As part of the Human, Society, and Civilization course conducted at Mardin Artuklu University, former Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Dr. Mehmet Mehdi Eker, was a guest lecturer to share his knowledge and experience from a public administration perspective. In the highly attended lecture, Dr. Eker addressed the concepts of human, society, and civilization from historical and intellectual dimensions, offering a comprehensive assessment of current crises.

In his speech, Dr. Eker emphasized that approaches defining humans solely as biological beings are incomplete, drawing attention to the distinction between "human being" and "insan" in Islamic thought. He stated that "human being" represents the biological aspect, while "insan" gains meaning through reason, will, values, choices, and a sense of responsibility. In this context, he stressed the foundational role of revelation in making humans responsible beings. Dr. Eker explained the concept of the perfect human being through the concepts of wisdom, chastity, reason, and justice; stating that knowledge is complemented by good manners and ability, reason by self-control and patience, and justice by self-examination. He added that these virtues directly affect not only individual morality but also social order and the understanding of public administration.

Dr. Eker, evaluating the concept of civilization within the framework of the relationship between religion, city, and civilization, stated that societies' beliefs and values ​​build cities, and cities, in turn, build civilizations. Touching upon the role played by Islamic civilization in science, trade, and urbanization throughout history, Eker pointed out that the power and profit-centered conception of civilization that dominates the modern era has produced serious crises. In his speech, Dr. Eker stated that the understanding of civilization that prevails in the modern era is based on power, profit, and unlimited consumption, emphasizing that this leads to serious food and resource inequalities. He noted that approximately 700 million people in the world are hungry today, while 1.4 billion are obese, underlining that this is not only an economic crisis but also a moral and administrative crisis. Furthermore, he mentioned that approximately 2 billion people He stated that people experience physiological hunger, meaning they cannot eat healthily and balanced meals even if they have access to sufficient food. Dr. Eker also drew attention to the existence of 1.2 billion people who do not have access to clean drinking water, stating that water, soil, and air pollution have lasting effects; this directly threatens agricultural production, food quality, and public health. He said that problems such as climate change, wars, metropolitanization, and food nationalism are structural crises produced by the current global system. At the end of his speech, Dr. Eker emphasized the need for a new vision of civilization and public administration that centers on humanity and nature, and is based on justice and responsibility. The lecture concluded with a question-and-answer session with the students.