The ‘Three Generations Master-Apprentice’ project, initiated by Izmir University of Economics (IUE) to bring its students together with business people and experts in the industry before they graduate, continues successfully in its third year. The project, where each student who participate as an ‘apprentice’ in the project is paired with a professional (master) from the industry they aspire to work in, has reached 885 participants. Thanks to the project, students ask questions to their matched masters, benefit from their experiences, and have the opportunity to establish a business network, gaining early exposure to the business world.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Evrim Üstünlüoğlu, Advisor to the Rector for Student Activities at Izmir University of Economics, stated that they will continue the project with the support of Izmir Chamber of Commerce (IZTO) and aim to reach even more students.
OUR PROJECT SET AN EXAMPLE
Stating that they received many positive feedback from participating students, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Üstünlüoğlu said, “As a university, we work towards providing our students with the best possible academic education with an experienced academic staff, updated curriculum in line with the requirements of the era, and advanced technological facilities. While doing all of this, we also attach great importance to students getting to know the business world and meeting with leading figures in their industry before they graduate. IUE’s ‘Three Generations Master-Apprentice’ project has been a very good example in this regard. Our project has provided a great opportunity for students to gain self-confidence, and start their work life ahead of their peers.”
WE ARE A UNIVERSITY NOURISHED BY IZMIR
Prof. Dr. Üstünlüoğlu continued as follows: “We have created Campus Izmir, the first model of university-city integration in Turkey. As we frequently emphasize, we see the entire city as our campus. We are nourished by the energy, industry, climate, and culture of Izmir. We are so lucky to be in Izmir and to have implemented Campus Izmir project. Another advantage is benefiting from the strength and support of Izmir Chamber of Commerce, which has 98 thousand members. Business people and qualified companies in Izmir are naturally our partners. The ‘Three Generations Master-Apprentice’ project encompasses all of these and is a project that the University values highly and illuminates the path of our students. The masters guide students to facilitate the transition from university to work life. They open up the horizons of young people to write a successful career story. I would like to thank the business people who support our project and stand by our students.”
INTENSE INTEREST FROM THE MASTERS
Özge Kulaçoğlu, IUE Alumni Relations Office Coordinator, who is the project manager, stated that the new period of master-apprentice pairings would start in the spring semester. Kulaçoğlu said, “Students, who want to be involved in the Project, fill out a form and submit it to us, making their official applications. Then, we determine the masters they can match with in a way that is suitable for their fields of education. The participating masters are entirely composed of voluntary individuals. We frequently talk about our project during our visits and company meetings throughout the year. At this point, many of the masters already inform us that they want to be part of this project. In this way, we easily complete the master-apprentice pairings. It makes us happy that our project is growing day by day and motivates us for the work we will do in the coming period.”
PROVIDED SUPPORT IN EVERY ASPECT
Miray Esmer from the Department of Psychology at IUE Faculty of Arts and Sciences was paired with Özgü Yavuz, the founder of the Özne Counseling Center, Psychologist, and Family Counselor, within the scope of the ‘Three Generations Master-Apprentice’ project. Esmer said, “I saw that I made the right decision by being involved in the project. I have received support from Özgü Yavuz on many issues and continue to do so. I want to improve myself in the field where I received education and continue my career as a psychologist. In this regard, meeting my master and benefiting from her experiences was an opportunity for me. She took a close interest and supported me in every aspect I needed. I thank her very much.”
