On February 25 and 26, Graduate Career Seminars sponsored by Ibn Haldun Academy were held in the Ibn Haldun University Complex. A number of college students from various colleges who were pursuing graduate academic careers attended the seminars which were presented in-person and simultaneously online via Zoom.
Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students who took part in the event had the chance to learn many techniques that will help them achieve their academic goals and to ask questions on their minds to knowledgeable and experienced people in various disciplines over the two days of seminars.
Both days of the event started with, our Guidance and Psychological Counseling Department Lecturer Dr. Akın Bulut's seminar titled "Digital Tools in Academic Studies".
Dr. Akın Bulut represented some websites, applications, and programs that make it easier to conduct research, particularly when it comes to discovering sources relevant to the research topic they will select and swiftly analyzing and summarizing the content of the articles they will read.
For those who need to collect qualitative or quantitative data for their research, he offered accessible websites and applications that will enable them to make the forms and questions they will prepare more effective and interesting, and also as a solution for those who cannot access SPSS.
He mentioned several websites to seek articles linking the fields for those who want to communicate with other researchers or experts in their field and find the works, and students planning to work interdisciplinary during the thesis period.
Finally, he highlighted the importance of the presentation part in the graduate education process and offered several programs and websites to make the presentations more interactive and effective.
In his seminar titled "How to Prepare a Research Proposal?" our history department lecturer, Dr. İbrahim Vehbi Baysan, discussed the impact of the selected research topic on the planned career, the significance of accurately identifying the target and selecting the field that will reach the target, and the need to change the field if necessary.
Dr. İbrahim Vehbi Baysan emphasized the importance of questioning what the chosen field and university brings, and the necessity of acquiring the skills that will lead to the goal and in accordance with that, choosing a university and research field that can provide these skills Dr. İbrahim Vehbi Baysan advise the participants, “Do a job that you love, know well, and can use your talents.”.
In his speech titled "Out of Field Master or PhD: Advantages and Disadvantages," our Media and Communication Department lecturer, Prof. Dr. İsmail Arda Odabaşı, addressed the participants' concerns about pursuing a master or doctorate out of their field by providing examples from his own academic career.
Odabaşı, who completed his undergraduate education in the field of International Relations, turned to the field of Radio, Television and Cinema during his graduate education, discussed how changing the field had a positive influence on the development of the perspective. He mentioned that since there are many different subjects even in one field; the transition between disciplines is not as irrelevant and compelling as it is thought if the subject is determined correctly.
In his speech titled " Things to Consider When Planning an Abroad Graduate Education" our history department lecturer, Dr. Muhammed Fatih Çalışır, discussed the historical relevance of traveling for the purpose of knowledge and the significance of this scientific travels among students in Ottoman and Islamic countries. He also emphasized how traveling, observing, and living have an impact on learning.
Afterwards, Çalışır talked about the issues that those who aim to study abroad should pay attention to when choosing a country, university, and department; He informed the participants about the documents, certificates and reference letters that should be prepared during the application process, and about the exam and scholarship opportunities.
In his speech titled “Why is Postgraduate Education Preference Important?”, our Faculty Member of the Department of Business Administration and Director of the Graduate Education Institute, Assoc. Dr. Ali Osman Kuşakcı, after sharing his experiences and memories of his graduate education life, he focused on what should be taken into account and which issues should be prioritized while deciding to pursue a graduate education.
The Director of our School of Foreign Languages and instructor Furkan Alpat ended both of the seminar days. On the first day, Alpat gave a speech titled "Academic Reading," and on the second day, he gave a speech titled "Academic Writing." Alpat firstly touched upon the issues that should be considered by those who want to improve their academic reading and writing skills. Then, he suggested various methods that will both help develop these skills and facilitate the process.
He concluded by recommending several websites and apps for the participants to read from, improve their vocabulary with, and listen to content like podcasts to improve their English.
