TEDx Uskudar University, held under the title “Changing Human, Changing Science,” hosted expert names in their fields. Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, emphasized the importance of individuals starting to change the world by changing themselves in his speech titled “How Does Our Mind Go Astray?” Tarhan said, “Wisdom is knowing how to manage ourselves, our minds, our hearts, our eyes, our language, our emotions, our thoughts, and our behaviors. We can easily say that scientific wisdom is the solution to our minds going astray.” Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir, known for his work in environmental ethics, experienced emotional moments while explaining the consequences of the climate crisis and the world’s indifference to the environment and nature in his speech titled “Understanding Climate, Taking Ownership of Our Future.”
Prof. Dr. Barış Metin, TEDx Uskudar University Coordinator, delivered the opening speech of TEDx Uskudar University, which took place at the İbn-i Sina Auditorium of Üsküdar University NP Dental and Health Campus.
Prof. Dr. Barış Metin, a Faculty Member and Neurology Specialist at Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, stated that the third TEDx Uskudar University organized by Üsküdar University had not been held for two years due to the pandemic. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin expressed his happiness that TEDx was held in person again.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “How Does Our Mind Go Astray?”
Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, emphasized the importance of wisdom by touching upon concepts that cause the human mind to err in his presentation titled “How Does Our Mind Go Astray?” Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that one of the factors misleading the human mind is emotional foolishness, and stated that factors increasing emotional foolishness include the magic of power, the intensity of fear, the height of love, and the routine habituation syndrome. In his speech, Tarhan addressed the importance of emotional intelligence, the God complex, narcissism, mind-reading syndrome, and the psychology of wisdom.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “There are people with a God complex who thrive on praise”
Stating that there is a need for a quest for a science beyond matter, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan continued his words as follows:
“There are people with a God complex who cause their minds to go astray the moment they make a mistake. These individuals feel special and important, thriving on praise. Here, we are talking about narcissistic personality disorder. Anachronism occurs. They focus on their past successes and live with those successes. There is traditionalism; traditionalism is good, but anachronism is a life with a distorted chronology. These individuals should not forget Confucius’s saying, ‘He who lives as if there is no death, dies as if he has not lived.’ Adolf Hitler, the former emperor of Greater Germany, was an example of a narcissistic leader. He was very disciplined, possessed leadership capable of mobilizing masses. He was a genius in terms of physical, political, and social intelligence, but his conscientious intelligence was utterly lacking.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Scientific wisdom is the best solution for the mind going astray”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that wisdom is a 21st-century skill, emphasizing that evidence-based wisdom is the solution to prevent the mind from falling into error. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Wisdom must be considered scientifically. If we cannot implement wisdom, which is a 21st-century skill, we will lose the era. We are actually building upon Eastern wisdom and Anatolian sagacity. Therefore, we must implement it.” Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who stated that he compiled various wisdom stories in his two-volume book titled “Psychology of Wisdom 1-2,” said, “It is very important to start changing the world by changing ourselves. Wisdom is knowing how to manage ourselves, our minds, our hearts, our eyes, our language, our emotions, our thoughts, and our behaviors. We can easily say that scientific wisdom is the solution to our minds going astray.”
Environmentalist Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir could not hold back his tears
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, experienced emotional moments while describing the world’s indifference to the environment and nature in his speech titled “Understanding Climate, Taking Ownership of Our Future.” His voice trembling as he explained the effects of climate change on the world, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir could not hold back his tears, saying, “We all experienced the consequences caused by climate change. When our forests burned, it wasn’t just the forests that burned, our lungs burned. I was at a forest fire, and I heard the cries of the living creatures there.” Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir noted that taking precautions for the environment is also an important responsibility for the future, stating that if environmental measures are not taken, future generations will blame us.
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir: “We can prevent waste by changing our own lives”
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir drew attention to food waste in the world and our country, stating, “Global food waste is rapidly increasing. According to the UN Environment Programme’s 2021 Food Waste Index, 931 million tons of food waste are produced annually worldwide. Globally, an average of 74 kilos of food waste is produced per person per year. Turkey ranks high in the world. In Turkey, 4.9 million loaves of bread are thrown away daily. 214 billion liras worth of food is wasted annually. Our holy book says, ‘Allah does not love those who waste.’ We may not be able to change many things, but we can prevent waste by changing our own lifestyles.”
Birol Güven: “Unhappiness means a mismatch”
Filmmaker, screenwriter, and director Birol Güven emphasized that doing what one loves means happiness in his colorful speech titled “Give Up, Surrender,” in which he presented snippets from his childhood years in Darıca, his university period, and his early years in professional life.
Birol Güven, noting that the advice “Never give up, never surrender, a person can do anything if they want to” is not accurate, said, “Life is full of things we cannot achieve even if we want to. Schopenhauer says, ‘Happiness is the absence of unhappiness.’ That is, he says, ‘Don’t try to be happy; cope with your unhappiness.’ What is unhappiness? Unhappiness means not being able to find where you belong. It means a mismatch. It’s a mismatch with work, with a partner, with a profession. All the things I gave up, all the things I surrendered to, are my mismatches. After my path intersected with writing, no one ever told me, ‘Never give up, never surrender.’ A person can achieve anything if they want to. If they find the right path and work very hard.”
Prof. Dr. Ozan Bahar: “Reaching the goal despite obstacles or impediments is definitely achieving success”
Academician and author Prof. Dr. Ozan Bahar drew attention to the importance of having personal goals in his speech titled “Don’t Give Up!” Prof. Dr. Ozan Bahar, who explained how his life was shaped after breaking his back in a traffic accident on October 2, 1996, stated that he never gave up despite the difficulties and obstacles he faced, and touched upon his academic achievements in the subsequent part of his life. Prof. Dr. Ozan Bahar said, “If you don’t have a dream you want to achieve, you can never enjoy working. Reaching the goal despite obstacles or impediments is definitely achieving success. Every great success has a very great and unique statement and story.”
At TEDx Uskudar University, Uzm. Psk. Dnş. Deniz Altınay, President of the Istanbul Psychodrama Institute, presented “Where did you come from, why did you come, where are you going?”; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aylin Tutgun Ünal, a Faculty Member at Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication, presented “How will Metaverse transform education?”
At TEDx Uskudar University, where Dr. Ihab Elaff, a Faculty Member from Üsküdar University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Computer Engineering, participated with his speech titled "'Arslan' Humanoid Robot," philosopher and content creator Pelin Dilara Çolak drew attention with her speech titled “What Will I Do With This Life In My Hands?”
Dr. Cihan Taştan, a Faculty Member at Üsküdar University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, also gave a speech titled “Transhumanism: Genetically Modified Humans.”
