Arkın Creative Arts and Design University (ARUCAD) held the ARUCAD 1st Education Workshop where veteran educator and writer Sadık Gültekin participated as a speaker. In addition to nearly 90 fine arts high school principals, from 60 Turkish provinces.
On the first day of the ARUCAD 1st Training Workshop held between 28-31 March, ARUCAD Rector Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi opened the proceedings with a welcome speech. Following this, a video screening of ARUCAD Founder Erbil Arkın’s TEDx ARUCAD (2019) talk on “Reaching the Stars” was shown to the invited guests. The programme continued with the seminar, “The Importance of Field-Oriented Education” given by veteran educator and writer Sadık Gültekin. On the first day of the workshop organised for fine arts high school principals from Turkey, a tour of the workshops, studios and laboratories in the ARUCAD Campus was held and the opportunities for the university students were experienced. The guests also had the opportunity to visit the collection belonging to the Founder of the University, Erbil Arkın of 27 pieces of original work by Auguste Rodin, one of the most important sculptors in art history.
In his opening speech on the first day of the workshop, ARUCAD Rector Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi thanked his guests for their participation in the ARUCAD 1st Training Workshop. Vehbi, who described the advantages of studying in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Girne, and the founding purposes, educational vision and philosophy of the university said, “It is a valuable step forward to host at our campus, esteemed high school administrators such as yourselves who, like ARUCAD, provide art-oriented education. The steps we take in cooperation with you will make us feel the happiness of being an art bridge between our two countries. We aim to strengthen our cultural relations with the artistic projects we carry out together in the forthcoming period.”
Veteran educator and writer Sadık Gültekin, who took part in the workshop programme, focused on the importance of making a difference and being different in hıs seminar titled, ‘The Importance of Field-Oriented Education’. He stated that fields such as psychology and law had been preferred in the past, and therefore job opportunities decreased. Gültekin said, “There are more career opportunities in field-oriented departments such as Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design, Digital Game Design, which are among the rising trends of the future.”
Talking about the pressure of labels on young people and the importance of creativity, Gültekin said that while accessing education was easy, a conscious education process blended with quality and awareness was difficult. Gültekin continued his speech by saying, “The learning process includes practice as well as theory. I believe that if this matter, which we feel is deficient, is resolved, more successful and happy young people will develop.”
Gültekin stated that exams alone were not a factor in the success scale but that a creative, open-minded and courageous generation that is unafraid of experimentation would carry them forward, adding that success lay in the heart of people doing their work with love. The seminar ended with a 12-minute documentary based on the idea that, ’We must not give up in the face of difficulties’.
The workshop ended with cultural tours to Kyrenia, Nicosia and Famagusta. The ARUCAD 1st Education Workshop, in which the happiness of being a student in Cyprus, Girne and ARUCAD was emphasised, is a first on the Island specially held for fine arts high school principals.