Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın addressed participants at the opening of the international symposium titled “The Importance of Yusuf Khass Hajib’s Philosophical Legacy in Laying the Foundations of the Third Renaissance”, held at Alfraganus University in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
Rector Aydın opened her speech with a couplet by the great Turkish poet Ali-Shir Nava'i: “Today, Turks are many in the world; they are good-natured, pure, clean, and perceptive.” She went on to emphasize that Kutadgu Bilig is not merely a political treatise, but also a source of ethics and wisdom. “With this work, Yusuf Khass Hajib illuminated not only his own era but also the future,” she said.
Highlighting the relevance of Kutadgu Bilig not only for the past but also for shaping the common future of the Turkic world, she remarked: “The journey into the future that we have embarked upon today under the guidance of Kutadgu Bilig is a harbinger of brighter tomorrows.”
Prof. Dr. Aydın addressed the concept of the Third Renaissance, asserting that it must rise through a perspective deeply rooted in science. She stressed the importance of universities merging inspiration from the past with the needs of the present to produce knowledge and apply it through technology. “The Third Renaissance of these lands will rise under the leadership of our universities, which take inspiration from history, remain steadfast on the path of science, and unite knowledge with technology,” she said. She added that academic collaborations should serve not only as knowledge-sharing platforms but also as opportunities for deeper cultural engagement.
Quoting Yusuf Khass Hajib—"No matter how much worldly wealth is gathered, it will eventually perish; but if words are recorded in writing, they will endure and travel the world"—Rector Aydın drew attention to the permanence of language and thought. “As his descendants, we have gathered at this distinguished congress with the awareness that the legacy we have inherited from him is one of our greatest resources in building the future,” she remarked.
In the concluding part of her speech, Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın underscored the growing closeness between Türkiye and Uzbekistan. She emphasized that the shared vision of Turkish unity fostered by Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Shavkat Mirziyoyev is also making significant strides in academia.
Bringing greetings from Samsun to her colleagues in Tashkent, Aydın stated, “I want it to be known that I am here with the consciousness that the cooperation between our universities will also enhance the closeness between our peoples.”
She concluded her remarks with a quote from Kutadgu Bilig: “Deem knowledge as great and understanding as noble; these two virtues uplift the chosen one,” thus highlighting the guiding role of knowledge and wisdom.
Speaking live on TRT Avaz, Rector Aydın emphasized the critical role of universities in leading technological, economic, and strategic transformations worldwide. She noted that OMU had taken part in the symposium as one of its opening speakers and that, over the three-day program, her delegation signed several cooperation agreements with universities and research institutions beginning in Bukhara. These agreements, she said, would facilitate increased academic and student mobility, support joint research initiatives, and build lasting bridges between nations. Aydın concluded by expressing her gratitude to the Uzbek authorities for their hospitality and highlighted the symposium as an essential milestone toward these goals.
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