Languages, Steam Club and Kültür Point, an exhibition will be held with photographs that will be shared on social media accounts between 13-17 July, within the scope of the 15 July Democracy and National Unity Day commemoration events.

IKU Vocational School will organize a webinar titled “Rules of Trade in the New World after COVID-19” where economy, logistics and entrepreneurship will be discussed in the new world after the pandemic. The event, where Mentor Group partner Dr. Hakan Çınar will be a speaker, will be held on Monday, July 13 at 21:00 via the Adobe Connect Virtual Classroom Application.

Department of Foreign Languages will organize a webinar titled “July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day Talks” within the scope of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day. The event, where journalist Nedim Şener will be a speaker, will be held on Tuesday, July 14 at 12:00 through the Adobe Connect Virtual Classroom Application.

A webinar titled “July 15 Democracy Victory: Ömer Halis Demir and Our Martyrs” will be organized within the scope of 15 July Democracy and National Unity Day in cooperation with Atatürk's Thought Club (ADK) and Atatürk Principles and History of Research and Application Center (ATAMER). The event, where lawyer Fevzi Ender Ferahbaş will be a speaker, will be held on Tuesday, July 14 at 15.00 via the Adobe Connect Virtual Classroom Application.

İstanbul Kültür University Alumni and its Members Association (İKÜMED) will hold a webinar titled “Short to Long Film Talk” where our 2009 graduates Director Ömer Faruk Yardım will be the speaker. The event, in which Ömür Kınay, one of our teachers of Communication and Design Department, will act as a moderator, will be held on Tuesday, July 14 at 16.00 via @ikumezun Instagram account.