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Bilkent MBA Students Apply
Book Knowledge in Mardin |
After returning from a three-day trip to Mardin, March
24-26, a group of Bilkent MBA students has decided to get out of the classroom and get
their hands dirty in the rich Mesopotamian soil.
With the support of Bilkent's Toplumsal Duyarlılık Projeleri (Community Projects) and
Bilkent Marketing Professors Güliz Ger and Olga Kravets, the group has formed a club
project, "Kapıları Açalım" Projesi (KAP), to aid youth in the region by
developing sustainable work experiences through education and networking. They are
primarily working with the Young Entrepreneurs of Mardin (YEM), a cooperative composed of
high school-educated youth looking to start tourism businesses.
"We are excited that students have taken the initiative to invest in the future of
the less fortunate," said Erhan Erkut, dean of the Bilkent Business School, "An
MBA education includes the concept of social responsibility and we eagerly support our
students putting such knowledge into action."
One of their projects this summer will be to provide English training to YEM members. They
are gathering materials - pens, notebooks, books, and used laptops - to send to YEM as
well as to supply the public library of the local municipality and to give to
elementary-school children in a nearby village. In addition, they are seeking sponsors and
donors to fund restoration work in the old city, subsidize the English training, and
provide initial capital for YEM businesses.
Two groups from Prof. Güliz Ger's MBA Marketing Class are also working with YEM to
develop marketing plans for potential tourism businesses, such as a boutique hotel or a
local gift shop. This will fulfill their semester project requirement as well as provide
YEM with a starting platform to achieve their organizational goal.
Young Entrepreneurs of Mardin
YEM was formed in November 2006 by ten Mardin youth as a result of a World Bank-sponsored
project in Fall 2005 for twenty-five young males and females from the Mardin region.
Following, Bilkent invited and sponsored them for a month-long language and life-skills
training course conducted at the university in Summer 2006. The goal of the cooperative is
to introduce Mardin to tourists by developing sustainable businesses that can provide
employment for underprivileged youth and encourage racial diversity and cooperation in the
region.
Project "Fly-In" English Training
Using a 3-month curriculum broken into week-long segments, volunteer groups of 2 students
and/or faculty will fly down to Mardin weekly and give daily English lessons. In addition,
with guided tours provided by YEM, they will be able to sightsee in Mardin, one of the
most historically rich and culturally diverse cities in Turkey.
If you are interested in helping out and/or participating in activities or simply want
more information, please feel free to contact the following:
Information about KAP - Jason Lau, lau@bilkent.edu.tr
English Training Project - Bryce Anderson, curtis@bilkent.edu.tr
Books and Supplies Donation - Zeynep Aral, gulbina@bilkent.edu.tr
Sponsorship/Monetary Funding - Gözde Çolak, gcolak@bilkent.edu.tr
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