Anatolia, the cradle of the earliest civilizations, has got a strenuous task: to cope with Europe that has gone through Renaissance, enlightenment, industrial revolution and information age during the last 500 years. And this target has to be reached in the shortest possible time. During this course of action, when the conflict between rural and urban life, dogmatism and rationalism is resumed, we will find ourselves either in ‘dark ages’ or among the ‘modern-day civilizations’.

During this critical transitional period, our responsibility as METU towards the society we live in is crucial. METU, in practice, has always assumed the role of a catalyst for the public at large. Alongside with social order that is changing, the instruments for the progress have to change, too. Hence, METU should consider an in-depth review of how to restructure its academic values, education methodologies and institutional role.

The universities owe their a-thousand-year, longstanding existence mainly due to this mechanism of continuous changes. Changes that are not only geared at the public, but also at the universities themselves!

Lately, parallel with the advances in S&T, the society and the interaction of the university with the society have changed. The borders defining the universities’ job description concerning research, education and public service are gradually diminishing. Universities have a new mission as focal points producing knowledge and transferring it to the people, their way of life and this is the bond that will keep hold of the two parties.

In this respect, the ultimate goal of METU is to be a world university by:

• Possessing and maintaining a high ranking among its counterparts worldwide
• Putting forward scientific and systematic solutions to problems
• Playing a significant role and having a strong say in the development of Turkey
• Responding to the dynamics of the society, as well as shaping up and restructuring the demands of the public at large
• Having an upper hand in taking initiatives
• Proceeding by its freewill

We should change: not because we are weak but because we are strong! This change should be accomplished without sacrificing our academic autonomy or alienating ourselves from our immediate and global environment, but by contributing to the society we live in. In a world where dynamism and uncertainty prevail and accelerate, METU has to change in a very resolute manner without having to give up its long established traditions. To administer this change, new schemes which will provide answers to the following questions should be designed:

1. What sort of an administration and leadership does METU need?
2. How can academic environment and social culture within the University be further improved?
1. Steps to be taken for safeguarding the sustainability and upholding of the quality of our academic life
2. A modified awarding and promotion system in reaching the targets
3. Restructuring the intellectual activities and modifying the publication criteria with the ultimate goal of fostering a positive change
4. Things to do to empower the synergy and reinforce the ‘METU spirit’ in keeping with the changing modalities.
3. How should we design our interaction with our immediate and global environment?
1. METU’s role in determining and reaching the social, economic, technological and cultural targets of the society
2. Means to increase our international well-being and influence
4. How can we reach excellence in both education and research? How can we define the affiliation between education, research and public service?
5. How should we develop our campuses to boost the strength, inspiration and supremacy of METU in Turkey and abroad?

METU, with its experience of 52 years, has the brain power to safeguard, defend and enrich those values that have been adopted since the declaration of the Turkish Republic. The main issue is to put this brain power into action.

I genuinely believe that critical and difficult days that are awaiting us in the near future can be overcome with the joint efforts of our academic and administrative staff, as well as students and alumni. Equipped with these deep-seated strong feelings and faith in each and every member of METU, I would like to announce my candidacy for the presidency of METU for the next four years.

Sharing the common goals and having the team spirit needed, we are capable of succeeding in all our endeavors towards serving the public, Turkey and civilization. Uniting our strengths and spirits we will produce the synergy needed!

With my kindest regards,