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The first World Universities Congress (WUC) was organized and hosted by Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University between October 20–24, 2010 to discuss the question of the responsibilities and duties of universities in the face of global problems.[1]
The president of the Congress was Prof. Dr. Ali Akdemir, the Rector of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, and the co-chair was Prof. Dr. Enver Duran, the Rector of Trakya University. Furthermore, the honorary president of the Congress became Prof. Pier Ugo Calzolari who is the former Rector of Bologna University and the Vice President of the International Association of Universities (IAU). During the Congress, an attempt was made to establish the changes that need to be made by politicians, businessmen, NGOs, students, and universities in order to properly deal with the new global agenda. The most important emphasis of the congress was that “universities must adapt the innovations by undertaking new missions”.
Many countries and universities from around the world—250 universities, along with numerous rectors, academicians, politicians, and representatives of non-governmental organizations from 50 countries—attended the Congress. This included representatives from Australia, with delegates from 10 universities, Germany with its numerous universities, various European countries, the USA, Balkan countries, and African, and Asian countries. In total, 400 papers were published in the Congress proceedings. Roughly 500 speakers, including panelists, session speakers, keynote speakers, and those who presented their papers, contributed to the Congress.[2]
During the Congress, Onsekiz Mart University hosted 400 invited guests, and approximately 1,000 domestic and foreign participants were accommodated in hotels in Çanakkale. The preparations for the Congress lasted 4 years, with full support from all institutions and corporations in Çanakkale.
The overarching theme prevalent in all Congress papers is the emphasis on the importance of attaining a significant and meaningful position in business, social, and political life, or within NGOs, which depends on obtaining a university degree from an institution that provides highly qualified education. However, it was discussed that simply awarding degrees is insufficient; the roles and missions of universities need to be expanded and redefined. Today, universities cannot fulfill their functions by isolating themselves from social and humanitarian issues and crises. In addition to their traditional functions of training/educating, research, and public service, universities should adopt missions aimed at the prevention and resolution of global terrorism, global warming, natural disasters, crises, global starvation, income inequality, inadequate health and education services, regional conflicts, and disasters resulting from global migration. Statistics on global terrorism, high arms expenditure, global starvation, regional conflicts, peacekeeping expenditures, income inequality, inadequate health and education services, global migration, unemployment, environmental pollution, global warming, and poverty underscore the need for universities to intervene both qualitatively and quantitatively.
To address the question "What can world universities do to prevent global problems?", the following themes were discussed during the Congress:
- Evolution of the University Concept: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives
- Understanding and preventing global climate change
- Preventing global terrorism
- Eradicating global poverty
- Solving the problems of global migration
- Eradicating inequalities in income distribution
- Eradicating injustice in healthcare services
- Eradicating inequality in educational opportunities
- Proposing solutions for environmental pollution
- Preventing regional conflicts and the outbreak of new conflicts
- Securing world peace
- Protecting cultural heritage
- Developing permanent solutions for fast population growth
- Enhancing Non-Governmental Organization's Impact on Local and International Development.
Following the closing panel of WUC, a global organization of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, a declaration was released to the World with the participation of many scholars who are experts in their fields in accordance with the outputs of the Congress.
During the closing panel which was carried out under the presidency of the vice-president of the International Association of Universities Prof. Pier Ugo Calzolari, distinguished scholars made speeches respectively; Prof. Dr. Ali Akdemir, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Rector; Prof. Ute Stoltenberg, Leuphana University Lueneburg; Prof. Dr. Enver Duran, Rector of Trakya University; Prof. Dr. Hilmi Ibar, Dean of Education Faculty of Trakya University, Dr. Garik Gutman, NASA; Assoc. Dr. John Hall, Deakin University; Prof. Dr. Mahir Nakip, Deputy Rector of Ahmet Yesevi University; Prof. Dr. Herald Hauptmann, Heidelberg University; Prof. Dr. Bernd Martin, Rector of Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Loerrach and Prof. Dr. Jack Hawkins, Rector of Troy University.
The findings of the Congress indicated that the main tasks of universities cannot be restricted only to training-education, research, and public service subjects. As the global problems mentioned above are continually increasing and becoming more acute, universities cannot isolate themselves from these issues. They must become more involved and assume different roles to try and respond to some of the issues facing society. They can be active participants in many processes, and take on new roles, such as peacemaker, mediator, entrepreneur, initiator, interactive participant, and the like. They can make recommendations to authorities and administrators, for example, that a reduction in the funds allocated to armaments must be transferred to university research projects in order to provide everybody with a more peaceful world. It will only then be possible to create an environment without hunger, poverty, conflicts, and war. In this context, universities should reconstruct their institutions to offer solutions to global and chronic problems.
Higher education now constitutes an international sector, and universities must seize the opportunities presented to them, cooperate and interact with NGOs and other institutions, and train professionals, employees, administrators, and leaders who can function and respond to the needs of a changing world. The new generation of university administrators must emerge from their universities; rectors must become entrepreneurs and generate resources for high-quality research and service to the community locally and globally.
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