With the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and under the executive leadership of the Haydi Tut Elimi Rehabilitation Education and Aid Association, the ‘Reading University - Reading High School’ Project, carried out by project partners Üsküdar Üniversitesi and Üsküdar District Directorate of National Education, has been completed. At the closing ceremony of the one-year project, participating students were presented with their certificates. Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, emphasized the necessity of reading to be emotionally intelligent, stating, “To become a social master, what is read also needs to be shared.” Tarhan stated that reading is the greatest good deed.
The Reading University - Reading High School Project, supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports within the scope of the Youth Projects Support Program, was completed in one year. The project was realized with the contributions of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, the Haydi Tut Elimi Rehabilitation Education and Aid Association, the Ahmet Yüksel Özhemre Science and Art Center, and the Üsküdar District Directorate of National Education. Within the scope of the project, 40 high school students and 40 university students participated in numerous activities, including book reading sessions with the residents of Darülaceze.
The project's closing ceremony took place at the Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall, Üsküdar Üniversitesi Main Campus. Students who participated in the project received their participation certificates and diplomas.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Sustainability is important in projects”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stated that the most poignant part of projects is their closing ceremonies, saying, “This project represents two years of effort. 80 students were impacted. Sustainability is very important in projects. It is necessary to emphasize the ‘read, understand, explain, and share’ aspect.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “There is a process of information being written into the brain”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that a pyramid emerged in research on permanent learning and continued his words as follows:
“This pyramid shows that information becomes permanent when repeated. At the top of the learning pyramid is learning by teaching. In other words, the most permanent learning was found to be learning by teaching. A person learns information better by sharing and explaining it, rather than just reading and experiencing it. In a neuroscience-based study, it was revealed that if information is repeated a very high number of times, the brain accepts that information as a need. When emotion is added to information, that information turns into a belief. When continued, it turns into a habit, and after 6 months, it turns into personality. In this way, there is a process of information being written into the brain. In the current period, information can be learned more easily compared to the past.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “A child should see books being read at home”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, also referring to an incident related to reading, said, “A Russian citizen was quite surprised when asked how they acquired the habit of reading. He stated that they did not instill reading habits and that children are born into books anyway. Children should see books in the hands of their parents and at school. In such situations, seeing them will automatically make reading a habit. That's why Dostoevskys and Tolstoys emerged from there. This is no coincidence. Even their small 40-square-meter homes have libraries in the most beautiful part.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Knowledge increases as you give it”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also reminded that our holy book, the Quran, begins with ‘read’, and said, “Despite this, as a country, we are among the last in global reading rates. Not just Turkey, but all Islamic societies are in the same situation. To be emotionally intelligent, one needs to read. To become a social master, what is read also needs to be shared. It has been observed that those who share their knowledge are at the top of the learning pyramid. Material wealth decreases as you give it, but knowledge increases as you give it. Let's not keep information to ourselves. Let's write, draw, and explain. When this is done, more beautiful information spreads.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “The greatest good deed is reading books”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that the most important way to combat bad information is to spread good information, said, “The most beautiful method to fight darkness is to light a lamp. The best method to fight evil is to increase goodness. The world can become a more beautiful and livable place by doing good deeds directly. Reading books is also the greatest good deed. In Kayseri, there was a practice of giving books instead of gold to newlyweds. Municipalities can give books to those getting married instead of other gifts. One can give a book instead of candy or chocolate. We need to change many of our habits. Educational institutions are striving in this regard, but it is also important for families to get involved.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Young people should benefit from others' experiences to learn”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that they would gift the book ‘Being a Conscious Young Person’ to 80 young people participating in the Reading University-Reading High School Project and concluded his words as follows:
“The book 'Being a Conscious Young Person' will be a small support for them in continuing their reading habit. There is a rapid transformation in the world; cultural traumas are emerging. Popular culture will overwhelm us. This book was written on how we can advance young people against these winds, rather than fighting them. It is always said that the wind flies the kite. In fact, what makes the kite fly is not the wind, but its position against the wind. Social media can be used against the winds of time. By asking them to share a section from the book they read, that information can have a lasting effect on them and reach others. Reading is very important to direct the changes of this era towards good and beauty, success, and goals. Learning through trial and error is a very costly method. In this method, everything takes time. Smart people benefit from the experiences of others. I advise young people to be in an effort to learn by benefiting from the experiences of others. The most beautiful method for this is books.”
Sami Kuşçu: “Our reading must have a purpose”
Sami Kuşçu, Director of Youth Services at the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, stating their pleasure in supporting the Reading University-Reading High School Project, said, “We are motivated to support such beneficial projects. In the past, one of our ministers had requests and initiatives for teachers to read certain books after schools closed. There are many teachers who continue their professional lives without reading any books after being appointed following their education. There is a reality of life; we are in a rush. Our reading must have a purpose. We read to understand and make sense of life. If we can live a meaningful life and facilitate this for others, we can briefly formulate this as 'read, understand, live, and let live.' If we conduct our readings in this spirit, they will become more valuable.”
Sinan Aydın: “If reading habit caught on with 40 students, this project has more than achieved its goal”
Sinan Aydın, Üsküdar District Director of National Education, stated that unfortunately, reading rates in our country are quite low, saying, “According to a study conducted by a union in 2002, the reading rate of teachers in Turkey is one book every 4 years. Unfortunately, it's a dire situation. In 2008, a study was conducted at Istanbul University regarding the books students read, and 37% of them did not read any books other than textbooks. As our Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Youth and Sports, our universities, and provincial and district administrators, many projects have been carried out, and we see that reading is significantly taking root in our country. In this regard, there are positive developments. The project name 'Reading University-Reading High School' is very meaningful. Universities train teachers, and teachers are role models who read. Their students will also read. We also hosted our esteemed Üsküdar Rector. We called it 'Üsküdar Educational Readings'. Every month, we read a book with our school principals and bring our principals together with its author. We have reached the 58th book. I attach great importance to the project. 80 students participated in the project, and my personal opinion is that if the reading habit caught on with 40 students, this project has more than achieved its goal.”
Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör: “I hope for an increase in such studies where knowledge transforms into life”
Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör, Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Üsküdar Üniversitesi, also thanked everyone who contributed to the project. Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör said, “I wish you all success on this path, with the hope that such works, where knowledge transforms into life, and where the university interacts with society and people together with all stakeholders, will continue to increase.”
Dr. Lecturer Hale Yaylalı: “We set out with the slogan ‘Read to discover the world - Know yourself to develop’”
Project Coordinator, Dr. Lecturer Hale Yaylalı from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Radio TV Cinema department, shared insights about the Reading University-Reading High School project, which transformed from a spoken dream to an idea, from an idea to a plan, and from a plan to reality. Stating that they have reached the most important stage of the one-year journey, Dr. Lecturer Hale Yaylalı remarked that in addition to the titles of reading university-reading high school educational institutions, which are the most important outputs of the project, social certificates and social diplomas would also find their owners. She said that throughout this one-year journey, which began with the slogan ‘Read to discover the world - Know yourself to develop,’ many important activities such as book reading and discussion events with Darülaceze residents, seminars, and environmental activities were carried out. Yaylalı added that the acquired reading proficiency and other personal development and skills would increase young people's contributions in both work and family contexts.
Dr. Lecturer Nebiye Yaşar: “The value young people added to us was very important”
Dr. Lecturer Nebiye Yaşar, Vice President of the Haydi Tut Elimi Rehabilitation Education and Aid Association, stated that they embarked on a project journey with 80 young people in this beautiful project, saying, “It was a very important project that enabled young people to create value in society, raise awareness, and empower themselves while strengthening their own fields. There were so many valuable events, activities, conferences, book meetings, and volunteer activities within this project that our head of the project department at the ministry said we carried out a project the size of four projects. He wished it could always be sustainable. I want to share this wish. The value that young people added to us and the value we added to society with them on this journey was very important to us.”
Representing the high school students participating in the project, Rukiye Deren Köktepe and Emirhan Sakarya, and representing the university students, Yağmur Baydan and Burak Uslu, expressed their feelings.
The ceremony, broadcast live on Üsküdar Üniversitesi Television (ÜÜ TV) and Üsküdar Üniversitesi Youtube channel, concluded with a commemorative photo session.