An event titled “Occupational Health and Safety Practices and Training in the International Arena” was organized by the Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services Occupational Health and Safety program. The online event was held under the moderation of Üsküdar University Head of Property Protection and Security Department, Head of Occupational Health and Safety Program Dr. Lecturer Gamze Kağan.
The online event was attended by seminar students, graduate students, Head of Occupational Health and Safety Department Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan, Lecturer Mustafa Cüneyt Gezen, Lecturer Esad Sadık Demirtaş, Head of Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Occupational Health and Safety Program Dr. Lecturer Erhan Demir, and Lecturer Aslıhan Toyoğlu from Mersin University.
Dr. Lecturer Gamze Kağan also participates in OHS curriculum development meetings...
Moderator Üsküdar University Head of Property Protection and Security Department, Head of Occupational Health and Safety Program Dr. Lecturer Gamze Kağan, stated that she worked together with the late Prof. Dr. Hilmi Sabuncu, known as a cornerstone of OHS, in 2013 during the establishment of Üsküdar University's OHS associate, undergraduate, and graduate programs, and that Sabuncu explained that the field of OHS is divided into 3 main categories: Employee Safety, Business Safety, and Environmental Health, noting that these are interrelated important topics, and that she observed similar departmental divisions in European education systems. Kağan stated that she also participated in the OHS curriculum development meetings organized by the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety (İSGGM) in 2019 for OHS education in our country. She stated that the inclusion of a multidisciplinary scientific field like OHS as a faculty in universities and its division into departments within itself is a meaningful and beneficial practice, and that this could be developed in our country through workshops, symposiums, etc.
Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan: "The OHS department needs to be defined as engineering due to its technical course load"
Dr. Lecturer Rüştü Uçan, Head of Occupational Health and Safety Department, who attended the seminar, stated that OHS student symposiums are organized at Üsküdar University and that students can participate in these symposiums. Uçan, who spoke about the necessity of defining the OHS department as engineering due to its technical course load, also mentioned that he updated his book for the current system's specialization exams, stating that it is an important resource for students and occupational safety specialists.
Research Assistant Sertaç Temur: “I realized the best is in the Czech Republic”
Research Assistant Dr. Sertaç Temur, an Occupational Safety Doctor and Class A Occupational Safety Specialist, one of the first graduates of Üsküdar University's Occupational Health and Safety Department, addressed the low number of graduates at the time he graduated in 2017 and how this number increased over time. Temur, speaking about his experiences in occupational health and safety in the international arena, said; “I think what I've seen in the Czech Republic right now is the best way to improve occupational safety. Because I've been to other universities and visited Portugal, Belgium, and Poland. I haven't been to England, but when I did my research, I realized the best was in the Czech Republic. That's why I kept good relations with them, and we also have an agreement with our university.”
“Our curriculum has started to be updated with careful consideration”
Temur, drawing attention to the updated curriculum, said; “Meetings were held with the General Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety. I went with the heads of departments and Professor Rüştü Uçan from our university. During our discussion, our curriculum began to be updated with careful consideration. Since that date, as of 2023, there are 8 doctoral programs and 35 master's programs. I can say we are on a good path now. In the master's and doctoral sections, we have courses related to engineering, law, psychology, social issues, and emergencies among disciplines. Someone studying engineering, law, or psychology, of course, becomes more knowledgeable when they expand a bit into the scope of occupational safety.”
“The system there interests me more”
Temur, stating that the system in the Czech Republic interested him more, said; “When I look at other universities, I don't really concern myself much with our universities or the quality of their education. Because they are similar, and I can say we are better in most aspects. However, this order or system in the Czech Republic interests me more. In a 4-year department or a 2-year program, we try to learn things from a health perspective. In engineering, we try to learn from both a technical and legal perspective. However, this is not the case in the Czech Republic. The fire protection department tests how fires start, how to intervene directly, how materials can be made better and more durable, which materials should be used in which place, which building, and which judicial material should be used. They have laboratory facilities for these tests. Their facilities are very different.”
Lecturer Mustafa Cüneyt Gezen: “Our system must change now”
Üsküdar University Institute of Health Sciences Occupational Health and Safety Lecturer Mustafa Cüneyt Gezen made evaluations regarding the current system. Gezen said; “Western countries, be it Europe and the United States, or other Western countries, Arabian Peninsula countries, Pakistan, India, and even the Republic of China, specialize in the mechanical and electrical, fire explosion sections of occupational safety with the training received as a security engineer. I believe our system must change now, and our students should graduate with the title of engineer-security engineer.”
At the end of the event, OHS graduate Mehmet Ali Aksu took the floor, stating that he wrote his associate degree graduation project with his advisor Dr. Lecturer Gamze Kağan while completing his associate degree education at Üsküdar University, and that he felt a special excitement today because Dr. Sertaç Temur was his advisor for his undergraduate graduation project. Aksu stated that he completed his master's degree at Üsküdar University and obtained his Class B specialist certification, that he is currently working very happily in a good workplace, and that he also received a job offer in Russia and would soon go to Russia to work, encouraging his fellow students to believe in themselves and that they can achieve if they wish, supported by the encouraging attitudes of their professors. Dr. Kağan, in turn, expressed her pride in Aksu for these developments in his career.
The discussion ended after a question-and-answer session.