“Dream, follow your ideas”
Ergün Kırlıkovalı, the Turkish engineer and businessman who produces the special coating material that provides stealth capabilities to the American F-35 aircraft, was hosted by Izmir University of Economics (IUE) to meet with young people. Kırlıkovalı, who offered inspirational advice on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to the students, said, “Dream, set a goal, and follow your ideas all the way to the end. You can be 10 times more successful than I am. Put your fears aside and focus on the creativity within you.”
Polymer scientist and IPI Founder Ergün Kırlıkovalı explained his philosophy of creativity, which he developed through 50 years of business experience in the United States of America (USA), at the conference titled ‘Create, Renew, Elevate: The Journey of Entrepreneurship.’ IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Dr. Yaşar Güneri Şahin, Dean of the Faculty of Business Prof. Dr. Burcu Güneri Çangarlı, Advisor to the Rector Asst. Prof. Dr. Burçin Önder, and many academics also listened to Kırlıkovalı's presentation and watched him answer the young people's questions one by one.
PROUD OFFER FROM THE RECTOR
Sharing good news with the attendees during the event, Rector Abacıoğlu stated, “To benefit more from Mr. Kırlıkovalı's ideas and experience, I offered him a position as one of the members of our University's advisory board. I would also like to thank Kırlıkovalı for accepting this offer. I believe that Kırlıkovalı's life and the inspiring information he shared will illuminate the careers of young people.”
“THE THOUGHT ‘WHAT IF WE FAIL’ WILL SET YOU BACK”
In the conference, which lasted approximately 1.5 hours, Kırlıkovalı gave important messages to the youth with examples from his own life. Kırlıkovalı said, “There is no prosperity without added value. Added value begins with creativity, takes shape with innovation, and is crowned with entrepreneurship. This sequence is very important. Remember that your life will be shaped by the decisions you make. There is no business person who has not been hit or experienced a pinch. There is also no boxer who has not been punched. Thoughts like, ‘What if we can’t do it, what if we fail’, will set you back. Yes, there will be difficulties. What is important is not avoiding difficulties altogether, but knowing how to overcome them. Not crushing, not giving up. These are what determine the path to success. Trust yourself, but do not enter into any business without being sure. If you are thinking, ‘Should I do this job?’, then it is not the right time for that job. To be successful in a job, you need to be sure and determined.”
“FOCUS ON LEARNING, NOT ON PASSING THE CLASS”
Kırlıkovalı continued his suggestions to the young people: “Universities are also places where one learns how to learn. Study your courses to learn, not just to pass the class. Remember that the knowledge you gain here may surface at different times in your life. I always asked questions during my student years. My goal was to learn. Whether it appears on the exam or not; you should also focus on learning. After graduation, you have many alternatives. You can plan to work at a small company first, then a medium one, and finally a large one to gain experience. It is extremely important to see the differences in culture and how different-sized companies react to opportunities. It is no longer possible to stop a young person who has gained such an experience. So, when does a person know they are ready to start their own business? If the desire for entrepreneurship reaches uncontrollable levels; if the idea of starting one's own business enters one's sleep and dreams, then the time is right.”
“I SEE IT AS A DUTY”
Stating that he sees conveying knowledge and experience to the youth as his most important duty, Kırlıkovalı said, “I love my country, Turkey is my homeland. I would be very happy if I could support my country. My intention is to unleash the power of creativity in the minds of Turkish youth. To encourage and motivate them about entrepreneurship. I know that we have many young people with the competence, intelligence, and knowledge to shape the future. For this reason, I attach great importance and value to meeting with young people at the university.”
