This album book enlivened with the photographs of Coşkun Aydın also reveals how hope in Africa revived, particularly after 2002. The PDF version of the book introducing slices from Turkey’s social responsibility activities in Africa can be viewed on ICOC’s website.

ABDÜLKADİR YILDIZ

Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC) presented the album book titled ‘Africa Innocence’ to the cultural domain. The book is full of the images of Niger and Africa’s sunny faced inhabitants captured by Coşkun Aydın. Written in Turkish, English, and French, the book takes its readers on a journey in Africa accompanied by over 250 photographs.

TO THE ONES MAKING EXPLOITATION PLANS

Dr. İsrafil Kuralay, ICOC’s Vice President, commented on the book: “As you turn the pages of the book, Africa Innocence, you will once again witness the significant place Africa has in our lives. Your heart will expand as large as Africa and start to beat with this continent. You will feel an enormous heart inside the book. And even more, with body and soul, you will be flowing to Africa. Having read the book, with this, I want to ask the following question to people making plans over and over to exploit Africa further, to the ones wishing to increase their gross domestic product with what they obtain from this continent:

How big is your gross domestic happiness?

How big is your gross domestic innocence?”

AFRICA’S SUCCESS

Kuralay said, “It is about time we put our hearts in Africa” and continued: “Turkey acted as the powerful voice of Africa at every opportunity and under all circumstances, at the UN in particular. We wish the African nation to become one of the societies with the highest level of welfare. On that note, our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been seeking ways to improve our friendly and brotherly relations with Africa and claim ‘Africa’s success will be the success of humanity’. The recent revitalization in the continent we have been witnessing recently has been a source of hope for all. Africa should no longer be mentioned as a continent of conflicts, diseases and disasters. On the contrary, with its economic potential Africa should be regarded as a continent of peace where the brightest times of humanity. Africans should be able to look to their future with more confidence. They will be receiving the most outstanding support to their efforts towards achieving peace, democracy, development and welfare from us, from Turkey. Our relations in politics, economy and culture have to be rapidly improved further. As the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, we have been acting towards achieving such goals.”

NEARLY 6 THOUSAND SURGICAL OPERATIONS

‘Africa Innocence’ is formed with the contribution of the Volunteers’ Association that has been drilling water wells for clean water, carrying medicine and food to the continent and treating patients with its doctors for 15 years in Africa. All the photographs - over 250 photos- have been taken in Niger. Chairman of the Volunteers’ Association İbrahim Ceylan said, “This work is quite precious for it reflects the African people’s dignity; such people who maintain their innocence and smiles on their faces despite the desperation and poor living conditions.” Ceylan added, “I express my gratitude to TIKA, Ministry of Health, and THY executives for their support. We have been in Africa with nearly 40 organizations. Over
150 thousand patients have been examined, practically 6 thousand surgical operations and 10 thousand cataract surgeries, roughly 25 thousand tooth extractions, around 15 thousand ultrasound shootings, 13 thousand E.N.T. aspirations and nearly 40 thousand circumcision operations have been performed. The African people are looking forward to seeing the Volunteers now.”

I STRIVED TO REFLECT THE RICHES IN THEIR SOULS INSTEAD OF THEIR POVERTY

Photography artist Coşkun Aydın mentioned the unforgettable words of an African friend “Do not depict us as if we are desperate, crying, suffering from poverty and expecting help. Avoid reflecting us falsely through sad images” warning him as he was taking photos. Aydın continued, “It is all but impossible to ignore Africa’s poverty reflected in each image. Then again, I have always endeavored to reveal their smiling faces and cheerful, loving and rich souls. Being a part of Africa’s reality and documenting it through a photographer’s perspective has been a great experience. I tried to introduce Africa to our people in Turkey with photos based on humanity.”

AFRICANS WITH THE AMBASSADOR’S INTRODUCTION

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kavas, Turkey’s Ambassador to Dakar, has drawn a quite comprehensive introduction to the book. A fragment from one of Turkey’s first experts on Africa, Prof. Dr. Kavas’ introduction: “…We can never appreciate the Africans too much. Had what they have been through happened in the Middle Eastern and South Asian societies, they would perhaps lose all cultural traits, particularly their languages. What humanity witnessed in North and South America stands out as a striking example. The native inhabitants of the entire continent were converted to Christianity in nearly 400 years since the 1500s. There are barely any native societies left and their local languages ceased to exist…The Africans, on the other hand, resisted against all the cruelty. Although they suffered and lost millions of lives, they struggled for their existence and survived. One does not have to spend his whole life in Africa to understand the Africans; a little effort will do.

The humanitarian aid efforts in Africa exerted by Turkey’s non-governmental organizations and the activities with development purposes by public institutions such as TIKA will be leaving their mark on almost the entire continent. These actors have been performing a wide variety of operations including drilling water wells, conducting cataract surgeries, distributing essential needs like food and medicine, delivering education and healthcare services across the whole continent, from countries’ capitals to remote villages.”

ACCESS TO THE BOOK

The book can be reached at ICOC’s bookstore Kitap Istanbul at Eminönü bookstore. Meanwhile, it can be viewed in PDF on the following link: http://kutuphane.ito.org.tr/itoyayin/0028846.pdf

24 Mart 2021 Çarşamba

Etiketler : English

DİLŞAH KEFLİOĞLU

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan laid the foundation of Atatürk Cultural Center for its reconstruction project on 10 February 2019. The centre was opened after the completion of the project in 2.5 years.

The opera sphere in AKM’s entrance was built with 15 thousand unique handmade red ceramic tiles. The design of the building’s façade aimed maximum benefit from daylight, and a green roof system was applied with an environmental-friendly approach. The opera hall, named the grand hall, features a foyer with nearly 4 thousand 500 square meters and seats 2040 people. The pit in the lobby has sufficient size to host a massive orchestra of 118 people.

A MOVING STAGE

The stage mechanics and systems are built with the world’s leading technologies. They comprise a 65-meter stage depth, four main stage elevators, 13 compensator elevators in the side and backstages, and four mobile wagons that will remain above these. Besides, there is a rotating stage wagon in the main hall. All halls of AKM are furnished with top-level equipment in terms of acoustic, sound, lighting and displaying systems.

COMPRISES OF FIVE BLOCKS

AKM’s halls were designed acoustically, and the built orchestra shell offers an excellent sound quality in plays and concerts asa homage to original AKM’s ceramic artist Sadi Diren. The centre and the spiral staircase in the original centre’s foyer were restored to their original design. The centre comprises five blocks founded over a field of 30 thousand square meters, and AKM has an indoor space of 95 thousand square meters. The natural stone coating over the façade and internal venues of AKM draw attention.

A MODERN DESIGN

There are four basements with a total size of 48 thousand and 705 square meters, a stage, backstage rooms, foyer areas, workshop and storage areas, ballet practice lounges, practice rooms for soloists and orchestras, a recording studio, rehearsal rooms, art galleries and exhibition rooms and coffee shops. Furthermore, the rehearsal halls, recording studio, soloist and orchestra practice rooms were designed in a modern way acoustically.

DESCENDED FROM FATHER TO SON

Architect Hayati Tabanlıoğlu conducted the construction of AKM in 1956-1969, and it is one of the original premises of one of Taksim Square’s symbols. After the big fire in 1970, AKM opened again in 1977. The centre used to seat one thousand and three hundred people; however, it was transformed into a complex after the reconstruction by increasing its capacity and functions. Architect of the new AKM is the son of center’s original architect Hayati Tabanlıoğlu’s son, Murat Tabanlıoğlu.

A CULTURE STREET

As part of the AKM project, Culture Street includes an art gallery, movie theatre, restaurant, café, a book café, arts centre for children, a music platform, library, a design shop, and a multifunctional lounge.

Another significant aspect of the AKM project is that the centre gained a 24-hour living area to the neighbourhood with a connection from the Taksim Square to Istanbul Technical University’s Taşkışla Faculty and Atatürk Library. With the new centre, a second square will be formed in congress valley direction, where Atatürk Library and Istanbul Technical University remain.

22 Şubat 2022 Salı

Etiketler : English

HAMİT KARDAŞ

The postgraduate programs designed by the Istanbul Commerce University based on the requirements of the business realm offer career opportunities to international students wishing to come to Türkiye for education. There are postgraduate and PhD programs in the University for those wishing to upgrade their degrees. Expert academicians and special facilities carry out the postgraduate programs. Postgraduate courses are performed in five institutes within the body of COMMERCE.

INSTITUTE OF FINANCE

As Türkiye’s first institute in finance, this institute is structured with an integrated perspective by taking Istanbul’s private and public sector focused finance theory, management and policy, financial economy, and applied finance compatible with Istanbul’s aims to become a global finance centre into consideration. The institute offers four postgraduate and two PhD programs.

INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATION SCIENCE AND INTERNET

The first institute focusing on the internet area, the Communication Science and Internet Institute, aims to develop the new theoretical perspectives and research methodology deemed lacking in the area, reveal interdisciplinary research forms, and improve data generation for its implementation in required areas. The institute offers PhD programs and thesis and non-thesis master programs.

FOREIGN TRADE INSTITUTE

With the privilege of being Türkiye’s first Foreign Trade Institute, this institute conducts practices and research on a sectoral basis towards the market and launching academic level postgraduate programs. Thesis and Non-Thesis Master programs are available in the institute. Moreover, PhD programs in two different areas are offered.

SOCIAL SCIENCES INSTITUTE

Social Sciences Institute is carrying out education and research activities with many programs prepared in line with the sector’s requirements. Doyens in the finance and real sector are among the institute’s academic staff.

INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE

Institute of Science offers postgraduate and PhD programs with eleven different programs. Urban Systems and Transport Management, Conservation and Restoration programs within the structure of this institute are the leading postgraduate programs in this area in Türkiye. The Cyber Security PhD program stands out as well.

For the postgraduate programs of the University: https://international.ticaret.edu.tr

MASTER’S DEGREE IN COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY

Commercial Diplomacy Postgraduate Program is Türkiye’s first and only commercial diplomacy program. The program continues to accept applications. Commercial diplomacy is a vast area where negotiations in multiple aspects are carried out to solve disputes that hamper global trade. Joint solutions are generated, and international cooperation is developed through signing agreements on commerce and investment.

Commercial Diplomacy Department Head Assoc. Prof. Uğur Yasin Asal stated that through the postgraduate program, they aimed to train graduates who has in-depth knowledge of commercial diplomacy terminology, who can build intercultural communication,who attach importance to entrepreneurship and wish to enhance entrepreneurial skills and academic aspect of commerce as commercial diplomacy experts.

MOST PRESTIGIOUS GLOBAL EDUCATION INSTITUTION OF THE YEAR

Istanbul Commerce University was declared as the year’s most prestigious educational institution in the private education institutions category by The ONE Awards, one of the most exceptional standards in its area. For the seventh time, the award ceremony of the ONE Awards was executed with the cooperation of Marketing Türkiye and Akademetre Research and Strategic Planning. In addition to the brands increasing their prestige the most in the year, media, PR, advertising and digital marketing agencies that played a role in this success were awarded. Celebrating its 20th year of establishment, Istanbul Commerce University was awarded as the year’s most prestigious educational institution.

Istanbul Commerce University’s President Prof. Dr. Yücel Oğurlu mentioned that they were proud to receive the award and said, “The momentum gained by our University in the recent period is very pleasing. We will not be satisfied with this and work more to enhance the value of our University’s diplomas.”

THE HIGHEST OCCUPANCY RATE

Istanbul Commerce University achieved a hundred per cent success in this area by launching the online education system in the swiftest during the pandemic. The University remained in the educational institutions to achieve the highest occupancy rate among the foundation universities and filled 95.5% of its capacity this year.

400 ONLINE EVENTS

Istanbul Commerce University is among the most preferred universities for postgraduate degrees. The University carried out its social responsibility projects academic and cultural activities throughout the pandemic and held over 400 online events in the past year.

22 Şubat 2022 Salı

Etiketler : English