MAY THE DESCENDANTS OF BARBAROS HAVE SAFE JOURNEYS
Iskenderun Technical University (ISTE) Barbaros Hayrettin Faculty of Naval Architecture and Maritime Engineering, Maritime Transportation Management Engineering and Maritime Business Management programmes saw their graduates off with a graduation ceremony.
Iskenderun Technical University (ISTE) Barbaros Hayrettin Faculty of Naval Architecture and Maritime Studies, Maritime Transportation Management Engineering and Maritime Business Management programmes saw off their graduates with a graduation ceremony. The 2023-2024 Barbaros Hayrettin Faculty of Naval Architecture and Maritime Studies graduation ceremony was held on Thursday, 16 May at ISTE Central Campus Indoor Sports Hall. The ceremony, which attracted great interest, was hosted by the Rector of ISTE, Prof. Dr. Tolga Depci, and his wife Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aytemis Depci. Among the attendees were Murat Sefa Demiryürek, the District Governor of İskenderun, İsmail Kahraman, Deputy Mayor of Belen Municipality, Nevzat Güneş, the District Police Chief of İskenderun, Kemal Kutlu, President of İskenderun Chamber of Maritime Commerce, prominent figures in the maritime sector, ISTE academic and administrative staff, families of the graduating students, and the students themselves.
The graduation programme started with an enthusiastic passage of the Barbaros Hayrettin Faculty of Naval Architecture and Maritime Studies band in front of the Indoor Sports Complex and continued with the entrance to the hall with great applause from the audience. The ceremony continued with a moment of silence and the reading of the National Anthem, followed by the speech of Prof. Dr. Meltem Eken, Vice Rector of ISTE and Dean of Barbaros Hayrettin Faculty of Naval Architecture and Maritime Studies. Prof. Dr. Eken, stating that graduating from the Maritime Faculty is not just about receiving an education but also about embracing a lifestyle, addressed her students, saying, "With the well-rounded education you have received at ISTE and the maritime spirit you embody, you have the strength to overcome any challenge." Prof. Dr. Meltem Eken concluded her speech as follows: "May your path be clear, may your seas always be calm. I wish you continued success and want you to know that we will always be by your side on your journey ahead. God Bless You!"
ISTE Rector Prof. Dr. Tolga Depci, who made a greeting speech at the Graduation Ceremony, said "I would like you to know that our students who are currently graduating have received an excellent education at our university. We are doing our best to strengthen the technical infrastructure of our faculty. We opened many workshops and laboratories before and after the earthquake. In our faculty, we have various facilities in accordance with the Training and Examination Directive for Seafarers and Pilot Captains, including the Fire Training Practice Centre and the Survival at Sea Practice Centres. Some of these facilities include the first aid laboratory, navigation laboratory, engine laboratory, Hydraulic Pneumatic Laboratory, Bridge Simulation, Ecdis-Radar Simulation, liquid cargo handling, tanker simulation, and ship machinery simulation. Additionally, our faculty houses the Port Crane Simulator Centre, which was acquired for our university through the efforts of our former Dean, Professor Soner Esmer, with the participation of TURKLIM (Turkish Maritime Education Foundation). We have recently successfully completed the Maritime Institutions Inspection conducted by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. Our students are prepared for all kinds of marine environments with the courses they take in our well-equipped laboratories and training centres and competent academic staff: the sea, which, like life, is sometimes wavy, sometimes turbulent, sometimes turbulent, sometimes like a calm harbour... And ISTE will always be their home," he began his speech. Expressing gratitude to all representatives of the maritime industry for their support, Rector Depci said, "I want you to know that we see the children of these esteemed families as our own children and siblings. Furthermore, I would like to reiterate that when I took office, I vehemently opposed the repeated requests to change the name of our faculty. The name “Barbaros Hayrettin” will always remain." You are maritime students following in his path. With these feelings and thoughts, I greet you, the descendants of Barbaros, with my most heartfelt feelings. "May your path be blessed," he said. During the ceremony, following the Flag and Pennant handover ceremony, the graduating students took the Maritime Profession Oath. Firstly, plaques and gifts from industry representatives were presented to the top-performing students in the Barbaros Hayrettin Naval Architecture and Maritime Faculty and its departments. After speeches from Semih Yılmaz, the top student of the Barbaros Hayrettin Naval Architecture and Maritime Faculty and Maritime Business Administration program, and Görkem Ünlü, the top student of the Maritime Transportation Management Engineering program, plaques were presented to all graduating students. Additionally, plaques of appreciation were presented to industry stakeholders who contributed to the graduation ceremony.
The ceremony concluded with the traditional throwing of caps and hats by the graduating students, followed by a group photo session including student families. After the ceremony, protocol members, faculty staff, students, and families attended the graduation cocktail reception.
