GAU: “Our job is to create a happy individual and sound community."

Students of the Occupational Therapy Department, which provides education only in GAU between the North Cyprus universities and has YÖK equivalence, continue their studies to create awareness within the scope of social responsibility.

Ergo-therapy Department students carried out some activities by splitting into 3 different groups on Girne American University (GAU) Cyprus Kyrenia Campus to draw attention to occupational therapy (Ergo-therapy) and to raise awareness on the World Occupational Therapy (Ergo-therapy) Day.

Students organized a workshop with characterized people with vision, hearing and speaking disabilities and assessed the response of people on campus, then later they explained what occupational therapy is, its purpose and mission.

GAU stated that occupational therapy is a health discipline that is in charge of improving the state of being, quality of life and health of individuals with activity and participation restrictions, individuals and groups that marginalize outside of the community and help them to participate in self-care, work and health activities with a therapeutic approach and emphasized that the main objective of Ergo-therapy is improving the individual’s potential abilities with meaningful and different activities and ensuring their participation and independence in daily activities, reintroducing them to the community and preparing society.

“Happy Individual, Sound Community.”

It was underlined that GAU Occupational Therapy Department is the only department that provides education within the TRNC universities with the mission of training occupational therapists that is creative, innovative, has ethical values, capable of teamwork with lifetime learning and teaching skills and increase the quality of life, health and wellbeing in all age groups, knows environment regulatory approaches on international standards and emphasized that the staff, that can ensure the adaptation of individuals who are different and individuals who have difficulties adapting to the community, continue their education with the slogan of “Happy Individual, Strong Community.”

Bareki: “Our primary mission is to provide productive and happy individuals to the community."

Occupational Therapy Department Lecturer - Halen Bareki who made a statement about the event and the workshop stressed that the goals of the event and the workshop was to reintroduce productive and happy individuals to the community whatever the reasons were and stated that the activities and seminars will be continuing on behalf of the social benefits and to create a difference and awareness in the scope of social responsibility. Bareki stated that the GAU Occupational Therapy Department is ready to launch appropriate events in cooperation with all relevant non-governmental organizations and governmental agencies and added that occupational therapy is an important discipline in finding a solution to social problems in the global world.