Do you have suggestions for new professors and students ?
Zehra : My suggestion to students is the make the most of the opportunities a campus university that METU offers in terms of social activities , sports , interdisciplinary courses ( language , programming , mathematics , psychology , etc .). I suggest first year students to make a special e ffort to improve their reading , listening and speaking English language skills . A good start during the first year usually follows in the later years . I also suggest that the students make the most of the knowledge of the research assistants and the academ ic staff and not be discouraged if they are not given the appropriate attention the first time .
Haluk : To new professors I suggest no t to isolate themselves from three things : i . the economic / political issues of Turkey , ii . the colleagues in the departmen t and iii . the students . I realize that these do not count to wards promotion points in the publish or perish world . One has to find the appropriate balance between building up promotion scores in isolation and relating to the society at large . The students entering the department each year are selected fro m a growing number of candidates and are getting more selective and intelligent . They may be lacking the motivation and interest but this is where the professors can contribute . They must work harder and be more innovative to be able to contribute to this new generation of students .
What do you think are the most important Economic challenges in Turkey ?
Zehra : I would put unequal distribution of income and wealth , employment and unrecorded economy to the top of my list .
Haluk : On the technical side one can count the |
classical issues like inflation , current account |
deficits , high interest , low savings , etc . but the |
political instability and the related expenditures |
are serious bottlenecks . A significant por tion of |
resources |
is |
wasted |
in |
wars , |
anti -terror |
expenditures , |
non-accounted |
spendings , |
and |
leakages , etc . |
|
|
|
If it is ok to ask , how did you meet ? Did economics play a role there ?
Zehra and Haluk : We met as students in the economics department at METU . Of course economics played a role . As we said earlier , students in the faculty chose their departments during their third years . We both entered the faculty to become managers , but two of our professors Prof . Görün and Prof . Çakmak convinced us at the last moment to select economics instead . We than went on to graduate work at the University of Wisconsin at Madison , USA and got married there .
What were the advantages and disadvantages of working in the same department as a couple ?
Haluk : Let me start with the advantages . You speak the same language and help and co mplement each other . You understand each other much better . The university becomes your second home .
Zehra : These more the advantages of being in the same profession . Being in t he same department is not easy . You must many times co mpete for a post , prize , job , even lecture hour . Many times you must give two as individuals but receive one as a couple . So there are many occasions where one of us had to sacrifice , or postpone wants .
Haluk : Unfortunately we had to put up with the difficulties as there was only one best institution we both wanted to be part of and to give that one up would be too large a sacrifice neither one of us would accept .
I know that your son chose to pursue his career in academics as well . Did you support him on this discussion or kno wing the challenges were you against it ?
Zehra and Haluk : Our son who also graduated fro m METU with a double major in electrical and electronic engineering and computer engineering . He went on to graduate work in the USA and is no w a professor at TOBB ETU . He is also married to , another METU graduate , professor of management in the same university . Although we have supported , we had very little to say regarding his choices . He made all the decisions , financed his education and chose his fields of work . Our opinions and help were requested more by our students , relatives , friends than our own son . Talking to other colleagues this is not very unusual .
What do you like to do in your spare time during your retirement period ?
Zehra : Here is the percentage distribution of my time-use during retirement : Social Networks : 10 %, Academic : 20 %, Family Socializing : 30 %, Personal and Elderly Health Issues : 20 %, Travel 20 %.
Haluk : The percentage distribution of my time -use during retirement is as follo ws : Social Networks : 10 %, Research / Consultancy : 20 %, Family Socializing : 20 %, Personal and Elderly Health Issues : 30 %, Travel 20 %.
Thank you for the nice interview . It was a pleasure to talk with you again .
Interview : September 2015
Department of Economics Newsletter 5