This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
During my years working at Koç University, I participated in a library competition where I combined François Bacon’s phrase “ipsa scientia potestas est”—that is, “Knowledge is power”—with the slogan “Empower yourself by exploring knowledge and the library.” At the time, perhaps intuitively but with strong awareness, I felt as if the realization that knowledge is not merely a tool but a power in itself had emerged within me like a flowing matrix of words among thousands of books, embedded in the discoverer of the converter of knowledge. As a information and documentation professional, this understanding marked the very beginning of my career path, revealing how knowledge, when properly applied, possesses transformative power.
While working at the circulation desk, I noticed certain periodicals that regularly came to the library. One of them was Jane’s Defence Weekly, one of the world’s most respected and authoritative weekly publications in the fields of defense, military affairs, and global security. First published on 14 January 1984, the journal was regularly issued in print until 2012. Development of communication technologies later continued its presence through digital platforms. I was drawn to this publication by its striking visuals—massive aircraft, compelling headlines, and technical content—and it offered in-depth analyses on war, defense, and technology. Sometimes I read only the headlines; other times I examined articles on military strategies and defense technologies.
Especially the content published from 1996 onward pointed to a truth that is now far clearer: in modern warfare, the decisive factor is no longer merely military strength, but knowledge itself and its proper application. Countries and states that effectively harness knowledge transcend classical power elements and achieve superiority.
Today, geographies are defined not only by physical boundaries but also by with digital codes. Every place, every building, and every individual leaves a digital footprint. Algorithms, data and digital traces, render visible and traceable countless aspects of life—from personal movements to preferences. Today, your digital traces are powerful enough to move you from your warm bed to another country. In this context, knowledge has clearly shifted its axis. The power of knowledge and its discovery, when applied correctly and strategically, can lead to new inventions and reshape agendas, power structures, and even relationships of authority. So where does this power lie? Is it with those who encode, transform, convert into output, and generate impact—or with those who consume knowledge without questioning it? At this point, a harsh but real dilemma emerges: either you become those who manage information, or you turn into a subject shaped by its direction. In other words, either you liberate yourself or you become dependent.
In educational institutions, we strive to teach students how to use knowledge and how to transform it into production. Yet despite all these efforts, we face an increasingly widespread and critical problem: information laziness, or the inability to use knowledge. In an age where access to information is so easy, the weakening of processes such as questioning, analysis, and creation presents a serious contradiction. The concept of Invention is often perceived narrowly and negatively—as merely “inventing something”—thereby stifling creative ideas.
Yet today, those who achieve success are those who can correctly grasp knowledge, interpret it, and transform it. True innovation is not merely producing a new product; it is thinking with knowledge and generating value from it. Therefore, we must not hesitate to provide our students with ideas for invention; we must equip them with knowledge and encourage them to think boldly. The way to overcome information laziness is to see knowledge not merely as something consumed, but as something produced and transformed—a power.
Knowledge is power—then discover its power!
