Thoughts of Dr. Erhan Karaesmen for Dr. Haluk Sucuoğlu
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank the organizers of the 5th International Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology who invited me to present concluding remarks on the conference and specifically to express our gratitude to honored Professor Haluk Sucuoglu. We apologize for being not to be face to face with all of you during the workshop and related social programme because of a previously organized technical programme in Istanbul.
I am definitely sure that Prof. Sucuoglu's past valuable contribution in academic and engineering media will continue in the future. First being mine and my wife's student and later a colleague and friend in the same faculty and department, we got to know him and his family fairly well. In academic life younger colleagues once your students in classes later will be filling your lives with their series of appreciable scholar and scientific actions. You definitely feel happy and proud of their achievements. Haluk constitutes one of these brilliant examples.
He always had passion for research in earthquake and structural engineering and the classes he offered made many students experts in the relevant fields. Now, Prof. Sucuoglu is starting a new chapter of his life, where he will continue with his academic and social interests. When he was asked how he had made discoveries Newton replied "by always thinking of them"; we believe that Haluk's answer for how he will continue with his new chapter successfully will be "by always sharing knowledge and experience with all the interested".
Within the breadth of Haluk's interests I must emphasize his appreciation for arts and music that made our companionship stronger with him and his esteemed family, a team of academicians from different branches. A week ago Haluk recommended us Nadav Lapid's Golden Bear 69th Berlin International Film Festival (2019) award winner film "Synonymes" in a talk, so then we decided to watch the film and there after we found the synonyms "Knowledge and Discipline" and last but not least "Development and Society" for Haluk.
We thank you, Haluk for all and wish you and your family to continue with a motion towards happy and healthy days and to contribute to the society and community in freedom.
Erhan Karaesmen
October 11, 2019