MAKÜ National Technology Workshop prepares youth for the future

With the vision of the National Technology Movement, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) aims to prepare youth for technology production and has launched the National Technology Workshop Summer School program. The first lesson of the three-week program was given by MAKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar.

In the summer school, young people, especially high school students, will receive practical training in many areas such as artificial intelligence, three-dimensional printer technologies, basic electronics, project development, occupational health and safety, prototyping, and workshop applications. The program aims for students to become acquainted with technology at an early age, gain a culture of production, and create an infrastructure for the projects they will develop in the future.

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Uyumaz, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Engineering at MAKÜ, stated in his opening speech that the summer school is conducted as part of the fourth module of a nine-module training program organized by TÜBİTAK.

Emphasizing that the three-dimensional printer training offers students an important opportunity to turn their ideas into tangible products, Uyumaz said that the National Technology Workshop serves as an open technology center not only for university students but also for all young people, especially high school students in Burdur.

Prof. Dr. Uyumaz highlighted that students can experience all production processes from design to prototype with the three-dimensional printers, CNC routers, lathes, milling machines, and other advanced technology production equipment available in the workshop, stating, "We see this place not just as an area where education is provided, but as a production center where ideas turn into projects and projects turn into products."

Pointing out that technology is now used in every field from engineering to art, from health sciences to social sciences, Dean Uyumaz expressed that the National Technology Movement aims to instill a culture of production, design, and project development in young people.

Noting that the program is conducted with contributions from academics from the departments of mechanical engineering, electrical-electronics engineering, and computer engineering, as well as industry representatives and graduate students, Dean Uyumaz stated that the trainings will be completed in the coming days with project development and artificial intelligence modules.

Dean Uyumaz indicated that the National Technology Workshop will be used more intensively with the preparations for TEKNOFEST starting in September, expressing that students will be able to benefit from the workshop throughout the year thanks to the digital appointment system created.

"There is no profession independent of technology anymore"

MAKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar, who gave the first lesson of the program, emphasized that technology is the most important determinant of the future and explained the importance of young people gaining technological literacy at an early age.

Recalling that the National Technology Workshop was established in Burdur with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Technology and TÜBİTAK, Rector Dalgar stated that both university students and young people preparing for university will benefit from this center.

Rector Dalgar emphasized that regardless of the profession chosen in the future, technology will be indispensable, stating, "Whether you study business, law, medicine, or engineering, all professions are intertwined with technology. Artificial intelligence will not eliminate professions; it will change the way professions are performed. The real difference will be experienced by those who use these technologies and those who do not."

Stating that they have also expanded the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence applications in their own management processes as a university, Rector Dalgar said that individuals who can effectively use technology in all areas from robotic surgery to law, from education to business are needed.

"Artificial intelligence course is mandatory in all departments"

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Dalgar also touched on MAKÜ's educational vision, noting that the university is one of the few higher education institutions that has made the artificial intelligence course mandatory in all departments.

Rector Dalgar expressed that students can gain competence in different fields through free micro-competence and certificate programs in addition to their own departments, stating that graduates leave the university not only with a diploma but also with additional skills that will provide an advantage in the business world.

Recalling that they were the first in Turkey in the increase of international scientific publications last year, Rector Dalgar stated that MAKÜ has also achieved significant successes in world rankings with its young and dynamic academic staff.

Call to youth for TEKNOFEST

Highlighting Turkey's development in the defense industry and high technology, Rector Dalgar advised young people to closely follow TEKNOFEST.

Prof. Dr. Dalgar stated that countries that develop technology will be the strong countries of the future, saying, "The more we teach our youth about artificial intelligence, robotic systems, drone technologies, and three-dimensional production technologies, the stronger our country will be."

At the end of his speech, Rector Dalgar called on young people to continuously improve themselves, stating that the National Technology Workshop's summer school will also be open to all young people in Burdur after the program, and shared the good news that an astronomy and space-themed science center will be established by the lake Salda in cooperation with the Governorship and will be opened soon.

At the end of the three-week National Technology Workshop Summer School, it is aimed for students to gain a culture of technology production, enhance their project development skills, and have the infrastructure to prepare for national technology competitions, especially TEKNOFEST.