IUE IS ENTRUSTED WITH TUSIAD ENTREPRENEURSHIP FLAG
Izmir University of Economics (IUE) takes the lead in studies initiated by the business world, which pawed the way for young entrepreneurs, in order to find a solution for unemployment, the most significant problem of Turkish economy. Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD) made a common cause with Izmir University of Economics (IUE), whose mission is to train young entrepreneurs. Izmir University of Economics qualified to have the “Entrepreneurship Flag” for their most number of enterprising projects in “Bu Gençlikte İş Var” titled competition organized by TUSIAD. Tayfun Bayazıt, Vice President of Board of Directors of TUSIAD, congratulated the impressive students for their innovative ideas, and entrusted the “Entrepreneurship Flag” to Izmir University of Economics at 2013-2014 Academic Year wishing many successful business ideas to be implemented.
Ekrem Demirtaş, IUE President of the Board of Trustees, indicated that they had the justified pride of training graduates, who start their own businesses rather than look for jobs, in his statement. President Demirtaş called attention to July 2013 statistics of Turkish Statistics Institute (TUIK). He said, “Total number of the unemployed throughout Turkey in July 2012 increased by 363 thousand people and reached up to 2 million 686 thousand people. Unemployment rate also reached up to 9.3% by an increase of 0.9 points. Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) increased by 1.7 points and became 18%. The statistics confirm our vision. We need to lead the way for innovative and entrepreneur students so they can create a better Turkey. We are very fortunate that our entrepreneur students are not seeking for jobs, on the contrary, they are creating new employment with the business they already established.”
Aim; supporting youth entrepreneurship
TUSIAD Entrepreneurship Flag was handed over to IUE students Damla Aktan, Mert Çakır, Barış Can Sever by TUSIAD Vice President Tayfun Bayazıt and IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Tunçdan Baltacıoğlu at the award ceremony at Martı Hotel, Istanbul.
‘Entrepreneurship system at IUE works properly’
In his speech, IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Tunçdan Baltacıoğlu stated that they aimed to train young entrepreneurs, and said they allowed entrepreneurs to develop their innovative ideas and put them into practice in a protective environment with Embryonix Centre. Prof. Dr. Tunçdan Baltacıoğlu stated the following:
“Innovative ideas from our Embryonix Centre become successful enterprises one by one, and are presented to business world. Anyone can have good ideas but commercializing these ideas is another story. We established a system that lightens the path for our students. ‘Entrepreneurship Flag’ proves to us how properly the system works. I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to our students on their success at a national organization where 71 universities participated nationwide.”
Tayfun Bayazıt, Vice President of Board of Directors of TUSIAD, pointed out that young and dynamic population played a significant role in the development of the country, and they would take part in Turkey’s expansion. Bayazıt said that IUE would set an example with its students’ business development projects to Turkey.
Metin Akman, TUSIAD Member and “Bu İşte Gençlik Var” Project Coordinator, mentioned that they only received applications from 2 universities when they started the pilot study in 2011, but this year 358 business ideas from 71 universities were uploaded in the system. Akman also stated that the competition adopted an organic growth approach based on the demands by students and they sought solutions to unemployment problem form a youth perspective.”
What is TUSIAD’s ‘Bu Gençlikte İş Var!’ Project about?
It is a platform, initiated by TUSIAD and supported with the participation of university students’ groups, where students attend in groups and compete for the best business ideas.
