OSTİM Technical University, one of Ankara's youngest higher education institutions established by the OSTİM Foundation, held its first event. The event, attended by high school seniors studying in Ankara, their families, and guidance counselors, featured well-known figures from Turkey who offered young people tips on education and career planning.
Over 50 years of experience
In his opening remarks, Orhan Aydın, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of OSTİM Technical University, provided information about the university's founding purpose and objectives, emphasizing OSTİM's long history. Aydın stated, “To understand OSTİM Technical University, we need to understand the OSTİM journey that began 50 years ago. I don't think we can fully understand the Technical University without mentioning OSTİM, which has played a significant role in Ankara's industrialization and initiated the formation of industrial enterprises in Ankara for the past 50 years. The concepts discussed in OSTİM are not just OSTİM's concepts. We're not talking about a local industry. You can adapt the concepts discussed in OSTİM to Ankara, to Turkey, to Turkish industry and the entrepreneurial world.”
Aydın, drawing attention to the job opportunities in OSTİM, including hundreds of companies and thousands of employees and engineers, in fields such as construction machinery, defense and aerospace, energy, rubber, medical, rail systems and communication technologies, said the following:
“One of the most important features of our university is that we have companies behind us that will both collaborate with us and benefit from the university's resources. The university will play a role in the transformation of these companies. But at the same time, these sectors and units will be behind us, impacting every student studying at our university. Together with them, we will answer the questions of what we need to do, how we should do it, and what kind of education should we provide to meet our expectations. By collaborating during education, we will eliminate the excuses of our businesses and companies such as, ‘I can't find the right person, they aren't being trained to the desired standards.’ We don't accept these excuses. Because we want them to stand by us during education. We want internship opportunities, job opportunities, all kinds of technical facilities, laboratories, workshops, and equipment in their companies to be at our disposal. They will also serve on our advisory boards.”
A different university, a different education.
Orhan Aydın stated that OSTİM has numerous projects carried out with international organizations, and that they will continue these projects by increasing their number and including the university.
Aydın stated: “There are chambers of industry, chambers of commerce, and the Anatolian Clusters Cooperation Platform (AKIP). OSTIM is also a founder of this. It's a platform where all clustering activities in Turkey share experiences. Within this network, we aim for a different university, a different education, and a different approach. This is precisely our starting point. We absolutely do not want to be a university that merely repeats what existing universities do. We want to share this life with our students, providing opportunities that will allow our young people who graduate from here to find jobs very quickly, and being very close to the job market.”
“We need entrepreneurial, problem-solving types of people.”
We are people who are involved in industry, production, and the real world; we know the needs and expectations here, and we already live within this ecosystem. If people who can find solutions to the problems of both our country and the world choose us, we, as a whole board of trustees, our professors, OSTİM, and Ankara industry, have embarked on a journey to contribute to their development, to improve their qualifications, and to ensure that they don't graduate with empty diplomas. We will do everything in our power, with our minds, brains, and energy, to make this education a reality. We aim to change our region, our country, and the world with those who want to be with us on this journey. For this, we need a new type of entrepreneurial, problem-solving person.”
“We would like to see you among us”
OSTİM Technical University Acting Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Yülek, in a message sent from New York, where he was meeting with Columbia University and other organizations where he had previously conducted scientific studies, stated that the university is striving to cooperate with universities around the world.
Yülek stated: “You are at a crucial point in your lives. You will be making decisions about your career and your future. We want to support you in this at the Choice Summit. We also hope to see you among us in the future. We trust you. The world is waiting for you. We know how great your potential is.”
UNIVERSITIES WITHIN THE BUSINESS WORLD ARE VERY IMPORTANT
At the 2019 University Choice Summit in Ankara, experts in exam processes, career planning, university choices, and social media shared important information. Experienced speakers stated that while there are many classical universities in Turkey, universities integrated into industry and the business world are crucial, emphasizing the importance of being actively involved in the workplace.
“Entrepreneurs solve problems”
Ömer Karapınar - Entrepreneurial Mentor
University is essentially a path you will follow; but this path will be challenging. Along this path, you will always need people who will support you as you face these difficulties.
We are passive within the education system. We are given things, and we simply receive them. We say, yes, it's important for our students to receive them. But we also want them to produce something with them. We want you to take the information, the experience, anything you gain, and use it to create something new. We won't just tell you to do it; we'll show you how to do it. We will also provide one-on-one support when needed.
Perhaps the university can find you funding, support, or someone to assist you in the solution process. Because the main concern is to reflect OSTİM's strength to the university and its students in every way. That's what it's about. Entrepreneurs solve problems.
“Look for a university that will support your projects throughout your life.”
Burak Kılanç - Secretary General of İstinye University
I wholeheartedly believe that OSTİM Technical University will hold a very special place in our country's education system in the future. We also observe that they have started on a very solid path. Young people, your time is precious, so you need to plan for the future, to move forward thinking about what you want to do in the future.
Young people in Turkey have always had a deficiency. We don't set our goals and design the present accordingly. Those who will receive engineering education will most likely encounter this. If you design where you want to go at a later point, you can design the steps backward.
What do you want to do after graduation? Do you want to pursue an academic career? Or will you want to work in a salaried position? Private sector or public sector? Because to achieve this goal, you need to find which university offers you the best opportunities.
If you want to pursue a master's or doctoral degree abroad, you should aim for a university with an academic staff that has strong international connections. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you need to look for a university that will support your projects throughout your student life, like OSTİM.
"The demands of those taking the exam are what make the exam mandatory."
Cihat Şener - Educator and Author
You'll take an exam, you'll study for four years. Decide what you're going to do now. If you study computer science, the computers you're studying now won't exist in four years; they'll be useless. Because the pace of technological change and advancement is not linear at all. I'll give the example of a cell phone. It's impossible to predict where computer processing will be in four years. There are so many variables. Parents, teachers, the system, the exams change. Life doesn't change. If it were easy, everyone would do it. To be a successful person means to overcome these difficulties.
This exam is a tough one. It's merciless. And thankfully it is. Would you want a less-than-average person to be higher up than you? Wouldn't you call that unfair? This exam doesn't give points based on people's emotions, hair, or gait. There are no subjective values. The exam is the reality of life. It's very clear; those who work hard win. I've been watching this movie for 44 years. What I said 44 years ago is still valid. It's always been there; there's no life without exams.
It's not the numbers that force us to take exams. It's the demands of those taking the exams. Everyone wants to be a doctor, an engineer. We have to conduct exams. They're doing a fantastic job; I congratulate those in OSTIM. But there's a price to pay, my friend. What does he say? He says we're looking for those who can do and develop that project. That's competition; it's hard work. The more effort, the more sweat, the greater the reward.
“The business world will ask: How will you create awareness?”
Sait Gürsoy - Educator and Author
When choosing a university, it's important to consider the aspects that will prepare you professionally for life. This is a university that, due to its industry-related connections, will likely collaborate with industry consultants to adapt its curriculum to current events, which is a significant advantage.
If a young person wants to adapt to technology, then they will consider what their chosen university can and cannot offer. Today, with 200 universities, you have to choose those whose qualities suit you – those that can impart knowledge and enable you to utilize that knowledge. Some diplomas are simply hung on the wall without much thought. Others are hung with trembling hands.
The business world will ask you: How will you create awareness for me? How will you give me the details? If you can answer that, you will enter the business world. You will need to be very well-equipped. No matter which field you choose, you must know business, law, or psychology; you must be well-equipped. Choosing a university isn't just about paperwork. Go, look, ask questions. You need to make the right choice and the right decisions. The resume is over; now there is the future.
“It’s not the jobs you do that will change, but the names of the professions.”
Nur Erdem Özeren - Educator and Career Consultant
Information produced all over the world spreads rapidly. The world is changing and developing very quickly. Half of the professions in the world disappeared 20-30 years ago. The other half will disappear in the future. Professions are changing shape. In the next 50 years, you will be doing jobs you haven't even heard of today. As universities, we help you choose your majors to prepare you for professions you don't even know exist in the future. People look at how good a person you are, how well you do your job, and how upright your character is, and they vouch for you, they open the door for you.
Getting a job in the public sector accounts for 4% of total employment. There are 32 million people in Turkey who want to work. Approximately 4 million of them are unemployed. Of the remaining 28 million, only 2.5 million are civil servants. 25 million people work in the private sector. Companies will ask you three questions: Briefly tell us about yourself, where do you see yourself in 10 years, and why should we choose you? We haven't been able to raise young people who can describe themselves in a minute. Please get to know yourself.
You don't have to choose professions you don't know. Think about what kind of work you want to do. What do you want to do for the rest of your life? The job itself probably won't change; the names of the professions will change. Sectors will change and evolve, but you'll still be doing similar work. The right thing to do is to pursue what you love, what you want, and what you do best.
“A university located within the industry is very important”
Ilhan Sevin - Guidance Counselor
In our country, exams are discussed more than education, so we neglect the crucial aspect we should be focusing on. We absolutely must do what we love. 77% of the country is dissatisfied with their jobs. Last-minute sprints put an athlete ahead, and those who finish the race in first place are most likely the ones who make the last sprint.
Parents! When the alarm goes off at home, the pressure and stress on the student increases. Please don't interfere with the children. Let's only provide emotional and moral support. There are too many traditional universities in Turkey. But a university that is involved in industry and the business world is very, very important. You absolutely must be involved in the work. You have to roll up your sleeves and dive in. You can't learn to swim without getting into the sea. I think universities like OSTIM Technical University are very important.
“Read the concept of Industry 4.0 very carefully.”
Prof. Dr. Selçuk Özdemir - Faculty Member at Gazi University
We've been interacting very frequently with the OSTİM management for the past two years. I vividly remember this conversation: I said, "If you're going to be the 207th university, don't spend that money like that, it would be a shame." This country needs more universities, which is why they emphasize entrepreneurship so much.
Developed countries have begun recalling factories they opened in underdeveloped countries to utilize cheap labor. They came to us for cheap labor, and we, without taking much responsibility or thinking, used our cheap labor to produce those products using their expertise and then gave them to them. Now, 3D printers, even 4D printers, unmanned aerial vehicles, land vehicles, smart devices, and artificial intelligence based on big data are beginning to displace the jobs done by average people, or even those with slightly above-average skills.
Pay close attention to the concept of disruptive innovation. Read about the concept of Industry 4.0 very carefully, young people. Whether you get into university or not, it doesn't matter; not getting in means nothing. I'm sad to say this. Even getting into the best university with top grades means nothing from now on. I'm being very clear about this. Don't let not getting in devastate you, and don't let getting in make you think, "Okay, this is over."
"I need people who, after graduating from the best universities, collaborate with other people in interdisciplinary fields to realize their dreams and start their own businesses." This sentiment is very prevalent.
You need to draw from very different fields. Try to experience everything that will allow you to solve problems within problems, gain plenty of experience. Carry the tea of master teachers, master trainers, masters. I'm saying this very clearly. Don't be offended and let your fingernails bleed, your knees bleed for a while. No one rises in life without suffering.
“In Türkiye, the average person spends 7 hours a day online.”
Vural Aksankur and Onur Soğuk - Presenters of the "Hocalara Geldik" Program
Onur Soğuk: There are factors that prevent students from studying while preparing for university, and these change from year to year, from generation to generation. Now children have phones in their hands, they either play games or watch videos on YouTube. Most of their time is actually spent on the internet.
At this point, parents also need to know this: the new generation was born into this. They can't even imagine a world without the internet, because it's their reality. The internet, social media, and smartphones are now a fact of our lives. Our children were born into this reality. Therefore, if we are going to talk to them, we need to accept this reality and do so without ignoring it.
Our schools should teach internet literacy or how to conduct research on computers. Everything is just a click away. Unfortunately, as we've observed, young people aren't using this in a positive way. We also need to teach them that there's a lot of misinformation out there on the internet.
Vural Aksankur: In Turkey, 54,033,000 people actively use the internet. There are 51 million social media users. More than half of Türkiye's population uses social media. 59 million people use mobile phones, and 44 million actively use social media via their phones. The average person in Türkiye spends 7 hours a day online. This includes 2 hours and 48 minutes on social media daily, 2 hours and 44 minutes on computers, and 1 hour and 22 minutes listening to music daily. The internet offers so many amazing things; you can fit thousands of books on your mobile phone and access any information you need.
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