The opening ceremony was attended by Prof. Dr. İbrahim Aksel, General Manager of Pamukkale Teknokent A.Ş.; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Koray Şarkaya, Director of Sarayköy Vocational School; Metin Bitim, Denizli Provincial Director of Industry and Technology; Ahmet Taş, Director of Denizli Organized Industrial Zone; Şevket Kalkan, Serinhisar District Gendarmerie Commander; Selim Vural, Serinhisar District Police Chief; Ali Durmuş, Denizli Provincial Representative of the Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA); Emre Verim, Denizli Provincial Representative of the T3 Foundation; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tamer Baran, Denizli Representative of UDEF and President of UDER; Serdar Çiftçi, President of the IHH Denizli Branch; directors of provincial and district public institutions, political party representatives, NGO managers, academics, students, and numerous other guests.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Engin Tan delivered the opening speech, noting that the vocational school had gained significant momentum since its establishment. He stated: “Pamukkale University Serinhisar Vocational School was founded in 2016 under the leadership of the philanthropist Cevriye Esen from Serinhisar and began its activities in the 2019–2020 academic year. Today, it continues its education with three active programs and has achieved an occupancy rate of over 98%.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tan also recalled the Higher Education Council’s call to draw attention to human rights violations in Gaza during this year’s opening lectures, noting that Serinhisar VS organized its opening lecture under the title ‘Page of Humanity, Journey of Conscience: Gaza from Generation to Generation’. Addressing the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, Tan emphasized that “knowledge does not gain meaning unless it is combined with ethics, compassion, and a sense of justice.”

Opening Lecture Delivered by Denizli MP Şahin Tin

The opening lecture was delivered by AK Party Denizli MP and Deputy Chair of the TBMM Industry, Trade, Energy, Natural Resources, Information and Technology Commission, Şahin Tin. In his lecture titled “Page of Humanity, Journey of Conscience: Gaza from Generation to Generation”, Tin drew attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza: “Gaza is not just a geography; it is a mirror of humanity’s conscience,” he said, noting that the genocide that began on October 7, 2023, has continued before the eyes of the world. “This is not a war; it is an attempt to completely annihilate a people. Every hour, a child in Gaza is cruelly taken from life. Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey has considered standing by the oppressed as both a moral and historical duty.” MP Tin emphasized that Turkey plays an active role in many areas, from diplomacy to humanitarian aid, and that the peace efforts for Gaza reflect a diplomacy centered on justice.

At the end of the program, a plaque was presented to Şahin Tin in commemoration of the day, along with a specially crafted sword unique to Serinhisar, made by Ömer Altıntaş, owner of Kılıçustası. Tin thanked the organizers for the meaningful gift and wished success to the Serinhisar VS family. The ceremony concluded with participants taking a group photo.