28th NOVEMBER 2015 THE SUMMIT OF CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND INVESTMENTS

The journey of Girne American University's Global Science family began many years ago in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1985. Since then, we have always acted with the vision of the future and globalism as we reach our 30th anniversary. With international accreditations and training programs that we have, we aim to cross the borders by not allowing us to fit into our own shell.  That’s why Girne American University has become a giant brand by forming an amazing network of information all over the world with its generic campuses in America, Britain and Turkey as well as Hong Kong and Sri Lanca. The beginning of April 20th, 2012 was the first return of Girne American University to the homeland and we opened our campus in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, which is now, in the last phase of being a foundation.  I do feel today  here with you the same pride, excitement and faith that I felt that day, and I sincerely share the happiness of our beloved  founders, directors and esteemed employees of  GAU American College of Silifke and  also the happiness of  our esteemed parents and their beloved children.

In order to spread the brand of Girne American University School Group under the umbrella of “American College” in homeland, Turkey, about a year ago, we took the first steps to spread our names, but more importantly, our institutional values. ?? In addition to the accreditation and the equivalence obtained  from the international organizations such as the Council of International School (CIS), the European Council of International Schools and the European Federation of Schools, we also wanted to expand our global network more with the vision of Girne American University to benefit from all the occasions and the opportunities of  its campuses  by serving as a test centre of  Edexcel  and  Cambridge University on each campus or  franchise institution of  GAU  American College.

We are in a great happiness of having met with the management team that has a very valuable and contemporary education vision in the foundation process and the first years of GAU American College in Silifke.

By adopting a system that considers the unique development process of each student and by preparing a special education module for each one of them, with the awareness of the importance of English language in today’s world, we, as GAU American College, aim to educate individuals who will speak English nativelike, who are successful and meticulous, and who have advanced verbal abilities and more important than that, as happy and honest individuals with moral values. We also want our students to cross their boundaries and reach beyond their own limits. Here, our campuses will enable you to be a part of this perfect system with the academic staff members of our university.

In order to keep up with the requirements of today's globalizing world and to form a career plan, all students should be well prepared for university life, starting from early ages with the right management and planning according to their own personal skills and abilities.

As a member of GAU Global Science family we embrace GAU American College Silifke, that has an expert management and academic staff to take the education level constantly forward in order to teach our dear students to question themselves and to improve their own decision mechanisms by means of student-oriented approaches and the educational programs assisted by games and to guide the students' future life starting from the first years of their education through international exams.

We are here today, as Girne American University and GAU Schools Group, with 20.000 graduates, students from 105 different countries and academic staff from 50 different countries all over the world.

Now, our esteemed graduates, as opinion leaders all over the world, continue to make us proud and feel the privilege of being our graduates of Girne American University and GAU Group of Schools in many different fields from art to law, from architecture to tourism and from communication to education.

Today is a historic day for all of us at this point! We also light a torch here with distinguished GAU American College Silifke.

I sincerely wish that one day our beloved students will take the educational torch from our hands to the highest points in their lives, and they will tell us about the new technology, systematics or a new invention or discovery.

I wish all the best to all students, beloved teachers and all our academic and administrative staff for 2015-2016 Academic Years.

We, GAU Schools Group and Girne American University Global Science family, will always be with you with our great support. I hope, you'll always remember us. We are on a road, a road that we cannot stop. We are one and this is us!

I am honoured to welcome you on behalf of the Girne American University Global Science Family to the On the Road to Peace: The Summit of Cyprus International Cooperation and Investment.

It is a great pleasure to host this summit organized by the International diplomats in Turkey and the European Business Club and held by Girne American University under the auspice of Ömer Kalyoncu, the Prime Minister of TRNC.

Today, we welcome very valuable local and foreign businessmen and investment partners from the Republic of Turkey, our homeland, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the world. I believe that our summit will be the beginning of valuable business partnerships, new projects and initiatives “On the Road to Peace”.

The Summit of Cyprus International Cooperation and Investment will be a turning point in the creation of strong and long-term investment dynamics in Northern Cyprus. The opinion leaders in this hall hold the key to feeding, implementing and inspiring these dynamics.

As we evaluate the sector plans and opportunities that will pave the way for private sector investments, I hope that the Summit of Cyprus International Cooperation and   Investment will be a great opportunity not only for Northern Cyprus in terms of regional plans and opportunities for private sector investments but also for the development of the investment and living space of the whole island. Business and political leaders, who truly embrace the concept of globalization, have a major role to play in finding the solution that is applicable to all citizens. From this point of view, today, not only the post-solution but also the common way to reach a solution will be discussed in a detailed way.

We are at a critical point for Cyprus and Cypriots. A critical moment: For the first time in years, the political desire and the necessary mobility have been provided for the purpose of solving the Cyprus problem. The positive news from the negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations are the promising footsteps of a new and brave Cyprus.

With the discovery of natural gas reserves on the coasts of the island, the world's attention has focused on Europe's last divided country. Following this discovery, US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Cyprus and he is the highest-ranking government official who has visited Cyprus for over 50 years. In his speech he made as soon as he landed on the island, he emphasized that his visit shows the importance given by the United States to the cooperation between the two countries.

The extraction of natural gas coincided with the economic crisis in the South and the financial crisis in Greece. As a result, it is a well-known fact that Cyprus is facing considerable financial difficulties related to export options. With the discovery of natural gas reserves, the European has found a new hope of reducing the dependence on Russian gas reserves. This will be the easiest way through Turkey.

Today we are also here to talk about creating new opportunities in our own home. Now is the time to go back in time and to say welcome again those who left because of the lack of opportunities. As we all know, if a country is to compete in the global economy, foreign investments will play a key role. However, the idea of ??foreign investors has been neglected on the island for years. At this point, economic and political isolations have been shown as an excuse for the silence in this matter. Today, we aim to put an end to this silence with this summit. I‘d like to say with your permission that an investment in here is not a miracle or impossible. Today, I am among you not just as the President of the Board of Directors of Girne American University, but also as the Founding Rector. We set out with the vision of establishing a different university in the foundation phase of Girne American University.

Our main aim was to carry out a university movement that would cross the borders of this small island. At this point, I am honoured to say that we have gone through an important process and taken great steps.

Girne American University, with a vision of three continents and one university is the only university that has crossed the borders and established branches in U.S.A., England, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Turkey. We have accomplished all these establishments and running processes of a global university together with our team, on our campus in Girne, which is only 15 minutes away from here.

As we advance towards our 50th anniversary with confident and decisive steps, our new initiatives and attempts have been rising up to gain momentum.

As we continue to follow the process of obtaining approval for numerous new academic programs from YÖK and the leading accreditation institutions of the world and  to renew itself at all times, we also continue to create new living spaces in our university and affiliates.

Just recently, we opened the newest GAU American College equipped with the latest technology and gave the first franchise of American College brand to Mersin.

I hope that the success story of GAU, in terms of investment in our island, will be a light that will give you encouragement and motivation. As I conclude, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those who have contributed to our summit which is being held in a timely manner and I hope that this summit will only be the first to be followed by the others.

I extend my endless thanks to you for being here and sharing the moment with us.