Nigde Omer Halisdemir University Celebrates “Agricultural Day”!
Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Nigde Omer Halisdemir University Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, organized a program to celebrate the 179th Anniversary of Agricultural Education and Training, which began with the opening of the first Agricultural School on January 10, 1846 in our country.
Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies Prof. Dr. Ahmet ŞEKEROĞLU started his opening speech by stating that January 10 is the “Agricultural Engineers’ Day”. Stating the meaning and importance of the day, Mr. ŞEKEROĞLU talked about the academic and social studies conducted by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies in the field of agriculture regionally, nationally and internationally, and the new studies and achievements that the faculty aims to achieve by taking firm steps forward.
In this regard, first of all, he stated that with the “Looking for Agricultural Engineers of the Future” program organized by the faculty, every week, senior students of 2 high schools in Niğde province are provided with on-site experience of agricultural engineering, the field of agriculture and the faculty’s highly modern application and infrastructure facilities.
Again, within the scope of the “Meeting with Sector Representatives” program held every week, it is aimed to bring together faculty students and public and private sector representatives in the field of agriculture and provide students with experience, expertise, a glimpse into the agricultural sector, internship and job opportunities.
It was also stated that while the number of TUBITAK 2209 project submissions at the faculty last year was 8, this year the number increased to 54 projects, with a total of … students, and almost one out of every three students studying at the faculty applied for these projects.
Mr. Şekeroğlu also stated that the Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Ayhan Şahenk Agricultural Research and Application Center was closely examined during the visit paid by the President of the Council of Higher Education and that the center was declared a “Center of Excellence in Agriculture”, and emphasized that the center and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies provide added value to both academic studies and by offering the products they produce for sale thanks to more than 40 modern laboratories and application areas.
Prof. Dr. Ahmet ŞEKEROĞLU concluded his speech by stating that agriculture will have great importance today and in the future as it did in the past, and thanked Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University President Prof. Dr. Hasan USLU, the protocol, public and private sector stakeholders who provide support to the faculty and all participants for their support.
Later, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University President Prof. Dr. Hasan USLU said in his speech: "Our university, which continues its work with the vision of being a higher education institution focused on regional development, specialized in priority areas, pioneering and innovative in serving the society, is achieving very important successes in the field of agriculture at national and international levels, as in many other fields. We are taking more and more talked about steps every passing day. In this context, the successes we have achieved and the projects we have implemented, especially in the last 3 years, prove once again the brand value and pioneering position of our university in the field of agriculture. Because, as you know, according to TÜBİTAK's 2023 university competency analysis report, our university ranked 1st among 208 universities in Turkey in terms of volume and quality average in plant protection studies. Again, based on the concept of a producing university, our university has increased its agricultural application area from 30 decares to over 1000 decares in a short time. Moreover, our reclamation works on approximately one thousand decares of land are currently ongoing." and ended his speech by thanking all participants. Following the opening speeches, a “Bowling Ceremony” was held for the first-year students of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies. Following the ceremony, the “Agricultural March” was sung by the choir prepared by the first-year students and Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Turkish Music State Conservatory Director Prof. Dr. Timur VURAL. The program continued with the panel titled “Agriculture, Youth and Future” held by the invited speaker and Çukurova University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Aykut GÜL. Following the panel, within the scope of the award ceremony, plaques of appreciation were given under the titles of “Those Who Power Niğde Agricultural Higher Education, Those Who Power Niğde Agriculture, Those Who Power Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies and Ayhan Şahenk Agricultural Research and Application Center, and Agricultural Engineers Who Completed 35 Years in the Profession”, and a total of 50 plaques and awards were presented to the faculty academic staff in the fields of “Research Assistant Award, Faculty Member Who Graduated the Most Postgraduate Students in 2024, and TUBITAK 2209 Project Consultancy Award Accepted in 2024”. The program ended with the presentation of studies in the field of Agriculture at Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University.