Collaboration between Üsküdar University and IRCICA…
A protocol signing ceremony was held between Üsküdar University and the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA). The signed protocol aims to revive the civilization geography of Islam. During the ceremony, potential projects between the two institutions were discussed.
The ceremony, held at the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA), was attended by President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan; Rector of Üsküdar University Prof. Nazife Güngör; Üsküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies Faculty Member Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç and General Director of IRCICA, as well as members of the Üsküdar University Senate and IRCICA members.
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “This structure has great potential to contribute to world peace”
Psychiatrist and President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan delivered a speech at the protocol signing ceremony. Tarhan stated that “IRCICA has a deep-rooted history of 40 years and has conducted significant cultural studies in our civilization and geography during this time. This structure, formed by 57 different states, has great potential to contribute to world peace. Today, the capitalist system has reduced human relations entirely to competition. Competition turns into a non-peaceful struggle between societies, and modernism’s philosophy of promoting consumption damages human relationships. One of the greatest examples of this is the United States’ policies on Gaza. This situation is the result of ruthless liberal policies. At this very point, we can introduce an institutional model and develop an alternative cultural approach to this system. If we approach modernization correctly, we can strengthen the awareness of coexistence among different cultures.”
“It is crucial to make democracy a cultural norm in our civilization geography”
Emphasizing their goal of creating an environment where people with different opinions can live together, Tarhan continued his remarks as follows: “IRCICA is not only a research center but also an institution that produces policies. It plays a vital role in establishing common institutions in our civilization and geography and ensuring institutionalization. In Eastern cultures, authoritarian governance is often dominant, which eventually leads to serious reactions. For instance, after World War I, Afghanistan, Iran, and Türkiye emerged as modern Islamic countries. In the 1970s, the streets of Afghanistan and Iran looked very similar to those in Türkiye. However, over time, these countries became radicalized, whereas Türkiye transitioned to democracy and established a system where different thoughts could coexist. This is precisely why making democracy a cultural norm in our civilization and geography is so important. The four fundamental principles of our university point directly to this: accountability, liberalism, pluralism, and participation. In other words, creating an environment where everyone can live together with different opinions without forcing anyone to accept any particular idea.”
“Under the umbrella of IRCICA, we can develop projects that strengthen the culture of coexistence”
Emphasizing the need to revive civilization and geography, Tarhan said: “We have a very rich cultural heritage, and we must revive it in our civilization and geography. If we can integrate the culture of democracy into the Islamic world, we can also produce solutions to the problems in countries like Afghanistan and Iran. Right now, Saudi Arabia is also undergoing significant changes. Different approaches can be observed in Riyadh, Jeddad and Mecca-Medina. These transformations are part of the general change process in the world. Under the umbrella of IRCICA, we can develop projects that strengthen the culture of coexistence. Today’s meeting offers an opportunity to assess this issue. I would like to thank all our professors and the IRCICA team on this occasion. Hopefully, we will achieve beneficial and good work together.”
Prof. Nazife Güngör: “Scientific symposiums to be organized will concretely reveal this contribution”
Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör spoke at the signing ceremony. Güngör stated that “We aim to further expand this collaboration and extend it to different fields and departments. In my opinion, psychology will be a good starting point for this expansion. Such a collaboration is significant not only academically but also in terms of societal contribution within the scope of our quality studies. The work carried out by the institute provides social benefits both nationally and internationally. It also has an important impact in terms of informing and raising awareness in society. When evaluated within this framework, this collaboration will not only remain an academic partnership but will also contribute to social awareness, the transmission of knowledge, and the institutions’ contributions to society. The scientific symposiums and meetings to be organized will concretely reveal this contribution.”
Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç: “We can produce valuable projects by bringing disciplines together”
Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, Faculty Member at the Institute for Sufi Studies at Üsküdar University and General Director of IRCICA, also delivered a speech at the signing ceremony. Kılıç stated that “We are continuously carrying out our activities. These activities also include signing agreements with institutions we can collaborate with. We have made agreements with some universities. These agreements are of two types. The first is a general agreement, and the second is a more detailed agreement made to implement this general agreement in a specific project. Hopefully, today we will sign such an agreement with Üsküdar University. We have discussed what we can do between the two institutions. For example, we can organize an international symposium on the development of psychology in Islamic history or the history of psychology in Islamic societies. Since Üsküdar University specializes in psychology, this idea emerged. Our field, on the other hand, is history, art, and culture. By bringing these disciplines together, we can produce valuable projects.”
Following the opening speeches, the signing ceremony took place.
The event concluded with a group photo session.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)