The congress organized by the Department of Sociology brought together 29 academics from Turkey, as well as from Germany, France, the USA, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Lebanon, Greece, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and Azerbaijan. In this regard, the event provided a meaningful environment for interaction not only in terms of academic content but also in terms of cultural diversity.
At the opening of the congress, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Kenan Aydın, Vice Deans Assoc. Prof. Emrah Doğan and Assoc. Prof. Özlem Tuğçe Keleş, and the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences Prof. Kamil Kaya were present. In their opening speeches, the Chair of the Department of Sociology, Assoc. Prof. Ayşe Aydın, emphasized the contribution of sociology to critical thinking, its relationship with philosophy, and its role in understanding and resolving contemporary social crises, while Prof. Kenan Aydın highlighted the international character of the congress. Prof. Kamil Kaya, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences and also a faculty member of the Department of Sociology, expressed his satisfaction with organizing such a scientific event on behalf of the department.
The congress was successfully hosted by Saadet Gül, a student from the Department of Sociology. The event, which consisted of seven sessions, covered a wide range of topics: from the social effects of artificial intelligence and digitalization to the role of emotions in everyday life; from debates on nation, identity, and political society to themes of resistance, critique, and alternative perspectives; from inquiries into ecology, capitalism, and the future to discussions on identity, women, and migration; and from the search for meaning to themes of life and death. Each session provided participants with the opportunity to analyze today’s complex social dynamics through the critical lenses offered by the disciplines of sociology and philosophy.
Throughout the congress, students from the Department of Sociology contributed not only as audience members but also by actively taking part in various organizational tasks, ensuring the smooth running of the event. This congress holds the distinction of being the first international congress organized by the Department of Sociology at Istanbul Gelisim University. With its timely themes and the quality of its interdisciplinary approaches, the event provided a significant academic platform. It stood out not only for its scholarly content but also for the diversity of its participants and the involvement of students. The discussions held in the shared intellectual space of sociology and philosophy offered an eye-opening experience for both participants and the audience. In this respect, the congress can be considered an important starting point for paving the way for similar scientific events in the future and for carrying the academic output of the Department of Sociology to a more visible and interactive level.
