Üsküdar University once again achieved a great success…

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.47851

Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Occupational Therapy organized the "Interdisciplinary Approach in Occupational Therapy" International Congress for its 10th anniversary. The congress is important in terms of bringing together leading Occupational Therapists from 8 different countries in the international arena for the first time in the Occupational Therapy community. In the online congress, the unknowns about the interdisciplinary approach in occupational therapy were presented to the participants with a broad perspective.

The opening speeches of the two-day congress were made by President of Üsküdar University Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör, Vice Rector Prof. Hikmet Koçak, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin and Head of the Department of Occupational Therapy Prof. Sevda Asqarova. The congress attracted great attention.

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "Serious transformation has started to take place in Türkiye in the health field"

Talking about the opening process of the occupational therapy department, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan expressed that "We created a new beginning in occupational therapy ten years ago. Its foundation goes back even further. Our hospital was established in 2006. We opened an occupational therapy department. There were trainings there. We were working under various business pursuits. A serious transformation has begun to take place in Türkiye in the field of health. There is a need for professionals trained in this field. I took the step to open the section because there is such a section about this need, there is such a need, there is such a scientific reference. I also faced some serious difficulties. At first, the physiotherapists were opposed. They said, 'We are already doing this, what is the need for it?' I went this way because I adopted the principle of proceeding with scientific references. I said, 'Look, what physiotherapy does is just one pillar of Occupational Therapy.' It is a study for the rehabilitation of the person for their healthy life, but the other pillar is psychiatric rehabilitation. It is called tertiary protection. There is tertiary protection that is done so that the person does not relapse again after being ill.'

Prof. Nazife Güngör: "Üsküdar is the first university to offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Occupational Therapy"

Emphasizing that Üsküdar University is the first university in Türkiye to open both undergraduate and graduate departments in the field of Occupational Therapy, Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör stated that "This number is a very important number because we see that something has reached a certain point, has reached a certain point of maturity. And at this point of maturity, the process has proven itself and is now successful in the academic field. In this context, I would like to thank our Head of Occupational Therapy Department and our Occupational Therapy professors. I congratulate them. They work patiently. It is not easy to establish, develop and accept interdisciplinary-disciplinary fields. Because individual disciplines are easier. It is not very controversial there, but some areas, including Occupational Therapy, are very ambitious. It is ambitious to start, it is ambitious to maintain. It is hard, and it is a struggle. Therefore, as stated by our professors, Üsküdar University broke new ground in this regard, by opening both undergraduate and graduate programs."

Prof. Hikmet Koçak: "Occupational therapy is also a multidisciplinary interdisciplinary structure"

Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Hikmet Koçak underlined that Occupational Therapy is one of the departments that serve life. Koçak stated that "Üsküdar University is a university that breaks new ground. It has been ten years since occupational therapy was established. If the departments that serve life are left alone, their services will be incomplete. Occupational therapy is also a multidisciplinary interdisciplinary structure. It is a department that conducts multidisciplinary studies that are needed by everybody, from newborns to the oldest people. It is not just a service to the patient. The services received from this department also provide a family comfort. It provides a top service that makes a few people happy at once."

Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin: "They have achieved really important things in a short time"

Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin underlined that occupational therapy is a multidisciplinary field. Ertekin stated that "Indeed, as my professor emphasized, ten years have passed very quickly. Our school has pioneered many things in ten years, and we have come to very important places. I would like to thank the technical group who supported the organization of the congress, especially our professor Sevda Asqarova, my friends who took part in it, and all the speakers. Occupational therapy is really moving towards becoming a much-needed profession in the multidisciplinary field. Although they do not have much history in the world, they have achieved very important things in a short time in our country. In this regard, I believe that with the start of the master's program of our school and providing education on this subject, very valuable faculty members trained in this field in our own country will make much more valuable contributions in their field."

Prof. Sevda Asqarova: "We are proud to be the first university to open an occupational therapy department"

Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences Head of Occupational Therapy Department Prof. Sevda Asqarova mentioned that there were participants from many countries in the congress. Pointing out that this is the first time such a congress has been held in the international arena, Asqarova stated that "10 years ago, we are proud of being the first university to open the Occupational Therapy department among the Foundation Universities in Türkiye under the leadership of our President Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, and even to be the first university to open a master's department. Today, we will experience a first. Among the Occupational Therapy community in Turkey, we will witness the congress where leading Occupational Therapists from Europe, America and eight different countries will come together in the international arena. While explaining the field of occupational therapy, the mottos of the department emerged, inspired by the mottos of 'criticism, libertarianism, pluralism, participation' in the logo of our university, and adapted it to our own department. These concepts are activity and independence, active participation in life, the art of healing and positive therapy fully represent the field of occupational therapy. We will discuss the concept, characteristics and approaches of Interdisciplinary in Occupational Therapy from the perspective of Occupational Therapy. In our two-day congress, a full congress will be waiting for us to prove these concepts with the participation of our esteemed professors and esteemed guests. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported us and contributed to the establishment of our department, which we are celebrating its tenth anniversary."

Within the scope of the congress, experts in their fields gathered

The first session of the congress, in which many approaches to occupational therapy were discussed, was chaired by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital Chief Physician Assoc. Prof. Barış Yılmaz. Barış made a presentation titled 'Contributions of Occupational Therapy in the Field of Orthopedics'.