To celebrate the 20th year of our university, we have prepared a set of four questions to ask faculty and administrative personnel who have been with us since the beginning, and to our first students. They all tell "the story of 20 years" from their own perspectives.
Going in alphabetical order, this week's interviewee for "The Story of 20 Years" is Mümin Özkan.
Mümin Özkan has been a member of the Sabancı University family since 12 May 1997. Mümin Özkan, who has been working in the Financial Affairs department at Sabancı University for 23 years, started as an accounting officer and has been serving as the Financial Operations Manager since 2014.
Mümin Özkan’s answers to our four questions are below.
What was your initial memory / impression of when you met Sabancı University for the first time?
M.Ö: My first meeting with Sabancı University took place immediately after the end of my military service.
I remember listening with pleasure to the late Hüsnü Paçacıoğlu talking about works related to the establishment of the university at length and enthusiastically in the 17th floor of the Sabancı Holding building.
As for the job, “Can you do the work manually, even without the help of a calculator?”, he asked me, of course, due to the lack of alternative accounting/finance software in the circumstances of that time. I still remember that in the face of that question, I suddenly found myself preparing payroll on paper manually and excitedly telling him how it was done.
This dialogue was actually the beginning of 23 years for both of us.
Him saying “Take a week off and then start with the same excitement” since my military service was just recently over is one of the important anecdotes that remain in my mind.
It is a great honor for me to be a part of this family for many years as the university was founded, developed, and grew.
What are the differences between yourself 20 years ago and yourself today, and how did Sabancı University contribute to that change?
M.Ö: For me, to age, grow and celebrate together with my university for 23 years are precious experiences that few people find the opportunity to enjoy. For this reason, I can admit that I am one of the lucky few.
Over the years, as I moved and improved together with my university in line with universal values and goals, I have experienced in this organization that I can recognize myself and what I can do and add value to people and the organization, as well as that there is a great need for different perspectives in an ever-changing and developing world, and that it is important and possible to make a difference in everything we do. In this sense, I can say that Sabancı University has added universality to my point of view.
In summary, I have always been very proud and continue to be proud of being a part of this beautiful family, which contains great and universal riches in it.
What comes into your mind when you think of Sabancı University in 20 years? What are your dreams for Sabancı University for the next 20 years? What about yourself?
M.Ö: What comes to mind when Sabancı University is mentioned is 20 years later, when I think of Sabancı University, I hope that it will continue to be known as a private university that uses the technology in every field and at the highest level, contributes to the advancement of technology, continues to be an example and pioneer with its students, graduates, academics, and employees, and continues to be a school that is respected in every platform with its contributions to society and education.
Organizations are like plane trees. They live for centuries in the right hands. I know that we have many valuable and determined hands at Sabancı University. My wish is that these precious hands will multiply and this organization will survive FOR CENTURIES LIKE PLANE TREES in its long life cycle.
Just like everyone else, what I wish is a life full of health, happiness, and peace. All this would be great if this occurs with my loved ones next to me, under a blue sky, among the green of the nature, and on the shore of the sea. This is my dream.
Where and how would you be now if your paths hadn't crossed with Sabancı University?
M.Ö: My first instinct would be to say “I have crossed paths.”
Since I grew with Sabancı University, I have never thought about going back to the beginning and asking where and how I would be. We walked together, we improved together, we grew together.
As Mevlana said applying to my case: "everything becomes what it deserves to be.”