International 21st Century Education Research Congress Started at MAKÜ

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) Faculty of Education organized the 'International 21st Century Education Research Congress'.

The congress held at Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Library started with a moment of silence and the reading of the National Anthem. Then, a music recital was performed by MAKÜ Faculty of Education faculty members Prof. Dr. Esra Dalkıran and Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Can Çiftçibaşı, and Turkish Music State Conservatory faculty member Assoc. Dr. Gökhan Özdemir and Lecturer Başar Zeren.

After the music recital, the congress continued with opening speeches. In her opening speech, Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Firdevs Savi Çakar said: “Welcome to the congress organized by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Faculty of Education, you have honored us. Our congress will continue for 3 days, and we are pleased to host many guests both online and face-to-face, aiming to meet with our scientists participating from both abroad and different universities in our country. As the first established unit of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, our Faculty of Education is a very important institution that has been contributing to both our country's education community and the international education field for 58 years. Based on this accumulation, we continue our path with a future-oriented vision and the desire to train qualified educators. We are organizing our congress in cooperation with Pamukkale University, Kyrgyzstan Manas Turkey University, Uzbekistan Samarkand University, North Macedonia International Vision University, and Hasan Kalyoncu Universities. In this context, we will host our rectors with an online program and hold a panel. We would like to thank all our universities for these collaborations. During our 3-day congress, we will discuss education from different perspectives such as 21st-century skills and education, and education in the 100th year of the republic. In our congress, we host invited speakers from 6 different countries, including 2 domestic and 5 international, in 31 sessions simultaneously face-to-face and online, as well as scientists from 12 different countries with their presentations. We also thank all the scientists from various universities in our country who contributed to our workshops, panels, and oral presentations within the scope of this congress. I wish that our congress will contribute to the field of education, our country, our university, and the development of scientists, and I thank you.”

Burdur Deputy Mayor Hülya Eraslan said, “We have come together for the education research congress. Education has a very important place in the development of humanity. Learning new information allows people to prepare for life. In fact, life itself is education. A nation's being cultured and developed happens through reading and researching. People start their first education from the family. Then this education continues at school. The education received is the biggest factor in preparing people for life. Reading and renewing oneself also develop the mind and memory. For our country to be a more developed and more conscious country, education must be spread to every age group. Because education leads humanity to enlightenment. Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who gave great importance to education, emphasized the importance of education with his words, 'The assurance of the future is based on a solid education, and education is based on the teacher.' I thank everyone who contributed to the congress, and I offer my respects.”

After the speeches, the Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Firdevs Savi Çakar and Director of the Institute of Educational Sciences Dr. Lecturer Mustafa Kılınç presented a lifetime contribution to education award and plaque to Prof. Dr. Özcan Demirel, who dedicated his life to education.

Prof. Dr. Özcan Demirel said in his speech: “I would like to thank the Dean of the Faculty of Education of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University very much. Leaving a mark is really important. I would like to briefly express this. We have now entered the digital age. How should the Turkish education system be in the digital age? Actually, this topic did not come to me, but while listening, I found such a title for myself. This is completely impromptu, I am not prepared, but I want to talk about the future with what I have experienced because there is no point in dwelling too much on the past. In my opinion, we should start with preschool education. We see in many foreign countries that they start with preschool education. We need to spread this idea in all our villages and cities. Of course, can we achieve this? Its discussion can certainly be addressed in a congress or workshops. It may also need to be adopted as a state policy. Basic education may need to be compulsory for not 5 years but maybe 12 years, and some privileges may not be given to those who do not have a basic education diploma. In the university transition system, perhaps an intermediate process can be considered in the guidance stage of our children. Because my little grandchild is 8 years old. He uses the internet, WhatsApp, Instagram much more effectively than I do, and I try to get help from any of my four grandchildren in using some technological tools. So, there is no age for learning, I am also trying to educate myself at this age. I really thank you very much for deeming me worthy of this award. My biggest advice to young generation teachers is to love the profession first, to be able to love the student second, and to be better in their profession, always to be in search. If you are not following the innovations, if you are not adapting to them, you are not a person of this era. I wish you all success, and I also want to thank everyone for inviting me to the congress.”

After the speeches, the congress continued with face-to-face and online panels and sessions.