IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS SETTING A COURSE FOR SUCCESS WITH WORLD FAMOUS CONSULTANTS
Prof. Dr. Seeram Ramakrishna, the Director of Centre for Nanotechnology, National University of Singapore, who is known for his international studies, became a consultant to Izmir University of Economics. And Prof. Dr. Philip Kitchen, one of the leading professors in the field of Strategic Marketing at ESC Rennes School of Business, and who was listed in the Top 50 list of gurus who have influenced the future of marketing in survey listing, joined Izmir University of Economics as a visiting lecturer. Ekrem Demirtaş, President of IUE Board of Trustees, Prof. Dr. Ramakrishna, and Prof. Dr. Kitchen came together to work on planning the next 10 years of the University, setting a course, and promoting the University’s name in the international arena at the “International Consultancy Council Meeting” that took place at IUE Conference Hall.
IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Tunçdan Baltacıoğlu, IUE Members of the Board of Trustees, and academicians also attended the ceremony alongside with President Demirtaş. In his speech, President Demirtaş pointed out that it was the first of the international consultancy meetings and that the University would get stronger with the international consultants. He said that they would convene every three months and be in close communication meanwhile. President Demirtaş said, "In our meetings we will discuss the strategic plan. We will set our course. What is our course? We mentioned that we were going to offer a contemporary education. Now, we will discuss what we can do to make this happen. We set our course to establish an innovative, entrepreneur University in 2001 that would follow the footsteps of Ataturk. World is at a much faster pace now, 21st century calls for qualified humans who can produce economic benefits. Our purpose today is not to maintain our status but to further it.”
‘IUE shares its spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship’
IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Tunçdan Baltacıoğlu, on the other hand, stated that the University received international accreditation and quality certification, and signed exchange agreements with many countries, and the ultimate goal was to increase the national and international recognition of the University. Prof. Dr. Baltacıoğlu, who indicated that they placed great importance to research and innovation since the establishment of the University, said, "The University allocates 1 percent of its annual income for research. We ranked in 5th place on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Culture in Turkey index by Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology. We are the only university from the Aegean Region in this index. IUE is entrusted with TUSIAD Entrepreneurship Flag. Izmir University of Economics continues to share the innovation and entrepreneurship spirit. "
‘Teaching fishing on wavy water…’
Prof. Dr. Seeram Ramakrishna, IUE International Consultant, stated that he would approach the topics of research, progress, and entrepreneurship. Pointing out that today’s generation was much more individualized compared to previous generations, Prof. Dr. Ramakrishna said, "Today’s generation is more individualized. They can fish on calm waters for a life time. We need to teach them how to fish on wavy waters. People graduate from universities with the intention of having a good job and a comfortable life. But, if you were to ask that question to today’s generation, their answer would be to work at entrepreneur, lively, different countries. Students everywhere are on the move. Therefore, competition exists among education providers”.
Prof. Dr. Ramakrishna, who indicated that Paris, London, and Singapore were the best student cities worldwide, stated the following:
"We need to focus more on global learning. Online courses have a new impact on education. They want to study face-to-face but they require help digitally as well. An efficient plan, assured quality, and exchange programs are necessary. And with a qualified team, you come up with powerful researches. International collaboration comes into prominence. We are not talking about a single university here. Different countries and academicians move together. This becomes important while planning the future strategically. Quality especially, should be the focus point.”
‘Happy student is the keystone’
Prof. Dr. Philip Kitchen, joining Izmir University of Economics as a visiting lecturer, pointed out that he came from a business school and marketing was very important for him. Prof. Dr. Kitchen mentioned that strategic plan was of utmost importance and he said, "Strategic plan is part of the driving force of the university. It is important to have happy students and progressive studentship. If we were to take the world into account for 5 years, a transition policy is in question. The world experienced a major global crisis between the years 2007 – 2008. Universities, just like businesses, got affected from this crisis. Students have difficulty finding jobs even if they graduate from prestigious universities. They are highly qualified but there are no jobs. That’s why they can’t find jobs. "
Prof. Dr. Kitchen stated that 4 million students were on the move in 2011, and %55 of those came from Asia, Korea, and China. He said that the students wanted to attend the best universities of the world and the institutions, without leadership tumbled down the cliff. Prof. Dr. Kitchen said, "A university has to have a soul to make progress. It may seem that the strategy of all the universities worldwide is based on innovation, but this is repetition. Small universities want to look like big universities more and more. But then you have to pay the price. University is a way of life. We are developing a new corporate structure by developing a new DNA. Our new students need to understand this new DNA very well.”
Following the speeches, President Ekrem Demirtaş and Prof. Dr. Seeram Ramakrishna signed the international consultancy agreement. President Demirtaş presented gifts bearing cultural motives to Prof. Dr. Ramakrishna and Prof. Dr. Kitchen.
