NEWS

Our University Rector Prof. Şenay Yalçın answered the questions of Breaking News reporter Elif Tayhan. In the interview whr details about education, generation Z and digitalization were discussed, our Rector Prof. Şenay Yalçın talked about the effects of the changing world, the future and our university's adaptation to them.

The full interview of Breaking News reporter Elif Tayhan with our Rector Şenay Yalçın is as follows:

Elif Tayhan: Dear rector, first of al, we would like to get to know you and your university.

Prof. Senay Yalcin:

I started my education in 1959 in Erzurum Yukarıkaracasu Village, and continued it by completing my undergraduate education at Ege University, Physics-Mathematics Department between 1970-1974 and at İzmir Higher Teacher School in the same years. I obtained a Master's degree in Nuclear Physics at Ege University, Faculty of Science, and a PhD in Nuclear Engineering as a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Engineering. After the Air Force Language School, I served as Assistant Professor at the Air Force Academy and later as Professor at Bahçeşehir University. I have been working as the Rector of Nişantaşı University since 2019, after many administrative duties such as department chairs, faculty deans, Bahçeşehir University rectorate and Istanbul Kemerburgaz University founding rector.

Coming to Nişantaşı University, which is one of the best examples of the 4th Generation University structure in our country, we entered the world of education by accepting our first students in 2010. Today, when we look at the years we have left behind, I would like to proudly state that despite being very young, our university has made significant progress and achieved significant success with its experienced academic staff and assertive technological infrastructure.

Nişantaşı University, which started education with 650 students in 2010, currently has 200 smart classrooms, 124 application laboratories, 8 simulation centers and many experience environments from sports to music. At Maslak 1453 NeoTech Campus, nearly 25,000 students, more than 3,000 of whom are international students, are provided with high quality education services at Associate Degree, Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels. We distinguish ourselves from other universities with Project Based Courses, General Education Program (GEP), Career Education Program (KEP) and Professional Practices Program(IMU) with our flexible training programs.

Elif Tayhan: Looking at the past years, there has been a serious increase in the use of digital after the pandemic. In this context, has there been a change in the preferences of your students while choosing a department? Which departments have great interest in the university?

Prof. Şenay Yalçın: With the Covid-19 Pandemic, the classical education processes offered face-to-face on campuses in our country as well as al over the world have been replaced by the process of being presented in the digital world with the effective use of technological opportunities. Frankly, we were ready for this transformation with our academics. We were already giving some of our lessons online. In addition, we quickly adapted to the process thanks to our Distance Education Center, our classrooms equipped with a video-conferencing system, and our technological infrastructure. Digitization is a reality of the age and we feel it deeply in every field. On the other hand, we are witnessing the emergence of new fields and professions that we have not heard of before, determined according to the change of the age and the needs of the sectors. Universities have to restructure themselves according to the requirements and changes of the digital age. The important thing here is to design flexible and interdisciplinary curriculum programs according to the spirit and needs of the time and to make maximum use of educational technologies. In the light of these facts, we, as Nişantaşı University, constantly update the content of our education programs to meet the changing expectations of the business world.

When it comes to the effect of digitalization on students' department preferences, many departments from Medicine to Engineering, from Communication to Pilotage and Dentistry, from Industrial Design to Space and Aviation are still on the agenda and continue to be preferred. I can say that especialy students who want to steer the digital world have increased their interest in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Digital Game Design, Information Systems Management, Information Technologies and related departments. Because young people are aware that in the course content of these programs, they will have basic knowledge and skills on the internet of materials, big data, artificial intelligence, cyber security, cyber law, robotics, VR and AR technologies, blockchain, neuroeconomics and similar fields.

Elif Tayhan: Every era is a generation and a name given to them. Nowadays, there is a generation that we define as generation Z. What are you and your university doing to catch up with each semester? Isn't it hard to catch the generation of each period?

Prof. Şenay Yalçın:

Of course, it is not easy. It is very important to understand this generation, also caled “Digital Born”. Because this generation is a very different generation that perceives technology not as an addiction but as a standard of living. This generation, which was born after 2000 and is also caled generation Z, is a generation that does not believe everything that is said, questions and conducts research on almost every subject through the digital world, can establish a cause-effect relationship on the basis of the data they have obtained, and most importantly, expects them to be understood correctly by us.

While we were creating our NeoTech Campus in the awareness of these facts, we built our education model at our University on the basis of technology and human integrity with a "human first" approach. We have designed our flexible training programs to respond to the needs of generation Z and the needs of the sectors, which will shape and manage the current and future change-transformation instead of observing it when the time comes. In this context, R&D studies in Mechatronics, Robotics, Machinery, Construction, Electric-Electronics, Civil Aviation, Medicine, Dentistry, Biotechnology, VR-AR, E-sports, 3D Design and Production, Financial research, Computer and specific fields are carried out. We have laboratories. In addition, we are a new generation university that brings high technologies together with our students in the education eco-system environment we have created with our one-to-one modeled operating rooms, emergency first aid classrooms, our 360-degree vision-controlled aerodrome control simulator designed and developed in cooperation with TUBITAK and HAVELSAN, our Cabin Control Simulator and Maritime Transportation Control Simulator.

In summary, I would like to state that we are a center of benefit for both the academic and social needs of Generation Z in our NeoTech Campus, whr we have mentioned some of the infrastructure facilities we have above. We communicate with our students, especialy Dr. Levent Uysal, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Nişantaşı University, through different channels at every opportunity, get their opinions and benefit from these views within the scope of our flexible management approach. In this way, we are building a university environment whr our students can realize themselves, add new things to themselves in a positive way, access education in the fields they are interested in, follow and experience the innovations in the sector instantly, as well as have fun, socialize and most importantly feel belong to them. All I can say is that we benefit greatly from our belief and approach to “being in touch” with generation Z.

Elif Tayhan: You started an important project with Acun Media, how do you manage this process at your university, what does it contain?

Prof. Şenay Yalçın: We can say that this project, which we have implemented together with Acun Media, in line with our education model, which forms the basis of the philosophy of the New Generation University and designed with university-industry cooperation, is one of the newest and most innovative job acquisition projects in Turkey. In this project center, which is supported by our university's valuable academicians and modern technological infrastructure, applied trainings in the fields of gastronomy, television and digital media are offered. If I need to explain a little more, a training is provided by our experienced academics and under the management of famous television broadcasters, veteran chefs and digital masters from the sector. In our Television Department, Advanced Broadcasting Training, which provides a behind-the-scenes workforce to the industry, Kitchen Chef and Pastry Chef training, which trains chefs for Professional Kitchens, in our Gastronomy Department, Digital Content and Broadcasting, Social Media and Google Advertising, and Global Marketing and CRM trainings are provided in our Digital department. As a part of this uniquely designed exemplary project, we ensure that the dreams of our young people come true with internships and job opportunities. As a matter of fact, with the job placement program we started, we have placed al of our successful graduates in jobs and internships so far.

Elif Tayhan: Nişantaşı University is a university that keeps up with innovations. So, what other future works and contents do you think?

Prof.Şenay Yalçın: Rapid developments in the world and reshaped human relations, trends in education and innovations in education technologies force us to establish a system that anticipates the needs of the future. As I mentioned above, at our Nişantaşı University NeoTech Campus, we build the future by prioritizing the benefits of technology with our "human first" approach. In this context, we have determined the priority areas of health and information technologies, whr almost al disciplines intersect. We care about artificial intelligence applications that find their place in almost every field. Because we see the future of human sciences in artificial intelligence. We include technologies such as AR and VR in the course content that we update periodicaly.

We are also continuing our work on Metaverse, which has been talked about a lot in the digital world lately. For example, our academics working in the field of Marketing Communications have recently proposed an elective course on the metaverse, which has received a high level of interest. This course will be structured through the channels of Web 3.0, a new generation internet technology based on machine learning and artificial intelligence. In this way, our students will have the opportunity to examine the world of the metaverse, marketing over the metaverse, technologies and applications developed in this field.

Our academics working in the field of health patent their studies and commercialize many of them. We will continue to support our academic staff in making inventions that will add value to our country by providing offices and resources both in our NishNova Technology Center within our university and in Technoparks that we have an agreement with. At our university, we continue to develop high-factor international publications, case studies, internal and external projects with the scientific incentive system we offer. We bring an international dimension to scientific research processes within the scope of cooperation between our Academic Units and academicians with universities abroad.

In order to increase the contribution and multiplier effect of internationalization in higher education to our education ecosystem, we attach importance to establishing scientific collaborations and making agreements with reputable universities from the leading countries of the world. In this context, we have added a new link to the system with the agreement we made with Touro College, one of the prestigious universities of the USA, recently.

Elif Tayhan: With the pandemic, the students of this period stayed away from education for a long time. As the Rector of Nişantaşı University, do you think that this period is an unlucky period in education and normal life?

Prof. Şenay Yalçın: In March 2020, the pandemic began to make its impact felt increasingly al over the world. Many educational institutions at every level in our country were caught unprepared for this unpredictable development. Of course, this development necessitated changes in the education-teaching processes. However, as I mentioned above, as Nişantaşı University, we were able to easily overcome this process by taking advantage of being prepared in advance. We have used both our technological competencies and the opportunities that the digital world offers us as effectively as possible in this process. While observing that many institutions are trying to get used to this new order intellectualy during the pandemic process, Nişantaşı University started to offer al its courses online within a week with its technical infrastructure and well-trained human resources. With our "Education 5.0" education model, which is based on the dynamics of our age and the future, such as personalized education, project-oriented learning, technology and education, we continued our education without any academic loss for our students. Here, I must admit that al of our students are generation Z, making our job easier than expected, and we have successfully managed and continue to manage the pandemic process with them.

On the other hand, the pandemic process has brought a different dimension to the education-teaching processes. We can say that online education, which can be offered independently of time and place, is adopted by al segments, provided that the dynamics of applied courses are not missed. As a matter of fact, the information and suggestions from the students regarding this issue support this situation.

Elif Tayhan: What are the features that set you apart from other schools that students prefer you?

Prof.Şenay Yalçın: With the unique Education5.0 philosophy it applies and its strategic location in Maslak, whr the heart of the business world beats, Nişantaşı University is a university with a different understanding of education that distinguishes it from the classical system that shuts students to school and classroom. We are constantly working to make the future of young people who will shape the world of the future successful and meaningful with our dynamic structure. As it is known, in business life, people can change 4-5 business areas until they retire. This situation requires that the education given at universities be interdisciplinary and that the young people they graduate are competent both socialy and in their own fields.

We believe that university graduates should gain a vision beyond the profession. Graduates should have the knowledge and skills to work not only in the local area but also al over the world, not only looking for a job but also developing a job, with the education and experience they have gained. For this purpose, Nişantaşı University offers Flexible Education Program, General Education Program, Career Education Program, Project Based Courses, (1 4 1) application to its students within the scope of the Education5.0 system it implements. In addition, it provides Optional Preparatory Program followed by Free MBA, Free Double Major and Minor Programs, Free Certificate Programs, Student Scientific Research Projects, Uninterrupted Scholarship Opportunities, Blue Diploma Supplement, Professional Practice Program with (7 1) application in national and international companies in the 8th semester. For this reason, university candidate students prefer Nişantaşı University.