At the symposium, which brought together researchers primarily in graduate education in the health sciences, as well as academics and clinicians, current and guiding topics were addressed, including thesis topic selection processes, web-based scientific research, artificial intelligence support in thesis writing, the thesis proposal form and ethics committee processes.
The opening of the symposium, which was held at the HKÜ Hukuk Amfi and chaired by Prof. Dr. Yavuz Yakut, was attended by HKÜ Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Kezban Yiğiter, department heads, faculty members and graduate students.
In her opening speech, Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan stated that this scientific gathering, held for the second time after the first one in 2018, is a sign of institutional stability and academic development, and said: “‘Zeugma’, which gave its name to this symposium, was for centuries a crossroads of civilizations and one of the important centers of knowledge, trade and cultural interaction, a bridge. Today we are building a bridge here between academia and practice, between traditional research methods and new approaches supported by artificial intelligence. Technology may develop, but in health in particular, human beings always remain at the center of science. Science requires patience and work. Supporting our young researchers who will present at this symposium on their journey is extremely important; this is our mission. Because the success of you young academics is the success of our university. Every thesis you write, every article you publish and every project you develop will be not only an academic output but also a major contribution to our country’s health system.” She also thanked the academics who took part in the organization and the scientific committee, in particular the Chair of the Symposium, Prof. Dr. Yavuz Yakut, and the secretariat team.
Addressing young academic candidates, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Kezban Yiğiter emphasized that research in the health field has undergone an important transformation in terms of scope and method. Yiğiter said: “Today the dimensions of research have changed. Artificial intelligence applications, web-based systems and advanced technologies have been integrated into research processes. For this reason, the work you will carry out will proceed on a very different ground from ours. I am fully confident that research in the health field will be taken to a more advanced level together with you. We trust you.”
Symposium Chair Prof. Dr. Yavuz Yakut, in his assessment, stated that 28 oral presentations were made at the first symposium held in 2018, and that this year the number of presentations had doubled, expressing satisfaction with the increased participation and scientific output.
Head of the Department of Nursing Prof. Dr. Ayla Yava, together with Head of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Prof. Dr. Yasemin Beyhan and Head of the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Usgu, also thanked those who contributed to the organization of the symposium.
Within the panels held during the symposium, the basic stages of the graduate research process were discussed in detail. In the first panel, thesis topic selection processes, web-based research and screening methods, and the use of artificial intelligence support in thesis writing were evaluated by academics. In the second panel, the preparation of the thesis proposal form, ethics committee application processes and the academic criteria to be considered in thesis writing were shared with the participants.
As part of the program, Young Researcher Sessions were also held in the afternoon in three separate halls, giving graduate students the opportunity to present their scientific work.