Future Professions and Career Choices Discussed at SDU
Süleyman Demirel University (SDU), through its Science Communication Office and in cooperation with Isparta Municipality, organised a conference entitled “Explore Future Professions, Choose the Right University Programme” to guide prospective students during the university preference period.
At the conference, SDU faculty members Prof. Dr. Murat Ali Dulupçu, Prof. Dr. Ali Murat Alparslan and Prof. Dr. Ömer Lütfü Antalyalı shared their knowledge and experience with students on emerging professions, changes in the world of work and informed university choices.
Delivering the opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Ali Murat Alparslan stressed that the university preference period is one of the most important decision-making stages in young people’s lives. He encouraged students to make their choices by understanding their interests and abilities rather than allowing anxiety to drive their decisions. Following the announcement of the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) results, he noted, young people may experience contrasting feelings: “Welcome to my new life” and “What will my future look like?”
Prof. Dr. Alparslan warned that anxiety about the future can lead to rushed decisions and greater susceptibility to pressure from others. Advising students to take time to reflect, he observed that their chosen profession could shape approximately 40 years of their lives. Drawing on his own experience of selecting a university programme, he emphasised that students should consider their interests and aptitudes alongside examination scores. He framed the decision around two fundamental questions: “Where is the world heading?” and “Who am I?” He also thanked Isparta Mayor Şükrü Başdeğirmen and the municipal team for supporting the event.
Prof. Dr. Murat Ali Dulupçu addressed technological transformation, artificial intelligence and the future of work. He explained that, although AI and digitalisation are bringing significant changes, social transformation also depends on the quality of human resources, not solely on technological infrastructure.
Referring to youth employment in Türkiye, Prof. Dr. Dulupçu stated that the proportion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) was above 23%, underscoring the importance of equipping university graduates with a wider range of skills. He added that employers’ expectations now extend beyond technical expertise and foreign-language proficiency to include analytical thinking, critical thinking and learning agility.
The final speaker, Prof. Dr. Ömer Lütfü Antalyalı, discussed the effects of education and career choices on long-term happiness. Drawing on academic research, he stated that a considerable share of people’s major regrets relates to decisions about education and careers.
Throughout the conference, students had the opportunity to ask the academics questions about choosing the right university programme, emerging occupations, the effects of artificial intelligence on working life and career planning.