Eskisehir, 28 September 1988
by
Sir John Daniel
Vice-Chancellor
The Open University
United Kingdom
Magnificent Rector of Anadolu University; Colleagues and Guests.
I am proud to have been made an honorary doctor of Anadolu University for services to your country, Turkey.
My role in serving your country has been very modest. I have simply tried, in a book, in articles, in speeches, and in conversations around the world, to draw attention to Turkish success.
I note in particular two individuals and one institution.
The first individual is, of course, Kamil Ataturk. How good it is to be with you to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey! You are rightly proud of the founder of your modern nation. I argue, as I travel the globe, that Kamil Ataturk was one of the great world figures of the 20th century. The values he promoted: democracy, secularism and literacy, are as important today as they were 75 years ago when he made them the basis for modern Turkey.
The second distinguished Turk whose work I proudly promote is here with us. Professor Yilmaz Buyukersen, the founding rector of this University. He is one of the great figures of modern Turkish education.
He has a remarkable breadth of talent and commitment. In Eskisehir he has created the most beautiful campus in Turkey. He has fostered the development of art and culture. He has pioneered education for children with disabilities. It is an honour to be here as Anadolu University, his creation, celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Kamil Ataturk and Yilmaz Buyukersen: many of you are aware of an interesting link between them. It was Yilmaz Buyukersen who sculpted the wax figure of Ataturk in the National Museum in Ankara. It expresses brilliantly the homage of a distinguished son of Turkey to the founder of your nation.
Finally, it has been my great pleasure to promote the achievements of Anadolu University to the world. In particular, I have publicised, in my book ‘Mega-Universities’ the work of the Open Education Faculty of Anadolu University.
Many people in Turkey, even in this distinguished audience, do not appreciate the global significance of the Open Education Faculty.
Today there is a revolution in higher education as countries use the technology of distance education to achieve something completely new: education of higher quality at lower cost.
Thanks to the pioneering work of Yilmaz Buyukersen Turkey now has a leading role in this vital movement. Thanks to its Open Education Faculty, Anadolu University is today the largest university in the world.
You should be proud. You should support the work of the Dean of the Open Education Faculty and his team of young and dynamic academics. They are now introducing a new generation of technology to ensure that Turkey continues to lead the world in making University education accessible and cost-effective. That is the way to rise to the inspiring challenge that President Demirel gave us this morning.
Magnificent Rector, Colleagues, Guests, Kamil Ataturk, Yilmaz Buyukersen and the Open Education Faculty of Anadolu University. These are the reasons that I am proud to be here today and honoured to become a Doctor of Anadolu University in such distinguished company.
Thank you.