|
Volume 12, Number 27
May 2, 2006
"Entrepreneurship
Symposium" Held at Bilkent
On April 29-30, the Bilkent University Operational Research Club
organized a two-day symposium on entrepreneurship. For the opening
session, Republican People's Party leader and former Foreign and
Energy Minister Assoc. Prof. Deniz Baykal, former Finance and State
Minister and industrial engineering faculty member Prof. Ekrem
Pakdemirli; and the Ankara Chamber of Industry's chairman Zafer
Çağlayan were at Bilkent University.
Prof. Pakdemirli focused on the role of the state in encouraging
private investments and entrepreneurship, emphasizing the role of
the internet in today's globalizing world and business life.
Following Mr. Pakdemirli's speech, ASO Chairman Zafer Çağlayan
discussed the economic dimensions of entrepreneurship and the
benefits created by the entrepreneurial spirit. Mr. Çağlayan also
talked about the 11.8% unemployment level as well as the
unregistered labor problem in Turkey.
In the final speech of the opening session, CHP leader Deniz Baykal
challenged the classical
definition of economy, highlighting the importance of technological
advances and also entrepreneurship. Mr. Baykal held up Bilkent as a
successful result of entrepreneurship: an ideal city made up of
residential, commercial and recreational areas surrounding a
world-renowned university with a well-planned campus. He also
brought up questions about Turkey's entrepreneurs of the recent
past, making comparisons with the Japanese experience.
After the opening session, the first day of the symposium continued
with participants from the private sector speaking on the subjects
of techno-entrepreneurship, education for entrepreneurship and
modeling, and relating success stories of business people.
On the second day, the well-known anchorman Ali Kırca took part in
the symposium, sharing his experiences with the Bilkent audience. To
conclude the two-day event, the sponsoring organizations gave
presentations on their activities and the symposium.
Erkan Bayır (MBG/II)
|