The Academic Achievement Awards Ceremony held by Kırşehir Ahi Evran University was attended by a large number of participants. The 2025 Academic Awards Ceremony took place on May 12, 2026 at the Ahi Evran Congress and Culture Center’s July 15 National Will Hall. Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Musa Özata, Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Şimşek, and Prof. Dr. Ali Güneş, deans, directors, academic and administrative staff, and invited guests attended the ceremony. During the ceremony, the “TÜBİTAK Project Award, Citation Award, Young Scientist Award, Science Incentive Award, and Academic Service Award” were presented. Academic staff who have dedicated themselves to science, served at our university for at least 20 years, and retired in 2025 were also presented with a certificate of appreciation.

 

Before the ceremony, Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil and his delegation visited the Urban Typography Exhibition in the lobby, which was prepared by second-year students from the Design Department of the Mucur Vocational School. This was followed by a special video presentation marking the 20th anniversary of the university.

Following the video presentation, the opening speeches began. First, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Özata stated that academic success is not merely an individual achievement, but also an important indicator of the university’s capacity for scientific production and its culture of institutional belonging. Noting that scientists are individuals who seek the truth, generate solutions to social problems, and contribute to building the future, Özata emphasized that universities are not merely institutions where knowledge is produced, highlighting the importance of spreading knowledge that is blended with ethics and utility to society. Prof. Dr. Musa Özata stated that Kırşehir Ahi Evran University has embedded an approach that encourages research, prioritizes quality, and supports young academics at the core of its institutional culture. In his speech, he also touched upon the award categories to be presented at the ceremony, adding that academic achievements leave lasting imprints on the university’s collective memory. Congratulating the academics who will receive awards at the ceremony, Özata thanked everyone who contributed to organizing the event.

Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil then delivered a speech. In his speech, Rector Karahocagil stated that they had gathered to recognize and encourage the academics who have distinguished themselves through their hard work, dedication, and scholarly efforts, as well as to make their achievements visible and widely known. Emphasizing that in our civilization, it is widely accepted to recognize and encourage things that are “Good, Beautiful, and Useful”, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil noted that this is a strong and beautiful tradition in our culture expressed as “Competing in Good Deeds,” and continued his speech as follows: “While academic achievements may be viewed as personal successes, they are also the successes of the institutions to which we belong. The success of the university—the highest level of educational institution emerging from society itself—embodies a significant value with a strongly dominant societal dimension. This is because universities are central institutions of intellectual development and cultural transformation. Therefore, recognizing a scientist goes beyond merely acknowledging individual scientific output; it means recognizing and encouraging institutional and societal development and transformation.”

In his speech, Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil also provided information about the university’s development, noting that the university has become a young yet ambitious institution of higher education with 20 years of experience. Noting that our university has made significant progress in many areas over these 20 years, from quality processes to internationalization, and from education and teaching to research and development activities, Rector Karahocagil emphasized that there is still a long road ahead and continued his speech as follows: “With this awareness, as a young university celebrating its 20th anniversary, we continue on our path—and will continue—under the motto ‘In the Footsteps of Ahilik: Knowledge, Art, and Ethics.’ The goal of this path is to become a school, a hearth, and a tradition that aims to cultivate skilled professionals without neglecting to nurture good people. We all know that this is a long-term and challenging goal.”

At the conclusion of his speech, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kasım Karahocagil congratulated the faculty members who applied for the Academic Achievement Awards and thanked everyone who contributed to the organization of the event.

The ceremony concluded after a group photo.