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March 9, 2021 Tuesday: Partly Cloudy 0°C / 12°C Volume 27 Wednesday: Partly Cloudy -1°C / 15°C Number 19 Thursday: Partly Cloudy 2°C / 10°C ISSN: 2458-8644 Friday: Partly Cloudy bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr İLKENT EWS -2°C / 10°C B Weekly Newspaper of Bilkent UniversityN Bilkent to Confer Honorary Doctorates on Özlem Türeci University Senate and Uğur Şahin Approves In- ast Friday, March 5, the conducting research on a vaccine Bilkent University Board against COVID-19 in January 2020 Person Midterm of Trustees approved the during the early days of the Exam Option University Senate’s pandemic. In cooperation with the proposal to bestow honorary pharmaceutical company Pfizer, s was the case for final Ldoctorates upon Dr. Özlem Türeci BioNTech developed the messenger examinations last semester, and Prof. Uğur Şahin. ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine this semester’s midterm As two of the founders of the BNT162b2. It was authorized for examinations will be held Germany-based biotechnology emergency use in the UK in online, with students logging into company BioNTech, Dr. Türeci and December 2020; approval in many virtualA “classrooms” to take the exams Prof. Şahin played a central role in immunology, as well as entrepreneurs other countries followed. The Pfizer– via Zoom. the development of a COVID-19 who have founded two companies. BioNTech vaccine is currently one of Alternatively, as per a decision vaccine in less than a year. Prof. Şahin is BioNTech’s CEO, while the leading vaccines being administered taken by the Bilkent University Senate Both Prof. Şahin and Dr. Türeci Dr. Türeci, as the company’s chief worldwide against COVID-19. on March 5, those students who wish (who are married to each other) are medical officer, is responsible for It is planned to hold a ceremony at to do so may take their midterms in a physicians and academics with a clinical research and development. Bilkent in the near future to confer physical classroom on campus (with a research background in oncology and BioNTech, founded in 2008, began the honorary doctorates. proctor present), upon the student’s request and the instructor’s agreement. Horizon 2020 to Fund Two Bilkent Faculty Members Students must make the request to sst. Prof. Ayşegül Dündar their instructor in advance. of the Department of Computer Engineering and Asst. Prof. Erdinç Tatar of The TDP the Department of Children’s Festival ElectricalA and Electronics Engineering have each been awarded Will Go On – Online a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions synthesis capabilities powered by deep Individual Fellowship (MSCA IF) neural networks. 3D image synthesis 2020 grant from the European is a technology in which objects can Commission. The grants are funded be rendered from different under the EU’s Horizon 2020 perspectives, enabling numerous research and innovation program; applications in computer graphics and only 14 researchers from Turkey computer vision. By providing realistic received MSCA IF grants this year. virtual 3D environments, it can provide Dr. Dündar will focus on 3D image tools for online (Continued on Page 3) Music Student’s Pieces Win International Recognition mre Eröz, a fourth-year for Contemporary Music and the Machina” was chosen second student in the Department of composition department of the among the four compositions Music’s Composition and Sichuan Conservatory of Music that won commissions for their Theory program, recently in China, his string quartet was composers. He is now writing his received first prize in an international awarded first prize. The commissioned piece, which Duo ach year, to celebrate National E Sovereignty and Children’s competition organized in China. In competition was open to all Signal will perform at a concert to addition, he was awarded a second-place students of any age from around be held in Switzerland in April. Day, the student volunteer commission following a global call for the world; Emre’s composition “Deus Ex Machina,” along organization TDP (Social scores by a Basel-based music duo, and was chosen from among 115 pieces with another of Emre’s pieces, “Smash Awareness Projects) holds a Children’s has also had two pieces published submitted by students in 22 countries. of Symmetry,” was also published in the EFestival on the Bilkent University Main online. A call for scores by the University of California Los Angeles’s Campus. The volunteers host In the Sun River Prize New Music saxophone–trombone/euphonium duo Online Music Library as a result of the approximately 400 children from the Composition Competition for Students, Signal attracted 162 entries from 44 Kaleidoscope 2020 Call for Scores, an target groups served by TDP projects, organized by the International Society countries. Emre’s piece “Deus Ex open access project. most of them socioeconomically disadvantaged children. The aim is to Computer Engineering Students Make Top 10 in give them a day where they can have as much fun as possible and that they will Programming Competition remember for a long time. wo teams from the participate in the qualification Unfortunately, the pandemic made it Department of round, held on December 12. impossible to plan for the event to take Computer The top three teams from each place in its usual format this year. But Engineering were of those universities went on to the volunteers were determined that, among the top 10 finishers in the the final round, held on for the children’s sake, it should still T go on, and came up with an alternative 2020 Online Programming December 26. Due to the Competition held by Inzva, an COVID-19 pandemic, the entire way – actually two ways – to hold the İstanbul-based hacker society event took place online. festival, in part by using the online dedicated to fostering the A team made up of Bilkent CS platform Zoom. abilities of Turkish students, students Oğuzhan Özçelik, Although the volunteers are calling with a focus on algorithms and Yusuf Nevzat Şengün and Osman this year’s event the TDP Online artificial intelligence. Orhan Uysal took second place. Children’s Fest, they were well aware While a total of 585 individuals Another team of CS students, with while making their plans that not all of from 25 universities applied to enter members Ziya Mukhtarov, Yusuf Ziya the children they wanted to include the competition, 156 teams from 14 Özgül and Hasan Yıldırım, came in would have access to Zoom. Therefore, universities were deemed eligible to eighth in the competition. (Continued on Page 3) Bilkent News 2 OPINIONS & FEATURES use this word? authority over us. We also overcommit creates all those high expectations What makes saying no so difficult? in order to show others our that cause you stress. Believing that opportunities capabilities and dedication. However, shouldn’t be missed never using the word “no” creates the How to say no Having this core belief is what makes opposite effect, by hiding our values First, ask, “How are we going to do some of us “overachievers.” We tend and priorities as an individual. this?” ŞEBNEM TÜRE (PSYC/III) to say yes to all the opportunities we Being afraid to seem selfish This question can help you avoid [email protected] encounter, thinking we might not Especially in social contexts, we have a unreasonable demands and remind have those chances again. Some are way of not making ourselves a priority others to take a second look at what he Most Powerful Word indeed really not to be missed, but it’s so that we don’t feel or appear they’re asking and whether it’s doable. You Can Ever Say to also true that they’re endless. Not “selfish.” The truth is that we can’t Say “Let me think about it” instead. Someone being able to turn down an pour from an empty cup, and looking Especially if you feel like you’ve Simple, extremely opportunity makes you overly stressed, after ourselves should always be a been put on the spot, buy yourself useful,T yet so challenging to say: always running from one project to priority. Self-care does not equal some time and think about whether “No.” the next. You can’t do all the things selfishness. saying “yes” will do you more harm Many people struggle to say this that you think might be beneficial for Believing you should just because than good. Also, by asking for time to word when they encounter new you. In the end, having a lot on your you can think first, you can give the matter projects, plans for socializing, plate will do more harm than good. Many obligations we think we have more consideration and avoid acting requests for help, or even requests to on impulse. do things they shouldn’t. But saying Remember to keep it simple. the word “no” has great benefits; a Saying a simple “no” is much more very important one is the way it helps powerful than giving a hundred you set your boundaries. By learning excuses. You don’t need to explain to say no, you’ll be able to set healthy your reasons for saying no in great limits for yourself and for what others detail, and you don’t need to make up can demand from you. You’ll feel excuses for others’ validation. Just more confident and better able to give your reasons confidently and, of communicate your values. You’ll have course, courteously. a better sense of what those values Build mutual respect. are. Most importantly, you’ll spend Desiring to please others all the time may actually be artificial. Be careful Don’t leave others hanging. If you your precious time only on what We learn from a very young age that what responsibilities you take on.