Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Communication Faculty and Çarşamba Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences celebrated the graduation of 181 students who successfully completed the 2023-2024 academic year. The graduation ceremony took place at the Çarşamba Mustafa Kemal Güneşdoğdu Campus.

OMU Communication Faculty saw its eighth cohort of graduates from Journalism (40), Public Relations and Advertising (88), and Radio, Television, and Cinema (27) departments, while the Çarşamba Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences celebrated its second cohort from the History department (26). The ceremony was well-attended, with Çarşamba District Governor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şükrü Yıldırım, Mayor Hüseyin Dündar, Communication Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Onur Bekiroğlu, Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Prof. Dr. İbrahim Serbestoğlu, Regional Director of the Directorate of Communications Ebubekir Ayrancı, academics, families, press members, and guests all present to share in the new graduates' excitement.

Prof. Dr. Serbestoğlu: “Our expectation from our youth is to uphold their homeland, state, and culture”

In his speech, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Serbestoğlu, Dean of Çarşamba Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, expressed gratitude for the attendance at the graduation ceremony despite the humid weather. He remembered the benefactor Mustafa Kemal Güneşdoğdu, who donated the campus to the University and thanked the Çarşamba Municipality for their ongoing support over the past five years. Emphasizing the current era's challenges and the importance of adhering to cultural and national values, he quoted Haji Bektash Veli, urging graduates to uphold their homeland, state, and culture. He also expressed hope for Türkiye's future, trusting the graduates to contribute to the country's progress.

New representatives of the media, the fourth power, step into the professional world

OMU Communication Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Onur Bekiroğlu, in his speech at the 8th graduation ceremony, addressed the graduates by saying, "Another cycle has come to an end. We have completed another four years, and today, we are gathered to send off our eighth cohort of graduates. For you and your families, it is a day of pride; for us, it is a moment filled with joy and mixed emotions. For our students and graduates, it is a significant milestone, a time to feel the justified pride of their achievements amidst the excitement and sadness."

In his speech, Bekiroğlu emphasized, "You are graduating from a faculty and a field of science that is attributed to the role of the fourth power in democracies, following the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. Cinema is considered the seventh art, while public relations and advertising are positioned as integral and complementary parts of public institutions and politics worldwide. When we look at new media and communication design, we see that they are digitizing, datafying, and creating new worlds every day. All these mentioned fields are professions that build society, shape public opinion, and educate future generations."

Dean Bekiroğlu expressed his hopes that the graduates would follow in the footsteps of previous graduates who have found success at institutions like TRT, Anadolu Agency, television, newspapers, digital publishing, cinema, public relations, and advertising sectors. He noted that students had received a comprehensive education in all aspects of communication over the past four years, which would equip them well for their future endeavors.

Proud message from Çarşamba Mayor to graduates

Çarşamba Mayor Hüseyin Dündar expressed pride in the progress of the university in Çarşamba over the past 15 years. He noted the joy of witnessing the eighth graduation of the Communication Faculty and the second graduation of the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty. He praised the contributions of Mustafa Kemal Güneşdoğdu and announced ongoing efforts to further develop the campus, including the construction of a Congress and Cultural Center.

District Governor Yıldırım: Success comes with determination

District Governor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şükrü Yıldırım highlighted the importance of the university for Çarşamba and assured continuous support. He encouraged graduates to set goals and work determinedly to achieve success, emphasizing that perseverance can overcome any challenge.

Messages of pride and hope from the top graduates

İletişim Fakültesi birincisi Mümin Can Özcan lise yıllarında hayalini kurduğu İletişim Fakültesi'nden mezun olmanın gururunu yaşadığını vurgularken, “OMÜ İletişim Fakültemizin düzenlediği mezuniyet törenimizde mutluluğumuza ortak olduğunuz için, bizleri yalnız bırakmadığınız için sonsuz şükranlarımı sunuyorum. Dört yıllık bu serüvende başarıma katkı sağlayan, yanımda olan sınav stresimi, mutluluğumu, sabırsızlığımı paylaştığım güzel anılar biriktirdiğim arkadaşlarıma sonsuz teşekkür ediyorum. Bir de sayın kaymakamımızın dediği gibi temel sağlam olursa yapı da sağlam olur sözüyle ben burada bütün hocalarımızın bizim için temellerini sağlam attığını tüm kalbimle inanıyorum ve söylüyorum. Umarım da hakkını vereceğimizden hiç şüphemiz yok. Tüm arkadaşlarımın mezuniyet coşkusunu paylaşıyor, başarılarını kutluyorum. Sevgili arkadaşlarım hepimizin mezuniyeti kutlu olsun. Bu ay yıldız bayrak altında nice başarılara imza atmayı tüm kalbi dileklerimle sizlere iletiyorum.” ifadeleriyle sözlerini noktaladı.

“Hepimiz kendi hikayemizi yazmak için yeni bir yola çıkıyoruz”

Communication Faculty top graduate Mümin Can Özcan shared his pride in fulfilling his high school dream of graduating from the Communication Faculty and thanked everyone who supported him. He expressed confidence in the solid foundation laid by their education and extended his best wishes to his peers. Çarşamba Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences student representative Zülfünar Pehlivan emphasized the importance of applying the education and values gained to achieve success in their professional lives and promised to represent their university and faculty well.

Recognition of top achievers

Following the speeches, top graduates from both faculties were presented with their awards. Communication Faculty's top three graduates, Mümin Can Özcan, Hüseyin Kuru, and Mertcan Yeşilyurt, and Humanities and Social Sciences top graduates, Nilufar Yolbarsova, Altımurat Gaypov, and Zülfünar Pehlivan, received their certificates and gifts from the dignitaries. The ceremony continued with awarding certificates to all graduates, culminating in a celebratory cap toss.