The event began at 08:15 with a warm welcome from the Deputy Head of the Department, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ednan Aslan, who introduced the morning's programme. A special highlight was the musical and spiritual opening with a Koran recitation by Dr Kamil Öktem, followed by an Alevi Deyiş by Aziz Erol and a Ney recitation by Ahmed Hüdai Erkmen. The new Head of the Department, Assistant Professor Dr Tuğrul Kurt, then introduced the department and welcomed the new students.

Prof Aslan then introduced the curriculum of the Bachelor's degree programme as well as the three central study specialisations. Particular attention was paid to the structured study path, which guides students through the essential courses of Islamic-Theological Studies.

Another important part of the programme was the introduction of the first semester lecturers and tutors, who are available to new students as contact persons. The StudyServiceUnit, represented by Alina Heigl, and the Students' representatives also introduced themselves and offered support with organisational and study-related questions.

The Head of the Department, Prof Kurt, concluded the formal part of the morning with a presentation of the research profile of Islamic Theology. He emphasised the importance of research and critical reflection as part of the degree programme and discussed the department's current research areas. Finally, the students had the opportunity to address their questions directly to the department's team. This exchange helped to eliminate initial uncertainties and create a sense of community. The Welcome Day offered the new students a successful start to their studies and valuable orientation to help them organise the coming semesters.

The Department of Islamic-Theological Studies is looking forward to the coming years with the new students and wishes them a good start to the winter semester 2024/25!