‘Happiness’ topic was discussed in the 4th Scientific Research Summit

The 4th Scientific Research Summit organized by Üsküdar University Public Relations and Publicity Department and Strategical Research and Development Club was held under the title of ‘What is Happiness? Is There Any Formula?’. Those who participated in the summit are as follows: Strategical Research and Development Club President Ercan Büyüktepe, Club Advisor Asst. Prof. Nejla Polat, Üsküdar University Sociology Department Prof. Barış Erdoğan, Üsküdar University Department of Internal Medicine Head Prof. Tayfun Uzbay, İstanbul Aydın University Instructor Ayten Çalış Kurtçu, Behavioral Sciences Specialist and Education Foundation Founding President Dr. İlahami Fındıçı, ÜSAK Founder Nihal Konçu Akhuy and Marmara University faculty member Assoc. Prof. Ali Murat Kırık.

The opening speech of the program, which started with a moment of silence and the reciting of the National Anthem, was delivered by Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication Public Relations and Publicity Department Asst. Prof. Nejla Polat and Strategic Research and Development Club President Ercan Büyüktepe performed.

Asst. Prof. Nejla Polat: "The happiness of individuals may differ in terms of cultural values"

Speaking at the opening of the program held at the Fuat Sezgin Conference Hall, Faculty of Communication Public Relations and Publicity Department Asst. Prof. Nejla Polat, and President of the Strategic Research and Development Club: "When we look at the general profile of a happy person, they are young, healthy, well-educated, extroverted, optimistic, carefree and intelligent people with high business virtue. When we look at the happiness of individuals in terms of cultural values, it can be said that differences are observed. It can be concluded that the values of self-management, which include characteristics such as personal success, ambition, talent, and hedonism related to pleasure, may be related to the happiness of individuals living in the West. For individuals with different values and goals, we can say that different variables can have an impact on an individual's happiness.".

Instructor Ayten Çalış Kurtçu: "The success of a structure to which we belong can make us happy"

Istanbul Aydın University Instructor Ayten Çalış Kurtçu, who participated in the summit as a speaker, made her presentation titled 'Our Existence Bodies That Do Not Fit into Happiness Packages'. Kurtcu stated that "Human needs a bodily food, a mental food, a spiritual food and a social food. Therefore, if the individual does not take their physical food, if one does not take their mental food enough, if one does not take their social food, there will be a disruption when we think of it as the four wheels of the car. Thus, there would be unrest, there would be chaos. The success of a structure to which we belong can make us happy. There are three dimensions to work to be happy. These are the need of communication dimension, the philosophical dimension and the being consciousness dimension. Even if we satisfy our physical needs in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, in the dimension of self-actualization, if our relationship with ourselves, our relationship with life, has not reached a certain level of consciousness, regardless of the level of what we have achieved. There is no such state of happiness in us. At the end of this place, we come to self-confidence. A person who is truly self-confident does not market themselves ‘as if'. A person who is truly self-confident knows what a they are doing and does not look at themselves from the outside, but speaks with their inner voice.".

Dr. İlhami Fındıkçı: "What makes us happy is the attachment belonging"

Behavioral Sciences Specialist and Founding President of the Education Foundation Dr. İlhami Fındıkçı shared his presentation titled 'Humanitarian Crisis and Virtual Happiness' with the participants. Fındıkçı stated that "Being happy is a constant thing. What makes us happy in a continuous way in life is the belonging of attachment. The longer a person lives for onself, does something, sets goals, goes forward, this may give a person instant happiness, instant pleasure; however, if a person does something for someone else, it makes them happy and satisfied for a longer time. Therefore, the fundamental question is 'What am I here for?' Today's world has imprisoned human being in the body because 'you exist for you'. A person did not escape from being trapped in one’s body. Today's global outlook has confined human beings only to their body, to their desires, to their instinctive desires. The fact that a person exists only for themselves does not make that person happy.".

Prof. Barış Erdoğan; "The happiest societies in the world are those with quality and trusting relationships"

Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Head of Sociology Department Prof. Barış Erdoğan made his presentation titled 'Sociology of Happiness'. Talking about the perspectives of important sociologists on happiness, Erdoğan said that "Although happiness is seen as a personal state of mind, this individual well-being is not independent of the social environment in which we live. It is not possible to be happy alone, however, you can be happy with your environment. Most sociologists see happiness as a phenomenon that cannot be measured objectively. Sociologists are more interested in the actions of people interacting with others in social life than in how they feel. Excessive individualization has become a force that threatens the peace of the individual. Individuals who are out of control of the social order become frustrated, unhappy, despair. Being together as a community both makes you happy and radiates positive energy into your environment. In the capitalist system, let alone physically injured, your mind is actually rotting and disappearing. Of course, it is not possible for a person with a spoilt state of mind to be happy. In other words, it is not possible for the capitalist system to be peaceful and happy. The sociological tradition is more focused on unhappiness in the modern and capitalist world than on happiness. Sociology, which will treat these pathological conditions in the social structure with its determinations and suggestions, can make an indirect happiness study about the well-being of individuals and society. Happiness is neither simply reduced to economic factors, as economists have put it, nor is it merely related to individual processes, as psychologists have studied. The happiest societies in the world are not the richest; however, the society where there are quality and trust-based relationships between people.".

Nihal Koncu Akhuy: "There are significant changes in the understanding of happiness of Generation Z university students..."

In her presentation titled 'What is Happiness? Does it have a formula?’, Üsküdar University Strategic Research and Development Club (ÜSAK) Founder Nihal Konçu Akhuy mentioned that before the Covid 19 pandemic period, a research was conducted on the perception of happiness of Generation Z university students and the details of the research. Akhuy said that "What makes the research special is that, unlike many previous researches, it has been carried out very extensively on different topics that have never been touched upon so far with Generation Z university students and that it was carried out one-on-one and face-to-face in the same way in accordance with the mask and distance rules before and during the pandemic. As a result of the research we have conducted since 2018, when we look at the overall total, it has been observed that there have been significant changes, increases and decreases in the understanding of happiness of Generation Z university students. It has been determined that the most important of these changes are in values such as love, freedom, health, success and money. Moreover, it was observed that some concepts were expressed for the first time and some were expressed more than in previous years. These have been: gratitude, hope, dream and peace. While those who said that there was no formula for happiness in the pre-pandemic period were 37.5 percent, this rate was 21.3 percent after the pandemic. As it can be understood from here, young people have found the formula of happiness during the pandemic period.".

Assoc. Prof. Ali Murat Kırık: "Openness, understanding, and emotional connection in communication are key elements that increase happiness"

Assoc. Prof. Ali Murat Kırık from Marmara University participated in the summit with his presentation titled 'Can We Be Happy with Communication?' Kırık said that "I see that our fellow students who take part in such club activities always come to better points in the future and separate themselves from their other friends. You are all young people and you need to have a career plan. Thinking about where you will end up after you finish college, or in the future, depends on establishing your own internal communication first. There is a strong link between communication and happiness. Good communication skills can help people build healthier, fulfilling, and happier relationships, while a lack of communication or poor communication can negatively impact happiness. Openness, understanding and emotional connection in communication are the key elements that increase happiness."

Prof. Tayfun Uzbay; "If you cannot adapt to the environment you live in, you are less likely to survive"

Üsküdar University Advisor to the Rector, Head of the Department of Internal Medicine Prof. Tayfun Uzbay shared his presentation titled 'Strategy of Being Happy' with the participants. Uzbay mentioned that happiness is a state of emotion like anxiety and said: "We are the only living thing on earth that has an autobiographical memory. You remember the past, you live in the moment, however, you plan the future, you analyze it, you look at the benefit-profit ratio. You make various plans to be happier. Happiness is a job that happens in the brain. We need information and communication to survive. One of the most important conditions for survival is adaptation. If you cannot adapt to the environment you live in, your chances of survival are reduced. Therefore, you need the right information for this, as well. We need to feel good, and we feel happy when we feel good. Being happy and perceiving happiness are a subjective capacity. The way of perceiving boundaries varies according to the conditions in which they are experienced. If the circumstances change, your state of being happy changes.".

Prof. Tayfun Uzbay; "If you are healthy and free, this is a credit given to you"

Stating that people have to be happy and feel good, Uzbay highlighted that when a person needs happiness components to feel good. Uzbay stated: "If you are healthy and free, this is a credit given to you. Even if your health and freedom are restricted, you have the possibility to take pleasure and create a comfort zone for yourself and write a success story from there. Why does one have to be happy? Because a happy person is a wise person, they are at peace with themselves and have reached a satisfaction.".

Prof. Tayfun Uzbay: "Aim for long-term value creation rather than short-term success"

Uzbay, who gives advice to achieve true happiness and become a wise person, stated that "Do not be prejudiced against life and people. Learn from your mistakes and errors. Understand the relationship between a delusion of self-esteem and true self-esteem. Be aware of your weaknesses and manage them. Do not lie down when you fall. Try to stand up no matter what. Anything that does not break you down makes you stronger. Have the principle that 'it is sacred to work determinedly and labor. Break out of the circle of fear and step outside your comfort zone and aim for long-term 'value creation' rather than short-term success.".

Scientific Research Summit was ended after presentation of plaquettes to participants and group photo shoot.

Reporter: Eda Keçeci/ ÜNA

Photograph: Eda Keçeci / ÜNA

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)