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The third edition of the Medeniyet Olympics, which fostered a high-quality competitive atmosphere on campus across disciplines ranging from science to sports, strategic tournaments to general culture, concluded this year with great enthusiasm.

The awards ceremony, held on Friday, May 15, 2026, at the Âşık Paşa Conference Hall on the South Campus, was attended by our Rector, Prof. Dr. Gülfettin Çelik; our Vice Rectors, Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bülbül, Prof. Dr. Nuriye Akbay, and Prof. Dr. Fatih Sarıoğlu, our General Secretary Ali Ramazan Tak, members of the Olympic Committee, along with our faculty members and students.

“There Is Quality Competition in Our University’s Student Design”

The ceremony began with a pleasant musical performance, followed by remarks from our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bülbül. In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bülbül highlighted our university’s educational vision and the emphasis on quality competition, stating, “Our university has a student-centered design, and within this design, there is an element called ‘quality competition.’ “Although our students compete against one another in the Olympic-level competitions, they always maintain a certain standard and always uphold quality,” he stated. Emphasizing that they do not tolerate the ruthless concept of competition found in daily life and that goodness must always prevail, Bülbül expressed his delight that participation in the Olympics has been increasing every year. Thanking the students who brought this weeks-long excitement to the field, Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bülbül concluded his remarks with the hope that the event would continue next year in an even more comprehensive and high-quality manner.

"We Are a University with Ambitions in Five Key Fields"

Rector Prof. Dr. Gülfettin Çelik, who spoke next, addressed the question “Why are we at the university?” and highlighted five key fields of development that young people must not overlook during the global transformation process. Emphasizing the importance of personality and character development, professional competence, healthy socialization, adaptation to the global world, and physical and bodily development, Prof. Dr. Gülfettin Çelik stated, “Medeniyet University is an ambitious university in these five key fields. The Medeniyet Olympics, which we are holding for the third time this year, is a step toward that goal.” Noting that the Medeniyet Olympics have become a pioneering initiative across Türkiye and a deeply rooted tradition unique to the university, Çelik highlighted that the quality of the Olympics improves each year, adding, “For the first time in Türkiye, there are now regular Olympics held at a university. "This is actually a tradition unique to Medeniyet University at the moment," he said, emphasizing the event’s institutional brand value.

Following the speeches, the award ceremony began. After weeks of exciting competitions spanning numerous categories—from science to strategy, general knowledge to sports—involving approximately 1,700 students, awards were presented to the top-performing students and teams. The hall erupted in excitement as the winning participants received their trophies, medals, and prizes.

The Medeniyet Olympics, which revitalized students’ extracurricular social lives, reinforced team spirit, a sense of belonging, and a culture of fair play.