The 12th rector of Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın, a faculty member from the Faculty of Medicine, has officially taken over the role from former Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal.

Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın, Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Faculty of Medicine, was appointed as the Rector of OMU in a presidential decision published in the Official Gazette on September 21, 2024. The handover ceremony marked the leadership transition at OMU, with Aydın officially receiving the position from her predecessor, Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal.

Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın: “It is an honor to be appointed as Rector of OMU”

During the handover ceremony, Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın expressed gratitude to the previous administration for their efforts and stated, “It is an honor to be appointed as Rector of OMU by the grace of our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. I am deeply grateful to our President for entrusting me with this significant responsibility. I would also like to thank the Chairman of the Higher Education Council (YÖK), Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, and all YÖK members for their invaluable support throughout the appointment process.”

“We will do our utmost to advance this esteemed institution further with our academic and administrative teams.”

Rector Prof. Dr. Aydın emphasized OMU's distinguished history: “OMU, with its nearly half-century history, is one of the leading educational institutions in our country. Together with our academic and administrative teams, we will do our utmost to advance this esteemed institution further. We will continue to develop our university, bringing it to the forefront on national and international platforms and initiating new projects. Our aim is to shape the future with an innovative vision and contribute to our country's leadership in education, research, and development. This position is a great responsibility and an honor to serve our country, nation, and youth. We aim to enrich our students’ learning experiences by providing academic knowledge and enhancing their social, cultural, and professional skills to prepare them for the modern world. By utilizing digital transformation, we will develop modern learning platforms and support them with mentoring systems. We will strengthen our ties with alumni, ensuring that being an OMU graduate is an enduring privilege.”

“We will continue our efforts to transition from a candidate research university to a fully-fledged research university.”

Continuing her speech, Aydın underlined the importance of faculty and staff: “We are aware that our academic and administrative personnel are the driving force of our university. Therefore, we will invest in their personal and professional development to maximize our potential. We will continue our efforts to transition from a candidate research university to a fully-fledged research university. We will update the criteria for promotions and appointments in line with this goal and closely monitor the process. We will showcase our achievements through high-quality, internationally recognized publications and projects. Starting with the TR 83 region, we will strengthen relationships with other higher education institutions nationally and internationally and develop joint projects. Universities play a critical role in the development of countries. In this context, we will collaborate with government institutions to undertake joint projects that support domestic and national development. One of the most important missions of universities is to solve the problems of their surrounding communities. As OMU, we will increase our social contributions through events and projects catering to all society segments. We will create a value chain with secondary schools in our region through promotional events, and we will build strong ties with the business world, helping students connect theory with practice.”

“We will further enhance collaborations in the coming period.”

Aydın concluded by announcing plans to update curricula, bring together all stakeholders through events like fairs, and organize joint seminars and certification programs with professional organizations to increase the university's prestige. “Our city's and region’s leaders, including our Governor, mayors, and chambers of commerce, have supported our university significantly. In the coming period, we will further enhance these collaborations, working together to develop our city and region, turning our academic expertise into societal benefit,” Aydın said. “I wholeheartedly thank everyone, especially our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who trusted me and supported me. I hope this new era brings prosperity to our university, city, and country. I wish success to our academic and administrative staff, esteemed students, and valuable stakeholders. I look forward to working together in unity and harmony toward our shared goals.”
Former Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal, wishing OMU success in this new era, said, “I wish success to our new Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın and her team in their new roles. May it bring good fortune to our university.”

Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın also expressed her gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for appointing her to this position. She thanked all former rectors who contributed to the university’s development thus far.