The “Unforgettable Figures Exhibition” exclusively prepared by academic artists from the Near East University Faculty of Fine Arts and Design and artists from the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts, will open on Thursday, January 29th, at 4:00 PM at the GÜNSEL Art Museum Exhibition Hall, in memory of Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan, the Rector of Near East University, whose third death anniversary has just passed. The opening ceremony will be performed by the Minister of Interior, Dursun Oğuz.

The exhibition, dedicated to Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan, who served as rector of Near East University for 23 years and passed away in 2023, will bring together 50 works of art including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and prints. The “Unforgettable Figures Exhibition,” which is also the 479th exhibition of the Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts, can be visited free of charge every weekday from 08:00 to 16:00 until January 16th.

Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Ergün: “We invite all art lovers to witness this shared feeling of loyalty.”

Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Ergün, Rector’s Advisor at Near East University and Director of the GÜNSEL Art Museum, who curated the exhibition, said, “The works exclusively prepared by our artists for this exhibition will make visible, through the universal language of art, the traces of our late rector, Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan, which continue to live on in our memories and in our institutional culture.”

Prof. Dr. Ergün also reminded that Near East University is among the top 500 universities in the world. Ergün said, “The legacy left by Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan at our university over 30 years, including 23 years as rector, holds a very valuable place in the successes our university has achieved today. To commemorate this esteemed scientist once again and to enjoy an evening filled with art, I invite all art lovers to our ‘Unforgettable’ exhibition.”

Who is Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan?

Born in Istanbul in 1943, Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan was among the leading figures in Turkish intellectual life and higher education. A graduate of Ankara University’s Faculty of Political Sciences, Prof. Dr. Hassan completed his doctorate in public law and state theories.

Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan, who attracted attention early on with his academic work, was awarded the Sedat Simavî Social Sciences Award in 1985. He taught for many years at numerous prestigious universities, primarily Ankara University and Middle East Technical University. His work in the fields of political thought history, the social and political structure of the Ottoman Empire, and the history of Islamic and Turkish thought has made significant contributions to the literature.

Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan, who began his tenure at Near East University in 1993, served as the university’s rector from 2000 onwards, a position he held for approximately 23 years. His academic background, managerial vision, and dedication to educating individuals played a decisive role in the development of Near East University. A multifaceted scholar, Prof. Dr. Ümit Hassan left behind a strong academic legacy and countless students he mentored.