‘Coding’ training for 12 thousand people

Taking a pioneering step in Turkey's digital transformation, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) has started coding training for its students, academics, and administrative staff. At the end of the free, two-week group training sessions, IUE members will learn to build websites, develop next-generation mobile applications, and create programs integrated with artificial intelligence. Those participating in the ‘Coding for Everyone’ themed training will also gain skills required by the digital world, such as sending notifications, database integrations, and report design. With approximately 10 thousand 900 students, 925 academics, and 260 administrative staff, IUE will make over 12 thousand of its members part of digitalization with this project. Participants who complete the training successfully will receive digital badges.

WE ARE A LEADING UNIVERSITY

IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu stated that digital transformation plays an important role in the educational, research, and administrative processes of universities. Pointing out the indispensability of digital skills in today's business world, Prof. Dr. Abacıoğlu mentioned that efforts will continue in developing micro-competencies. Prof. Dr. Abacıoğlu said, “As a university, we have significantly increased our investments in digitalization and technology. We are renewing and improving our software infrastructure. We are updating software in different areas such as the student information management system, academic information management system, and human resources. We are a leading university in digital transformation in Turkey, and we are taking the necessary steps with determination. Today, not only information but also the methods of accessing and presenting information are changing. The competencies expected from employees are also changing. In this regard, we have launched a training series to make all our members part of digital transformation. This will enable our students to enter the workforce with the digital skills they need after graduation.”

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS

Expressing that they have received numerous positive feedback from participants, Prof. Dr. Abacıoğlu said, “Digitalization is now at the center of our lives and appears in every aspect of life. We cannot ignore this great transformation. We all need to adapt to the digitalization process and develop ourselves accordingly to keep up with the era and not miss out. Universities have the responsibility to lead society in this matter. Digital transformation is crucial and necessary for universities to be more competitive internationally and to reach students from all over the world. We have taken a significant step internally by starting a low-code training. Participants in this training will gain knowledge in many areas of coding. Learning something new is always exciting, and we see that participants in our training are experiencing this excitement and sharing the happiness.”

PERSONALIZED LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Asst. Prof. Dr. Esin Çağlayan, Director of IUE Teaching and Learning Center, who planned and managed the training process, noted that the work done would provide significant advantages, especially for students, and emphasized that the training would continue with comprehensive content. Asst. Prof. Dr. Çağlayan said, “Digital tools and platforms are indispensable for universities in offering a more interactive and personalized learning experience. Digital tools and big data analytics also accelerate research processes and enable the discovery of new research areas. They offer more effective methods for monitoring and supporting students' academic success. We accelerated our training with ‘coding’, but we will not stop there. As required by digital transformation, we will continue to support all IUE members with up-to-date training and various content.”