At the meeting held at the Pamukkale University Rectorate, Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmud Güngör, in his presentation titled “365 Days at PAU,” emphasized that the work carried out with an understanding of “participatory leadership and transparent management” focused on “workplace harmony” had moved the university to a stronger position both nationally and internationally.

Rector Güngör stated that with the new management approach, the first step focused on strengthening institutional belonging at Pamukkale University, while transparency and participation were brought to the forefront in management processes. He emphasized that a new quality-oriented era had begun with the comprehensive update made to the academic evaluation system after 20 years.

“Our Management Theme: Workplace Harmony”

Stating that they had aimed for transformation in institutional management from the first day they took office, Rector Güngör said, “We adopted an understanding of participatory leadership and created a transparent and accountable management model. In this way, we aimed to ensure workplace harmony. We took important steps that strengthened institutional belonging at our university.”

“We Strengthened Our Campus with New Investments”

Drawing attention to the investments made in the last year, Güngör shared the following information: “We carried out maintenance-repair and infrastructure investments for our university. Examples include the new 10,000-square-meter building of our Faculty of Dentistry Application Hospital, whose construction is ongoing; our new 12,000-square-meter building housing our Faculties of Law and Architecture, which is about to be completed; and the creation of 6,000 square meters of new educational spaces at Denizli Technical Sciences Vocational School. We increased the size of green areas on our campus to 260,000 square meters.”

“A Radical Change in Academic Quality After 20 Years”

Evaluating the steps taken to improve academic quality, Rector Güngör said, “We updated the promotion and appointment criteria for faculty membership for the first time after 20 years. In the last year, with 11 undergraduate, 7 associate degree, and 18 new accreditations, we increased the total number of accredited departments/programs to 20.”

Güngör stated that they had expanded the university’s educational range with new academic units and programs and added that they had introduced new initiatives in the fields of artificial intelligence, digital agriculture, and engineering.

More Than 200 Scientific Research Projects

By strengthening project diversity and support capacity within our Scientific Research Projects (BAP) Coordination Unit, we provided support to 289 Scientific Research Projects with a budget of 230 million. Among 207 Scientific Research Projects (16 TÜBİTAK, 118 TÜBİTAK Student Projects, 3 TÜSEB Projects, 5 EU Projects, 65 TTO Projects), completed; there are 92 research projects (2 TÜBİTAK Projects, 37 TÜBİTAK Student Projects, 1 TÜSEB Project, 52 TTO Projects), ongoing; and 115 research projects (14 TÜBİTAK Projects, 81 TÜBİTAK Student Projects, 2 TÜSEB Projects, 5 EU Projects, 13 TTO Projects). With more than 200 TÜBİTAK, European Union, and similar externally funded projects carried out within Pamukkale University in the last year, we continue to move forward decisively in scientific quality and research.

“We Are a Global University with 1,470 Agreements in 41 Countries”

Drawing attention to the success achieved in the field of internationalization, Rector Prof. Dr. Güngör said, “Today, we have reached a total of 1,470 agreements with 67 universities in 41 countries. This strong global network has significantly increased the international visibility of our university.”

“We Signed 54 Protocols with Public Institutions and Industry”

Referring also to university-industry and public collaborations, Güngör said, “Within one year, we signed 54 institutional protocols, bringing our university together more strongly with national and local institutions and the sector. Thanks to these collaborations, we both provided practical opportunities for our students and contributed to regional development.”

“A Major Leap in Sports and Student Achievements”

Stating that student-oriented efforts had yielded results, Güngör said, “Our university rose from 82nd place to 7th place in the Türkiye University Sports Federation ranking. Our athletes achieved significant success by winning 10 gold, 11 silver, and 16 bronze medals.”

“Digitalization in Healthcare and Service Quality Are Being Improved”

Referring also to the work carried out at Pamukkale University Hospitals, Rector Prof. Dr. Güngör stated that the digital transformation process in healthcare services had accelerated and that service quality had been improved through new investments. He also noted that the tender stage had been reached for transforming the Karahayıt Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center into an accommodation-based facility.

“An Active Campus with Hundreds of Events”

Emphasizing that campus life and social contribution are among the university’s fundamental missions, Güngör said, “We carried out numerous activities ranging from blood donation campaigns to social responsibility projects, from educational activities to awareness events. Within the scope of ‘Family Year 2025,’ with more than 100 events organized, more than 200 events organized by our units, and more than 800 events organized by our student communities, our campus remained active at all times.”

“We Will Continue to Carry Pamukkale University into the Future”

Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmud Güngör concluded his statement with the following words: “We have covered significant distance in a short period such as 365 days. However, we see this as a beginning. We will continue our work with determination and speed toward the goal of being a university that produces science, adds value to society, and has a voice internationally.”