Gul: "Universities should spearhead Turkey's development"

The nation has great expectations of our universities, as they should lead Turkey's development in all areas, said President Abdullah Gul yesterday. Addressing a ceremony ushering in the 2009-2010 academic year at Istanbul University, Gul said that all institutions, including universities, need to renew themselves. "It is our priority to make Turkey a developed country, a country of prosperity with its citizens happy, and this is only possible through high-quality education," he added. Urging the country's universities to open up new horizons for Turkey, Gul said, "The place where highly qualified individuals are produced is universities." Gul also cautioned that to achieve these goals and to be able to effectively make necessary recommendations to society, universities should keep their distance from political disputes and instead focus on the big picture.