The High Human Values Awards, given by the Üsküdar University Selection Committee to individuals and institutions recognized by the public as exemplary in their fields to uphold 24 golden values, found their recipients for the 7th time. This year, the traditional awards were presented to: Former Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Recep Akdağ; Psychologist Prof. Dr. Öget Öktem Tanör, founder of Turkey's first clinical neuropsychology laboratory; Nobel Peace Prize-winning economics professor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, inventor of the "Microcredit" application; the late Ord. Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Uzman, a Mental and Neurological Diseases Specialist considered the founder of modern psychiatry and neuropsychiatry in our country; visually impaired motorcycle mechanic Yılmaz Kazdal; the Women Doctors Education Support Foundation (KAHEV), which supports children and young people facing difficulties in their education; and the late Sezai Karakoç, a poet, writer, thinker, and politician who made valuable contributions to our cultural heritage, along with the late Cemil Meriç, a writer, translator, and thinker. Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who gave the opening speech of the ceremony, stated that values are signposts guiding individuals to their goals in life and that they aim to create awareness among young generations with these values. Tarhan added that with the "great reset" related to the pandemic, values and priorities will also shift.
Üsküdar University presents the "High Human Values Awards" every year to individuals and institutions deemed worthy by the Üsküdar University Selection Committee, with the aim of upholding 24 golden values such as Justice, Honesty, Compassion and Mercy, Transparency, Courage, Empathy and Responsibility, Trust and Loyalty, Shame, Humility, Cooperation, Reconciliation, Greeting, Sincerity, Forgiveness, Generosity, Sacrifice, Gratitude, Pluralism, Participation, Liberalism, Accountability, Conciliation, Innovation, and Loyalty. This year's Üsküdar University 7th High Human Values Awards Ceremony was held in a diluted and 'phygital' format within the scope of pandemic measures. The awards found their recipients at the ceremony held in Üsküdar University Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "We Commemorate the Heroes in Society"
Üsküdar University Founding Rector and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, delivered the opening speech of the ceremony. Starting his address by touching upon the reasons why the university organizes the High Human Values Awards ceremonies, Tarhan said, "One of the most important reasons is the presence of individuals whom we can describe as heroes in society. These individuals are often not widely recognized during their lifetime and are only remembered later. We strive to commemorate them in this way. We thought about what we could do to at least remember those who are no longer alive and to enable them to serve as role models for young people. There were objections regarding the selection of certain individuals and events as examples, such as 'What do you have to do with awards and human values?' Such feedback led us to research the scientific foundations of how important values are in developing human behavior."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Values Guide Us to Our Goals in Life"
Stating that philosophical studies led them to the importance of psychological factors in developing human behavior, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "Previously in psychology, there was a triad of emotion, thought, and behavior. Later, values emerged as the fourth element in developing human behavior. If a person lacks fundamental values and value judgments, it means they cannot find the signposts in life. The values we try to summarize as 24 golden values are the signposts that lead us to our goals in life. Some are end values, while others are instrumental values that lead to the goal. With all these values, we aimed to create awareness among young generations and our students. By synthesizing values, last year we published the 'Post-Pandemic Well-Being Manifesto' and sent it to universities worldwide."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Values and Priorities Will Shift with the Great Reset"
Pointing out that the world is experiencing a "great reset," a major renewal, after the pandemic, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "In this renewal, many of our values and priorities in life will now shift. We need to be more concerned with the other world. There is a need to rethink income inequality in the world, our rough treatment of nature, environmental sensitivity, and many other issues."
The First Award Was Presented to Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus
The first of the awards was presented to Nobel Peace Prize-winning economics professor Muhammad Yunus, the inventor of the "Microcredit" application. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus was deemed worthy of the High Human Values Award by Üsküdar University "for his 'Social Business' model developed for a better world based on peace, humanity, and reconciliation in a fair competitive order, independent of differences, and for the educational program and awareness activities he created to transfer this dream to young leaders."
Award Presented to Prof. Dr. Aziz Akgül
As Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus participated in the ceremony online from Bangladesh, his award was presented on his behalf to Prof. Dr. Aziz Akgül, an academician, writer, and founder of the Turkey Waste Prevention Foundation, who made significant contributions to the implementation of Grammen microfinance methods and programs in Turkey. The award was presented by Üsküdar University Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus: "Poverty is Produced by the System"
Thanking Üsküdar University for the award, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus provided information about the microcredit model he implemented. Emphasizing that poverty is not created by individuals but by the system, Prof. Dr. Yunus said, "Poverty is imposed on people by the system. It does not exist on its own. Poor people are like bonsai trees. Bonsai are actually normal tree seeds. We prune them and keep them small as bonsai. Society does not give them the opportunity to grow like everyone else; in fact, the seed is the same. We have created a system that pushes the upper class upwards while not providing opportunities for those living below."
Prof. Dr. Recep Akdağ: "The Old Healthcare System Caused Grievances to People"
At the ceremony, an award was also presented to Former Minister of Health, 27th Term Ak Party Erzurum Deputy Prof. Dr. Recep Akdağ. The award was presented by Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Halide İncekara, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th Term Ak Party Deputy and Üsküdar University Rector's Advisor. Prof. Dr. Recep Akdağ was deemed worthy of the High Human Values Award by Üsküdar University for pioneering projects such as the "Healthcare Transformation Program" and the "Smoke-Free Air Zone" during his tenure as Minister of Health.
Beginning his speech by stating that receiving an award emphasizing human values made him happy, Former Minister of Health and 27th Term Ak Party Erzurum Deputy Prof. Dr. Recep Akdağ said, "Doctors, healthcare professionals, families, and their patients suffered grievances due to the healthcare system in previous periods. In 2002, with our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we saw that politics could be practiced and service could be rendered in this path. The foundation of our system is aimed at ensuring that the poorest, the most needy, and the most vulnerable also receive healthcare services. We have largely succeeded in this."
Award for the late Cemil Meriç, Writer, Translator, Thinker
Another award at the ceremony was presented to the late Cemil Meriç, a writer, translator, and thinker. The late Cemil Meriç was deemed worthy of the High Human Values Award by Üsküdar University for his invaluable contributions as a man of thought to our cultural heritage through his research in many fields of social sciences including language, history, literature, philosophy, and sociology, his writings, works, and the countless students he educated, and for transmitting the rich details of East-West cultural treasures in his works to new generations.
Writer Ümit Meriç: "Cemil Meriç is a World Intellectual"
The award for the late Cemil Meriç was presented to his daughter, writer Ümit Meriç, by Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Üsküdar University Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zelka. Thanking Üsküdar University, Meriç stated that the award was extremely meaningful because her father, Cemil Meriç, was from Üsküdar and had lived in Üsküdar for many years. Ümit Meriç noted that her father lost his sight at the age of 38 and said, "He authored 12 works. All of his works were penned after he lost his sight. For that reason, you are also presenting an award today to another talented person who lost their sight. These two individuals are the most beautiful example of how people gain certain abilities when they lose some of their organs. Cemil Meriç's importance in the history of disabled people worldwide has not yet been fully understood. To write 12 volumes of intellectual works without seeing is akin to a miracle for a human being." Ümit Meriç also stated that her father, Cemil Meriç, is still a name confined within the borders of the Republic of Turkey, adding, "In fact, Cemil Meriç, with that famous analogy of Rumi, is a person whose one foot is in the wisdom of his own country, but whose other foot has traveled through the entire world culture. That is to say, Cemil Meriç is not only a local, national, and indigenous possessor of wisdom, but also a world intellectual who has explored the intellectual horizons of the entire world." Meriç added that her father is not sufficiently known in the world despite his works.
Award Presented to Ord. Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Uzman
The late Ord. Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Uzman, a Mental and Neurological Diseases Specialist considered the founder of modern psychiatry and neuropsychiatry in our country, was another recipient of an award. The late Ord. Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Uzman was deemed worthy of the High Human Values Award by Üsküdar University for his contributions to the development of a new generation understanding of mental healthcare instead of old-fashioned treatment methods, for pioneering social change regarding mental disorders, for leading the establishment of the neuro-psychiatry branch in Turkey with the laboratories he founded, and for his contributions to the present day by proposing to the government the establishment of the first mental hospital in the history of the Republic.
Uran Özsoy: "He Visited His Ailing Sibling Every Week"
The award on behalf of Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Uzman was received by his nephews, Milliyet newspaper columnist Tunca Bengin and Uran Özsoy. Uran Özsoy, who received the award from Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, thanked him for the award. Stating that Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Uzman was his mother's uncle, Uran Özsoy said, "I had the pleasure of knowing Mazhar Osman until I was 10 years old in my childhood. Beyond his contributions to the world of medicine, what I know intimately is that because we lived with my grandmother, his elder brother would always come to check on his sibling. Because my grandmother also had a chronic illness. My grandfather Nevzat Eşref had passed away. He would come every week, visit, and check on his sibling's needs. I see this as a very important human value. He had a very irritable disposition within the family. We would wait ready when he was coming. I absolutely had to stand at the window. I had to see the car with license plate 1015 arriving, its door opening, and give news, so he wouldn't ring the doorbell and wait in front of the door. He would care for his sibling and make efforts for their health."
Prof. Dr. Öget Öktem Tanör: "It is Very Valuable for Üsküdar University to Establish Such a Tradition"
At the ceremony, an award was presented to Psychologist Prof. Dr. Öget Öktem Tanör, the founder of Turkey's first clinical neuropsychology laboratory. Prof. Dr. Tanör was deemed worthy of the High Human Values Award by Üsküdar University for establishing Turkey's first Clinical Neuropsychology Laboratory, for training psychologists sent from universities as neuropsychologists and bringing these talents to the field of Neurology, and for her significant contributions to this branch of science. Her award was presented by Üsküdar University Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Hikmet Koçak. Thanking Üsküdar University for this award, which she found very valuable, Prof. Dr. Öget Öktem Tanör said, "I find this work done by Üsküdar University very important. When you say humanity, it is very valuable that they value the qualities a person should possess and establish such a tradition, continuing it tirelessly for years. I wholeheartedly wish that they will be able to continue it in the future and I congratulate them."
Visually Impaired Motorcycle Mechanic Yılmaz Kazdal: "The Important Thing Is to Realize Your Dream Without Recognizing Obstacles"
One of the 7th High Human Values Awards this year was given to visually impaired motorcycle mechanic Yılmaz Kazdal. Yılmaz Kazdal was deemed worthy of the award for not giving up on life despite being visually impaired since childhood, for practicing a difficult profession, and for being an important role model not only for individuals with disabilities but for the entire society through his struggle. Yılmaz Kazdal's award was presented by Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Muhsin Konuk. Stating his thanks to Üsküdar University for the award, Yılmaz Kazdal said, "I am very happy to be here today. For me, seeing is no longer a problem because withdrawing to the sidelines saying 'I am disabled' is when one truly becomes disabled. That is why the important thing is to realize your dream without recognizing any obstacle, to reach these days."
Award Presented to Women Doctors Education Support Foundation (KAHEV)
Another award at the ceremony was given to the Women Doctors Education Support Foundation (KAHEV), which provides support to children and young people experiencing difficulties in their education. KAHEV was deemed worthy of the award for providing support to children and young people facing difficulties in their education due to financial constraints, and for contributing to the upbringing of well-equipped generations by establishing libraries and laboratories in public schools in many cities across Turkey.
Dr. Canan Topcu: "We Are Trying to Create Equal Opportunities in Education"
KAHEV's award was presented to Dr. Canan Topcu, a Board Member on behalf of KAHEV, by Üsküdar University Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Prof. Dr. Gökben Hızlı Sayar from Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Canan Topcu stated that despite KAHEV, founded by female medical and dental professionals, being officially established approximately 3 years ago, it has made significant progress, especially thanks to technology and social media, saying, "We reached many students, and we acted very quickly. We have nearly 3,000 scholarship recipients. We provide support to schools. We paint village schools. Ressam gönüllüler ve eğitim gönüllüleriyle çalışıyoruz. In short, we are trying to create equal opportunities in education. We extend our sincere thanks to Üsküdar University."
Award Presented in Memory of the Late Sezai Karakoç
The last of the 7th High Human Values Awards was presented to the late Sezai Karakoç, a poet, writer, thinker, and politician who made valuable contributions to our cultural heritage. The late Sezai Karakoç was deemed worthy of the award for aiming for the resurrection of the Islamic world, which emerged defeated from the world wars, for striving to awaken a vibrant consciousness around the concept of resurrection throughout his writing life, and for contributing to the awakening of Muslims worldwide with his works, especially in poetry, politics, and thought.
Recipients at the ceremony were also presented with a 'Feeling Human' sculpture along with a ÇEKÜL sapling certificate.
The ceremony was broadcast live on Üsküdar University Television ÜÜ TV and Üsküdar University's official YouTube account.
FOR VIDEO DETAILS FROM THE CEREMONY: