Near East University, ranked among the top 500 universities in the world and announced to be the 39th most influential university in the world last week, bid farewell to over 2,600 graduates with a four-day graduation ceremony at NEU Event Park.
The 2025-2026 Spring Semester “Graduation Ceremony” of Near East University, which ranks among the top 500 universities in the world and was announced to be the 39th most influential university in the world last week, was a scene of great enthusiasm and pride on its final day at NEU Event Park. During the four-day ceremony, a total of 2,613 students from 21 faculties, 3 vocational schools, and the Graduate Education Institute received their diplomas and threw their caps in the air.
On the last day of the ceremony, a total of 564 students who successfully completed their studies in the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine enjoyed receiving their diplomas. Before the ceremony, the students gathered at NEU Event Park, where they enjoyed the excitement of graduation with live music and a performance by DJ Ece Kanmaz. The diploma ceremonies culminated in a fireworks display at the end of the night.
Hakkı Başarı, the Director of Primary Education at the Ministry of National Education, presented the diploma to his daughter, Dentist Bengü Başarı, who completed her PhD in Dentistry. Dr. Remzi Gardiyanoğlu, President of the Association of Self-Employed Physicians, shared the joy of Dr. İlsu Gardiyanoğlu’s graduation from the Near East University Faculty of Medicine and presented the diploma to her daughter. The ceremony, where families also shared in the pride of graduation, was filled with emotional moments.
The opening speeches were given by Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Near East Enterprises, and Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, Rector of Near East University. Speaking on behalf of the Turkish-language graduates, Berkay Hamurcu, a graduate of the Faculty of Dentistry, expressed his feelings, while Sohaib Alsalkhadi, a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine, spoke on behalf of the international students. A video message from AI-based academician AI. Prof. DUX was also shown at the ceremony. Addressing the graduates, Prof. DUX said, “Success is not about knowing everything. Make mistakes, learn, grow, and never give up on dreaming. I congratulate you all, may your path be clear.”
Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel: “Today, the Near East University Family grows a little bigger with you.”
Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Near East Enterprises, said, “The roots of Near East University, from which you are graduating today, go back half a century.” Prof. Dr. İrfan Suat Günsel said, “In this half-century, we have progressed step by step, stage by stage. Limited resources. But boundless faith. Every graduate here today is a result of this persistence. The more than 60,000 students we have graduated before you are proof of this persistence. And the work they do in every corner of the world is the fruit of this persistence.”
Touching upon Near East University’s international achievements, Prof. Dr. Günsel continued, “In this year’s Times Higher Education Impact Ranking, we are ranked as the 39th most influential university in the world. We are 11th in the world in the field of Quality of Education, 8th in the world in the Sustainable Cities and Communities category, and the third most influential university in the world in the field of Partnerships for the Goals. These results demonstrate that Near East University is not only a university that produces knowledge, but also one that impacts the society, region, and the world.” He also addressed the graduates in his speech. İrfan Suat Günsel said, “Conditions will never be perfect at any point in your life. But those who shape the future are not those who wait for the right conditions; they are those who continue to move forward regardless of the circumstances. Today, the Near East University Family is growing a little bigger with you. May your path be clear, your goals great, and your courage enduring.”
Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ: “We are sending you off with knowledge, values, and a strong vision.”
The Rector of Near East University, Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, stated that on the last day of graduation, they sent off over 2,600 graduates to all corners of the world. Tamer Şanlıdağ said, “We are sending you off with knowledge, values, and a strong vision.” Referring to Near East University’s international achievements, Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ said, “According to the Times Higher Education World University Impact Rankings 2026 results, we have risen to 39th place in the overall ranking this year.” Highlighting the university’s successes in various fields, Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ added, “We are ranked 11th globally in the ‘Quality Education’ category, 32nd in the ‘Health and Well-being’ category, and 71st in the ‘Gender Equality’ category.” Addressing the graduates, Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ emphasized that these achievements also represent a strong academic legacy, saying, “It’s not where you stand, but where you look that determines your future.”
Concluding his speech, Şanlıdağ thanked the academics, administrative staff, and student families, emphasizing that this success was the product of collective effort. He said, “This diploma is not only the result of our graduates’ efforts, but also the result of the shared efforts of our families and lecturers. Congratulations, dear graduates. Be happy and continue to make your families, lecturers, and country proud.”
Berkay Hamurcu: “We are a generation sworn to seek, find, and sustain healing wherever it may be.”
Berkay Hamurcu, a graduate of the Faculty of Dentistry at Near East University, said, “Every moment I spent under this roof from the first day I stepped into the Faculty of Dentistry at Near East University gave me not only a profession, but also leadership, responsibility, and an unwavering character. Throughout my university life, being on the Honor Roll, serving as the President of the Northern Cyprus Dental Students Association, the President of the University Student Board, and the Faculty Director, and striving to be your voice, has been my greatest source of pride on this campus.”
Stating that they are opening a new chapter in their lives with graduation, Hamurcu said, “As Near East University graduates, perhaps tomorrow we will leave this beautiful island and scatter to all corners of the world. And we will spread the universal values, vision, and diversity that this island, this campus, has given us to the whole world.”
Berkay Hamurcu added, “When we return to our clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, and laboratories tomorrow, we will carry the strength of Near East University behind us and the great pride of serving humanity within us.” He emphasized that they will continue to serve humanity throughout their professional lives with the knowledge, values, and sense of responsibility they gained at the university. Addressing his fellow graduates in his speech, Hamurcu said, “We are a generation sworn to seek and find healing wherever it may be and to keep people alive. In every step we take, in every scientific decision we make, our path is clear. The greatest responsibility and at the same time the greatest honor that our Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk entrusted to us is hidden in his words: ‘Entrust me to Turkish physicians.’”
Sohaib Alsalkhadi: “Humanity is at the heart of medicine.”
Sohaib Alsalkhadi, a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine, said, “We knew that becoming a doctor wouldn’t be easy, but we chose this path to touch human lives.” He added that long working hours, examination processes, and clinical experiences developed them academically and humanely. Alsalkhadi noted that there were difficulties as well as successes in this process, saying, “Sometimes we trusted ourselves, sometimes we doubted; “But every experience made us stronger.”
Emphasizing that medical education provides not only knowledge but also important values, Alsalkhadi stated that they learned patience, resilience, and the importance of teamwork. “We learned that medicine is never a solitary journey.” he said. Alsalkhadi noted that the relationship they built with patients was one of the most instructive experiences for them, adding that medicine is not just about treating illnesses, but also about listening, understanding, and giving hope. Addressing his fellow graduates, Alsalkhadi said, “We must continue to learn, because medicine never stops.” Stating that success cannot be measured solely by grades, Alsalkhadi said, “True success is measured by the impact we leave on the lives we touch.” Concluding his speech by saying “At the heart of medicine is humanity.”, Alsalkhadi wished all graduates success.
