European University of Lefke (EUL) Faculty of Arts and Sciences organised the first event of the 2023-2024 Academic Year. Students studying in the departments of “Psychology” and “Molecular Biology and Genetics” and students in the Preparatory school showed great interest in the event. Welcoming the students with the opening speech at the event, the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Prof. Dr. Zihniye Okray stated, “Our main goal is to develop you academically. For this purpose, in addition to the activities we have planned throughout the year, we have planned the traditional social activities of our faculty for this year.” Okray emphasised that it is very enjoyable to study psychology, that students studying in this department should do a lot of reading and that it is important to be open to improving themselves throughout their lives. On the other hand, she stated that the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics welcomed its 3rd year with this semester and although it is new within our faculty, it is ready for the new semester with its studies and activities. Lastly, Okray mentioned the accreditations that the Psychology Turkish and English programmes received from FEDEK and AHPGS last semester and that this means having an internationally valid diploma and added, “You are lucky to have chosen the EUL Faculty of Arts and Sciences Psychology Department and to be here, because you are in a faculty that provides education as good as its peers and I have no doubt that you will be pleased to be here in the future.”

As part of the orientation days, department heads Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sultan Şehitoğlu Okumuşoğlu and Asst. Prof. Dr Emrah Güler informed the students that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences is a family that is growing day by day and after welcoming all students as members of this family, faculty members Asst. Prof. Dr. Doğa Şah, Asst. Prof. Dr. Umut Şah, Dr. Osman Dadaş, lecturer Beliz Köroğlu, and lecturer, Dilem Öke introduced themselves to the students.

Graduates shared their experiences and current positions with the new students 

After the orientation activities and informing the faculty students about the activities planned to be held throughout the year in both departments, Psychology Club President İrfan Kerelti and Vice President Gülsena Yaman provided information about the club. At the same time, it was announced that the President of the Molecular Biology and Genetics Student Club, Fatoumata Abdoulaye, and the deputy of the president, Sılay Çoban, will be responsible for the club this year. The class representatives for each department were elected with a loud applause with the support of all the students that attended the event. For the psychology students, video screenings were made for former graduates and new students about the EUL Psychology Department, their experiences and current positions. In addition, students who are currently studying for a master’s degree in EUL Psychology and who have recently graduated and did not turn down the invitation to the orientation day, explained the privileges of being from EUL with the excitement of the first day.

Towards the end of the orientation day, a “Time Capsule” activity was held with the students and then photographs were taken to immortalise the first event of this year. At the end of the event, the students of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences began to collect the first memories of the 2023-2024 Autumn term with the conversations and photo shoots outside the hall.