Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “The World Must Take Precautions for the Post-Pandemic Era”

The 1st International Conference on Modern Trends in Humanities and Social Sciences, organized online by the Pakistan Academic Research and Policy Development Foundation, began with the theme “Modern trends in humanities and social sciences with a special focus on Covid-19 scenarios.” Founder Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, speaking at the conference, drew attention to the need for the world to take precautions for the post-pandemic era, referring to the Global Well-being Manifesto published by the university for the post-pandemic period.

Presentations were made in the fields of ‘Post-Covid-19, Humanities and Cultural Studies, Communication, Politics, Law, Socioeconomic Development, Education, Religion, Islamic Finance, Literature and Linguistics, History and Art’ at the 1st International Conference on Modern Trends in Humanities and Social Sciences, organized online by the Pakistan Academic Research and Policy Development Foundation.

The conference, organized in cooperation with Üsküdar Üniversitesi, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, and Azerbaijan Institute of Theology, will conclude on Thursday, August 5. The conference is being held online due to pandemic measures.

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founder Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, in his presentation at the conference held under the theme “Modern trends in humanities and social sciences with a special focus on Covid-19 scenarios,” included the ‘Global Well-being Manifesto,’ ‘California Syndrome and its 4 Consequences,’ and the results of the ‘Turkey Coronaphobia and Epidemic-Related Emotion Study’ conducted by Üsküdar Üniversitesi.

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “We Published the ‘Global Well-being Manifesto’ Against the Effects of the Pandemic”

In the international online conference he attended, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan referred to the ‘Global Well-being Manifesto’ prepared by the Üsküdar Üniversitesi Senate to emphasize the importance of giving greater priority to global wisdom values in the 21st century and considering them in health, culture, and education policies.

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that they sent the translation of the “Global Well-being Manifesto” to 589 universities worldwide, including leading universities, and received congratulatory messages for the manifesto from some of the world’s most important universities, such as Manchester and Stanford. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan shared a few points from the ‘Global Well-being Manifesto’ in his presentation: 

• In this tragic process that humanity is experiencing, we are witnessing a global increase in income inequality, economic injustice, and poverty. We foresee a further increase in intercontinental migrations and want this to be recognized. We demand that the construction of bridges, not walls, be prioritized in the world.
• During the pandemic, we observe a significant increase in inequalities in access to healthcare services. We declare that those living in poor countries with limited access to clean water and health are subject to economic neglect, and this is not humane.
• We are concerned that the physical and psychological disorders experienced during the pandemic will globally increase unhappiness, loneliness, substance addiction, violence, depression, and suicidal tendencies. We are worried that the leaders of countries will not attach as much importance to this situation as they do to arms trade and global dominance. We demand a concept of global peace, not individual, that considers the well-being of all humanity.
• Limited social relations have increased the need for secure attachment; anxiety about the future and constantly living face-to-face with death have heightened people's fears.  Therefore, we want to emphasize the importance of giving greater priority to global wisdom values in the 21st century and considering them in health, culture, and education policies. We declare that for a thinking and responsible being like humans, thinking only of oneself in the search for meaning is a delusion.
• During the pandemic, we began to realize that we have been very harsh on nature and that nature seems to be taking revenge on us. We mercilessly destroy nature; we strain the ecosystem; we helplessly watch as global warming and environmental pollution reach panic levels. We realized that we have been deceiving ourselves due to the desire for power and growth, and the ambition for dominance. If we cannot develop a growth that respects nature, a medicine that respects tissues, and a policy that values the human spirit, increasing injustice will end the human species along with nature. We declare that we must raise future generations with a life philosophy that respects nature, is more balanced, non-destructive, and creates value while consuming.

We declare that the primary value in the 21st century is “wisdom,” and that global peace will remain mere words without global justice.

We pledge to strive for wisdom not to remain merely a word and an abstract attitude, but rather to become a part of our daily lives and a value in our life practice.

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “With the Corona Research, We Saw That Turkey Is Maturing”

Stating that they carried out the ‘Turkey Coronaphobia and Epidemic-Related Emotion Study’ research in 2020, with 6,318 people from 81 provinces participating online, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan continued: “The research aimed to evaluate the anxiety, fear, perception of process management, and maturation created by the Covid-19 epidemic in individuals across four dimensions. Despite all fears and anxieties, we observed that most participants were not hopeless or pessimistic. We can speak of a process of psychological maturation. For example, in the research, 74% of participants said, “I better understood the value of what I have,” and 59% said, “The priority order of things I value in life has changed.” The rate of those who said, “I realized I can cope with difficulties” and “I accept things as they are” was 56%; while the rate of those who said, “My interest in spiritual matters increased” was 49%. Also, 48% of participants said, “I started to put more effort into my relationships.”

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Western Countries Are Experiencing California Syndrome”

In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also mentioned the attack carried out by Timothy McVeigh in Oklahoma, USA, in 1995, which resulted in the deaths of 168 people, and said: “One does not necessarily have to be psychologically ill to exhibit malevolent emotions. Western civilizations are currently experiencing California Syndrome. There are symptoms indicating this syndrome, such as hedonism, narcissism, alienation and loneliness, and unhappiness. In people experiencing the syndrome, we can talk about effects such as a lack of empathy, disliking everyone, and seeing themselves as the greatest if they have power.”