The 4th Scientific Research Summit, organized by Üsküdar Üniversitesi's Department of Public Relations and Promotion and the Strategic Research and Development Club, took place under the title 'What is Happiness? Is There a Formula?'. Ercan Büyüktepe, President of the Strategic Research and Development Club; Assistant Professor Dr. Nejla Polat, Club Advisor; Prof. Dr. Barış Erdoğan, Head of the Sociology Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi; Prof. Dr. Tayfun Uzbay, Head of Internal Medicine Departments at Üsküdar Üniversitesi; Lecturer Ayten Çalış Kurtçu from Istanbul Aydın Üniversitesi; Dr. İlhami Fındıkçı, Behavioral Sciences Expert and Founding President of the Education Foundation; Nihal Konçu Akhuy, Founder of ÜSAK; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Murat Kırık, a faculty member from Marmara Üniversitesi, participated in the summit as guests.
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The topic of 'Happiness' was discussed at the 4th Scientific Research Summit
The opening speeches of the program, which began with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem, were delivered by Assistant Professor Dr. Nejla Polat from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Communication, Department of Public Relations and Promotion, and Ercan Büyüktepe, President of the Strategic Research and Development Club.
Assistant Professor Dr. Nejla Polat; “Individuals' happiness can vary in terms of cultural values.”
Speaking at the opening of the program held in the Fuat Sezgin Conference Hall, Assistant Professor Dr. Nejla Polat from the Department of Public Relations and Promotion, Faculty of Communication, and President of the Strategic Research and Development Club, stated; “When we look at the general profile of a happy person, they are young, healthy, well-educated, extroverted, optimistic, carefree, intelligent individuals with high work ethic. It can be said that differences are observed when considering individuals' happiness in terms of cultural values. Self-management values, which include characteristics such as personal success, ambition, talent, and hedonism related to pleasure, can be concluded to be associated with the happiness of individuals living in the West. We can say that different variables can affect an individual's happiness for individuals with different values and goals.”
Lecturer Ayten Çalış Kurtçu; “The success of a structure we feel a sense of belonging to can make us happy.”
Lecturer Ayten Çalış Kurtçu from Istanbul Aydın Üniversitesi, who participated as a speaker in the summit, delivered her presentation titled 'Our Existential Bodies That Don't Fit into Happiness Packages'. Kurtçu stated; “Humans need physical nourishment, mental nourishment, spiritual nourishment, and social nourishment. Therefore, if an individual does not receive physical nourishment, sufficient mental nourishment, or social nourishment, thinking of it like the four wheels of a car, there will be a disruption. Consequently, there will be unease and chaos. The success of a structure we feel a sense of belonging to can make us happy. There are three dimensions to being happy: the dimension of communication need, the philosophical dimension, and the dimension of existential consciousness. Even if we satisfy our physical needs in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, if our relationship with ourselves and with life has not reached a certain level of consciousness in the self-actualization dimension, the state of happiness does not occur in us, regardless of the level of what we achieve. At the end of this, we come to self-confidence. A truly self-confident person does not market themselves 'as if'. A truly self-confident person knows what they are doing and does not look at themselves from the outside but speaks with their inner voice.”
Dr. İlhami Fındıkçı; “What makes us happy is attachment and belonging.”
Dr. İlhami Fındıkçı, Behavioral Sciences Expert and Founding President of the Education Foundation, shared his presentation titled 'Humanitarian Crisis and Virtual Happiness' with the participants. Fındıkçı stated; “Being happy is something continuous. What makes us continuously happy in life is attachment and belonging. If a person lives for themselves, does things, sets goals, and progresses, this can give them momentary happiness, momentary pleasure. But if a person does things for someone else, this makes them happy and satisfied for a longer period. So the fundamental question is 'What am I here for?'. Today's world has imprisoned humanity in their bodies by saying 'you are for yourself'. Humans have not been freed from being confined to their bodies. Today's global perspective has confined humans only to their bodies, desires, and instinctive urges. An individual existing only for themselves does not make that person happy.”
Prof. Dr. Barış Erdoğan; “The happiest societies in the world are those with quality, trust-based relationships.”
Prof. Dr. Barış Erdoğan, Head of the Sociology Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, delivered his presentation titled 'The Sociology of Happiness'. Erdoğan, speaking about the perspectives of important sociologists on happiness, stated; “Although the phenomenon of happiness is seen as a personal state of mind, this individual well-being is not independent of the social environment in which we live. It is not possible to be happy alone; you can be happy with your environment. Most sociologists view happiness as a phenomenon that cannot be objectively measured. Sociologists are more interested in the actions of people interacting with others in social life than in how they feel. Excessive individualism has become a force threatening individual peace. Individuals who are out of the control of social regulation experience disappointment, unhappiness, and hopelessness. Being together as a society both makes you happy and spreads positive energy to your surroundings. In the capitalist system, let alone physical disablement, your mind actually decays and goes to extinction. It is certainly not possible for a person with a disturbed mind to be happy. In other words, it is not possible to be peaceful and happy for the capitalist system. The sociological tradition has focused more on unhappiness in the modern and capitalist world than on happiness. With its diagnoses and suggestions to treat these pathological situations in the social structure, sociology can conduct an indirect study of happiness related to the well-being of individuals and society. Happiness can neither be simply reduced to economic factors as economists suggest, nor is it only concerned with individual processes as psychologists examine. The happiest societies in the world are not the richest, but societies where there are quality, trust-based relationships among people.”
Nihal Konçu Akhuy; “There are significant changes in the understanding of happiness among Generation Z university students…”
Nihal Konçu Akhuy, Founder of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Strategic Research and Development Club (ÜSAK), in her presentation titled 'What is Happiness? Is There a Formula?', discussed a study conducted on the perception of happiness among Generation Z university students before the Covid-19 pandemic period and shared details of the research. Akhuy stated; “What makes this research special is that, unlike many previous studies, it was conducted comprehensively on different topics that have not been addressed before with Generation Z university students, and it was carried out one-on-one and face-to-face using the same method both before the pandemic and during the pandemic, in accordance with mask and social distancing rules. As a result of our research conducted since 2018, when we look at the general total, significant changes, increases, and decreases in the understanding of happiness among Generation Z university students have been observed. The most important of these changes were identified in values such as love, freedom, health, success, and money. In addition to this, the research observed that some concepts were uttered for the first time, and some were uttered more frequently than in previous years. These were: gratitude, hope, dream, and peace. While 37.5 percent said there was no formula for happiness in the pre-pandemic period, this rate became 21.3 percent after the pandemic. As can be understood from this, young people found the formula for happiness during the pandemic period.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Murat Kırık; “Clarity, understanding, and emotional connection in communication are fundamental elements that increase happiness.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Murat Kırık from Marmara Üniversitesi participated in the summit with his presentation titled 'Can We Be Happy Through Communication?'. Kırık stated; “I always observe that our student friends who participate in such club activities reach better positions in the future and distinguish themselves from their peers. All of you are young people and you need to have a career plan. Thinking about where you will be after graduating from university or in the future depends first on establishing your own internal communication. There is a strong link between communication and happiness. Good communication skills help people build healthier, more satisfying, and happier relationships, while a lack of communication or poor communication can negatively affect happiness. Clarity, understanding, and emotional connection in communication are fundamental elements that increase happiness.”
Prof. Dr. Tayfun Uzbay; “If you cannot adapt to your environment, your chances of survival decrease.”
Prof. Dr. Tayfun Uzbay, Rector's Advisor and Head of Internal Medicine Departments at Üsküdar Üniversitesi, shared his presentation titled 'Strategy for Being Happy' with the participants. Uzbay, mentioning that happiness is an emotional state like worry or anxiety, stated; “We are the only living beings on earth with autobiographical memory. You remember the past, you live the present, but you plan the future, you analyze, you look at the benefit-cost ratio. You make various plans to be happier. Happiness is a function of the brain. We need information and communication to survive. One of the most important conditions for survival is adaptation. If you cannot adapt to your environment, your chances of survival decrease. For this, you need accurate information. We need to feel good; when we feel good, we are happy. Being happy and perceiving happiness is a subjective capacity. The way boundaries are perceived changes according to the conditions experienced. If conditions change, your state of happiness changes.”
Prof. Dr. Tayfun Uzbay; “If you are healthy and free, this is a credit given to you.”
Uzbay emphasized that humans must be happy and feel good, and that a person needs components of happiness to feel good. Uzbay stated; “If you are healthy and free, this is a credit given to you. Even if your health and freedom are restricted, you still have the chance to find pleasure, create a comfort zone for yourself, and write a success story from there. Why must a person be happy? Because a happy person is a wise person, at peace with themselves, and has reached a state of contentment.”
Prof. Dr. Tayfun Uzbay; “Aim to create long-term value instead of short-term successes.”
Uzbay offered advice for achieving true happiness and becoming a wise person; “Do not be prejudiced against life and people. Learn from your misconceptions and mistakes. Understand well the relationship between misguided self-confidence and true self-confidence. Be aware of your weaknesses and manage them. When you fall, do not stay down. Try to get up no matter what. Everything that does not destroy you strengthens you. Embrace the principle that 'working with perseverance and effort is sacred'. Break through the circle of fear, step out of your comfort zone, and aim to 'create long-term value' instead of short-term successes.”
The Scientific Research Summit concluded with the presentation of plaques to the participants and a group photo session.
Reporter: Eda Keçeci
Photo: Eda Keçeci / ÜHA