News from Alumni

Dr. Başak DEMİRYUMRUK DİKİCİ' 20

I graduated from Kayseri Science High School in 2000, Marmara University English Business Department in 2005, Bahçeşehir University Strategic Marketing and Brand Management Master's program in 2009 and Istanbul Aydın University Business Doctorate program in 2020 with the thesis "New Generations in Digitalized Companies, New Leadership Models, Motivation and Organizational Culture". I continue my career as Group Manager of Human Resources Workforce Management, which started in the sales field at Mercedes – Benz Türk A.Ş. in 2004 and continued in the dealer development and marketing department until 2017, as Renault Mais Human Resources Director as of November 2021. During my PhD education at Istanbul Aydın University, I met with people from different companies and academies and gained very valuable and beautiful friendships. We continue to meet with friends I gained during training. Prof. Dr. Akin Marşap, who is composed of very valuable academicians and has a very important place in my career, has always supported me as my thesis advisor. The theoretical knowledge I received in my Doctoral education contributed to the development of my competencies. The application of the knowledge I theoretically learned was a very valuable process for me. PhD education was a very valuable process that required more detailed and analysis, which contributed to your view from a broader perspective than undergraduate or graduate education. The projects we carried out, the research strategies and processes in the thesis process, creating and maintaining the thesis, the debate processes with my advisor were very valuable to me. The phD jury process was very difficult, but it also made me learn a lot of new information. It is important for my student friends who continue their education at Istanbul Aydın University to be involved in business life in their education processes or to do internships in more than one field, to see different cultures and structures by traveling to erasmus program or different countries. English is very valuable in learning German and French as a second language, so they need to complete their language education in the best way possible. Their participation in student clubs and non-governmental organizations within the university provides simulation experience for business life by supporting their personal development.

Ertuğrul UZAK' 10

I was born in 1977 in Çankırı. I completed my high school education at Çankırı Anatolian High School. During the summer holidays of my high school education, I started to work at lower levels in various companies in the service sector. My continuing career with restaurant management. In 2008, I won the Istanbul Aydın University Anadolu Bil Vocational School Tourism Hotel Management program and continued my business and education life together. I graduated from IAU Tourism and Hotel Management department in 2010. I am about to complete my 24th year in the industry in my professional life, which I started as a front office worker in Kuşadası in 1997 and extended to food and beverage operations manager, sales and marketing manager and general manager143 / 5000 Çeviri sonuçları After graduating from Istanbul Aydın University in 2010, I made a radical decision and continued my career in hotel management. My career in hotel management, which started in 2010 in Sinop, Black Sea Region. It continued until 2016 with the opening of Ordu and Trabzon Hilton hotels. He continued as the General Manager of Beylikdüzü Garden Inn Hilton for 5 years until 2021.Together with my team, we have achieved significant success in the international arena and won extremely important awards in the tourism sector. In 2017, I was awarded the global manager of the year award for the Hilton Garden Inn brand. In 2018, I was deemed worthy of the Conrad achievement award, the general manager of the year and the honor award that is respected all over the world. In 2019, I won the General Manager of the Year award among the Hilton Garden Inn brands for my country. In 2021, I continue my business life as the general manager of Radisson Blu hotel for HNA group companies to realize their hotel investments and development projects in Turkey.We plan to continue our Radisson hotel chains to be opened in Izmir with openings in Bodrum, Bursa, Istanbul and Kayseri. My student years at Istanbul Aydın University have a special place in my career as they continue simultaneously with my career. We promised that we would never break our ties by winning valuable people and friends. We maintain our communication through the alumni association in order to support the career planning of our young friends who are still studying at the university. The most important aspect of the education I received at Istanbul Aydın University was that it had up-to-date information.

Meryem Ezgi KORKMAZ’ 16

I was born in Istanbul in 1993. I completed my high school education at Oguzkaan College in 2007, the Department of Industrial Engineering at Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Engineering in 2016 and finally my master's degree in Business and Technology Management at Istanbul Technical University in 2018. My career, which started as a Quality Engineer in Schindler Elevator, continues my career as an Assistant Industry Digital Transformation Specialist within Koç Holding Arçelik in 2019 and finally as a Business Consultant within Mercedes Benz. As Business Consultant at Mercedes-Benz, we manage projects under the SDC (Service Delivery Center) structure by acting as a bridge to the dissemination of digital solutions that Daimler accepts as standard to different countries. I had the opportunity to spend 1 semester in Portugal by taking advantage of erasmus student exchange program with the overseas opportunities provided to us by my university. I can still say that this decision is one of the best I've ever made in my life. This experience has led to different doors opening in my life, removing me from my comfort zone and pushing my boundaries. In short, I'd say there's a period point in my life. Because it was an experience that showed me there was another world out there. I think the IAU has added a lot of value to its students in this regard. The fact that the academicians who took our course at my university also have experience in the private sector has added a lot of value to us in that field. Our teachers, who blended the academy and the private sector and trained us in this direction, allowed us to balance two different worlds. IAU invites many speakers from the private sector during my education and I think it facilitates the adaptation process for business life by providing us with the opportunity to learn about the private sector and by feeding the students current examples of business life. My fellow students, who are currently studying at the university, need to continue to develop themselves academically and professionally. The field of Industrial Engineering is a very wide range of fields, and it can be difficult for a newly graduated student to know what he wants the first time. When you step into professional life, the first job may not always be the right place. The person should determine the appropriate area for himself and guide his career by observing and analyzing without losing his motivation. There are no dreams you can't reach. Throughout my university life, I have evaluated my free time by developing and traveling my foreign language. Regardless of the department you are studying and the experience you have, your knowledge of languages and their ability to be open and adapt to different cultures will always make you stand out and make a difference. During my education, I would like to make more use of student clubs and connect with more people studying in different departments. Diversity is always a factor that enriches the person, opens his horizons. While we don't understand this much during university periods, it is a situation that makes you feel important when you step into professional life. My fellow students who are continuing their education should strengthen their networks as much as possible.

Ali Emre YILDIRIM' 14

I was born in 1978 in Istanbul. I completed my high school education at İstek Vakfı schools. I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University Anadolu Bil Vocational School Banking and Insurance Program in 2012, from IAU Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Department of Economics and Finance in 2014 and from IAU Social Sciences Institute Business Administration Department in 2016. business and education life continued together. In 1998, I started my working life at Turkish Airlines Ground Handling as a part-time staff. After completing my patriotic duty. In 2006, I worked as THY Domestic and International Ground Services Chief. In 2008, I worked as the Deputy Manager of Turkish Airlines Ground Services for 1 year. After the change in the management structure of Turkish Airlines, Turkish DO&CO A.Ş., Turkish Teknik A.Ş. and Turkish Ground Service A.Ş. It was last established in 2010. I continued my duties as TGS Manager until 2013.We can think of ground services in two categories as counter and apron. I have worked in both fields for many years. You need to improve your knowledge and experience in order to reach better positions in your duties, so I took part in both departments without hesitation. In 2013, I was appointed as THY Cargo Coordination Manager. After working for two years, I was appointed as THY Station Chief in 2015. In my position as Station Chief, I was responsible for all air and land operations of THY from A to Z. We carried out our operations with a team of 6000 people. . , more than 200 chefs and more than 100 managers. As of 2020, I continue my duty as Turkey Ground Handling Sales and Marketing Assistant General Manager. I recommend my fellow students to follow the IAU sector university meetings, keep in touch with academicians from the sector, gain experience in an area, even if it is internship or part-time, and gain experience in the field of education. I would like to state that they will benefit from learning a second or third language other than English in their business life, while studying abroad, student exchange programs or with Erasmus.

Gizem TOPSAKAL ACET' 12

I was born in Istanbul in 1994. In 2012, I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University Anadolu Bil Vocational School human resources management program. I completed my undergraduate education on Labor Economics and Industrial Relations and my Master's degree in Human Resources Management with thesis. In 2011, I entered the business life as an intern in the leading companies of the sector. I was in the human resources department most recently, working in different departments. During this time, I took part in all processes of human resources. After 3.5 years of experience, I gained experience in the education sector by working in leading institutions in the education and consultancy sector and in the education and development departments for 3 years. During this time, I simultaneously started my own consulting firm in 2016. At Tetris Solutions, the consulting firm I founded, I conducted consultancy processes on Software Development, IT Recruitment, Process Development, Performance Management and Educational Development. Afterwards, I worked in the Human Resources department within Madame Coco and Demirören Technology Group for 2 years and worked as a columnist on Human Resources for 1 year in the Posta Newspaper. At the end of 2020, I established my 2nd office in London by establishing the UK leg of Tetris Solutions with the decision I made in line with the successful initiatives of Tetris Solutions, and I am currently managing the consultancy process as a Human Resources Partner. However, after 10 years of experience in the sector, I am simultaneously working as a lead author in a book writing process on columnist and strategic talent management at Kariyer.net. I believe that Mr. Dr. Ercan Öge has trained us very strongly in the sector in a period where there are the best teachers in the field of Human Resources Management at Istanbul Aydın University, especially in a period where the human resources perspective is still newly recognized in Turkey. Years later, while all the details he described remained up-to-date, we had the chance to perform this profession in his light. Our training is not only in theory, but also applications, role plays, career days, many activities where we are together with people from the sector have improved us a lot in this field. The Career Center was a center that offered us new opportunities without graduating and continues to communicate with us effectively even after graduation. My fellow students volunteer in internships etc. where they can apply the knowledge they have learned in theory in practice and step into the business life together with their education life.

Osman ÇİFTÇİ' 14

I was born in 1990 in Ardahan. I completed my primary education in Istanbul Alpaslan Primary School and my secondary education in Istanbul Vefa Anatolian High School. I started my undergraduate education in Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Law in 2009. After 1 year of English preparatory education, I graduated from the Faculty of Law in 2014 with the first place. Then, I completed my master's degree at Istanbul Aydın University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Private Law. Istanbul Aydın University, where I spent my university education, gave me 5 years and beautiful friendships that I will never forget. I always carry the privilege of being a student of Rector Prof.Dr. Yadigar İzmirli'nin with my feelings of gratitude and gratitude. By passing the Judge Prosecutor Exam held in 2014, when I graduated, respectively; After I started working as a Judge Candidate at the Istanbul (Çağlayan) Palace of Justice, I worked as a Criminal Judge of Peace, a Judge of First Instance and the Chairman of the District Election Board in 2016. Samsun province, Kavak district. In 2018, I served as a Judge of the Civil Court of First Instance in Muş, a Criminal Judge of First Instance, a Judge of Execution and a Member of the Judiciary Commission. I am still working in Muş Courthouse.

Hilal FINDIKLIOĞLU' 19

I was born in Istanbul in 1996. I graduated from Mehmet Baydar Anatolian High School and in 2014, I entered Istanbul Aydın University. After graduating, I attended various seminars and training courses in my field, and graduated from the Department of Industrial Engineering (English) as an honors student in 2019. Then, I attended Prestij Optik Gözlük Sanayi Tic. and Ltd. Şti. So I started working three months before I graduated. I’ve been working at this company as a Production Engineer for nearly a year, and I’m the team leader. During my studies, I can easily say that Istanbul Aydın University has helped me a lot. This is because I come across all the steps of the training I receive in the field, as well as in projects, reports and meeting environments. In this context, if I want to be successful in business life, I can say that all the lessons learned at university are taught in business life. At my company, I am generally responsible for following the manufacturing process, setting deadlines, work order management, completing product notifications, opening product records and quality control processes. Therefore, I continue my studies on Optimism at Beykent University as I feel a deficiency.

Özay KAYHAN' 18

I was born in 1979 in Kırşehir. In 1998, I won the Police Academy Faculty of Security Sciences. After graduating from the Academy in 2002, he started to work as a Commissioner in his first place of duty, Istanbul. In 2007, I was assigned to Diyarbakır for my second assignment. In 2014, I was assigned to Istanbul from Diyarbakır. We received training together with the practices in the education and training received at the Police Academy. I wanted to continue this education school; but when I lost my job, I missed this realization for many years. Finally, I settled in Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Law and graduated. He studied law school. Such a reading section required many material and spiritual sacrifices. Despite this, I have gained a lot of teachers and new friends at this school and it is very valuable for me. In addition, he always sees the benefit of education related to my profession as a manager. He is currently the 4th Class Manager and still at the Istanbul Police Department as the Legal Affairs and Investigation Branch Directorate.

Duygu YILMAZ' 13

Merhabalar, ben Duygu Yılmaz 1988 Doğumluyum. 4 yaşımdan beri İstanbul’da yaşıyorum. Liseyi Üsküdar Anadolu lisesinde okudum. Sonrasında Kocaeli Ünv. Gıda Teknolojisi bölümünü bitirip Malatya İnönü Ünv. Gıda Mühendisliği bölümüne geçiş yaptım orada ortalamam yüksek olduğu için İstanbul Aydın Ünv. ( Tam Burslu) Gıda mühendisliği bölümüne yatay geçiş yaptım. Mühendislik fakültesini bitirdikten sonra İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi Kimya Fakültesine başladım ve İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesinde Yüksek lisansa başladım. Çok fazla sosyal çevresi olan ve hep sosyal olan biriydim. İş haricinde kalan zamanlarımın çoğunda yurt dışı eğitim programlarına katılmak, dostlarımla ve ailemle vakit geçirmeye çok özen gösteriyorum. Liseden beri iş hayatının hep içinde oldum. Üniversite hayatımda aynı şekilde devam etti. THY, ÜLKER, Gamma-Pak, Balparmak gibi birçok firmada staj, yarı zamanlı ve tam zamanlı çalışmam oldu. Üniversiteden mezun olduktan sonra hemen yüksek lisansa başladım, kurumsal bir firmanın Kalite ve üretim departmanında mühendislik yaparken babamın kahvaltıda midesine iyi geldiği düşüncesiyle zeytin çekirdeği yutmasının üzerine aklıma gelen bir fikir ile kurumsal hayata hoşça kal deyip kendi işimi kurmak için yola koyuldum ve yaklaşık 4 yılı aşkın süredir Biolive’i her gün daha iyi bir noktaya getirmek için çalışıyorum. Biolive Biyolojik Ve Kimyasal Teknolojile Anonim Şirketi’nin Kurucu Ortağı ve Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı olarak devam ediyorum. Bu görevimin yanı sıra Türkiye Gençlik Kulüpleri Konfederasyonunun Genel Başkanlığını yapıyorum. Ülkemizde yerli ve milli üretimi arttırmaya yönelik Türkiye’nin dört bir yanında yer alan, birçok danışmanı ve çalışanı bulunan Konfederasyonumuzun Anadolu’da eğitimleri vermesini düzenliyor. Gençlere ve kadınlara yönelik sosyal sorumluluk projeleri yapıyorum. Katıldığım ve düzenlediğim panellerin çoğunda Cumhurbaşkanımızın Baş Danışmanları ile Yerli Ve Milli Üretimi arttırmaya yönelik konuşmalar yapıyorum. Biolive şirketinin kurucusu olarak ülkemizin 2017 Yılının Gelecek Vaat eden Kadın Girişimcisi seçildim ve silikon vadisinde ülkemizi temsil edip İleri Malzeme 1.lik ödülünü alan ilk Uluslararası alanda Türk firma seçildik. Kendimi bildim bileli hep çalıştım yani okul hayatım bile hep iş hayatının içerisinde oldu. Zaman yönetimi benim için hep çok önemli olmuştur ve bana iyi yönde fayda sağlamayacak vakit kaybı yaşatacak her eylemden uzak durmaya özen gösterdim. Eğitim hayatım boyunca THY, Gamma-Pak, Ülker gibi kurumsal firmalarda gönüllü staj yaptım THY’de ise yaz tatillerinde çalıştım. Okul hayatım bittikten sonra Yüksek lisans dönemimde bir dönem Balparmak firmasında Kalite Departmanında mühendislik yaptım. Bu süre içerisinde kendimi ve bu hayatta ne yapmak istediğimi uzun bir süre sorgulamaya başladım. Yapmak istediğim iş ile insanlara özelliklede kadınlara ve kız çocuklarına ilham olmak istiyordum. Biolive fikri aklıma geldikten sonra kurumsal hayatı bırakıp part-time öğrencilere ders vererek oradan elde ettiğim gelir ile hayatıma devam edip Biolive şirketini kurmak için araştırmalar ve çalışmalara başladım. Biolive Vestel Ventures firmasından yatırım alınca şirketimizi kurduk ve yaklaşık 2 Yıldır tüm kariyerimi Biolive’de devam ettiriyorum. Balparmak firmasında kalite mühendisliği yaptığım sırada babamın kahvaltıda zeytin çekirdeği yutması üzerine ben zeytin çekirdeğini araştırmaya başladım. Zeytin çekirdeği gerçekten mideye iyi geliyormu diye çekirdekleri öğüttüm ve içeriğini araştırmaya başladım. Kurumsal hayattan ayrılıp artık sürekli iş fikrimin üzerine araştırmalar yapıyordum. O dönemde İstanbul Teknik Ünv. Teknokentinde Girişimcilik Merkezinde eğitimlere katılmaya başladım. Şu an ki ortaklarım olan Fatih ve Emin İTÜ’den hazırlık sınıfımdan arkadaşlarımdı ikisi de bizde seninle beraber olalım ve biyoplastik üretelim dediler bunun üzerine 3’müz Fatihin öğrenci evinde bir laboratuvar kurduk ve çalışmalara başladık. Biolive şirketleşmeden önce yaklaşık 2 yıl evde ortağım Fatih’in evinde kurduğumuz laboratuvarda çalışmalar yaparak elde edilen bir buluş üzerine kurulmuştur. Biolive için hergün prototip çalışmaları yaptık ve 3 ortak part-time çalışarak kendi laboratuvarımızı evde kurduk. İlk zamanlarda kimse zeytin çekirdeğinden biyoplastik üreteceğimize inanmadı biz 3 ortak yılmadan çalıştık ilk katıldığımız yarışma olan Boğaziçi Üniversitesinin girişimcilik yarışmasında 2.lik alarak Almanya Berlin Tech Open Air etkinliğindeki eğitimlere gönderildik ve yatırımcılar ile görüşmeye başladık. Türkiye’ye döndükten sonra Vestel Ventures dan Metin Bey birgün mentorluk görüşmeleri yaparken masanın üzerinde bizim ürettiğimiz biyoplastikleri farkediyor ve ondan sonra hemen görüşmeler başladı ve Vestel Ventures tan yatırım alıp şirketleştik. Şu anda Yıldız Teknopark’ta kendi üretimimiz ve ofisimiz bulunmaktadır. Biolive Biyolojik ve Kimyasal Teknolojiler Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. zeytin çekirdeklerinden antimikrobiyal ve antioksidan biyoplastik granülleri üreten ve satan, ayrıca bu üretim sürecini tasarlayan ve geliştiren bir biyoteknoloji firmasıdır. Petrol türevi plastikler insan sağlığına ve çevreye zararlıdır. Doğada 750 yılda kaybolmaktadır ve kg plastik başına 6 kg karbon dioksit salınımına sebep olmaktadır. Ayrıca, bazı plastik türleri ısı ile muamele gördüklerinde Bisfenol-A adı verilen kanserojenik bir madde yaymaktadır. Dolayısıyla insanlar plastikle kaplanmış herhangi bir yiyecek veya içecek tükettiğinde, bu zararlı maddeyi vücutlarına almaktadır. Neyse ki günümüzde, insanlar petrol türevi plastiklerin zararları konusunda bilinçli hale gelmeye başlamıştır ve doğaya uyumlu ürünlerin tercihi söz konusu olmuştur. Ayrıca, Avrupa’da ve Amerika’nın bazı eyaletlerinde petrol türevi plastik kullanımının yasaklanması üzerine yasalar da mevcuttur. Tüm bunlar biyoplastik pazarının giderek büyümesini sağlamaktadır. Ancak, biyoplastiklerin birçoğu yenilebilir atıklardan yapılmaktadır ve petrol türevi plastiklerden çok daha pahalıdır. Bunun yanı sıra, genellikle petrol türevi plastiklerin biyo-form haline dönüştürülmesiyle elde edildikleri için tamamen doğal değildir. Tüm bunlara ek olarak, dünyada büyük bir gıda israfı da söz konusudur (yıllık 1.3 milyar ton). Bu noktada Biolive A.Ş., zeytin çekirdeğinden ürettiği tamamen doğal biyoplastik granülleri ile biyo/plastik pazarındaki problemleri ve eksiklikleri gidermek için devreye girmektedir. Biolive ülkemizde her yıl 500000 ton kadar olarak çıkan zeytin çekirdeği atığından (prina) plastik granüller üreten bir firmadır. Bizim en büyük farkımız doğada kaybolan biyoplastik olmasından ziyade doğrudan bir atıktan yeni bir ürün üretmemizdir. Buluşumuz Dünya’da bir ilktir ve Los Angeles’ta ülkemizi Temiz Teknoloji alanında temsil etmiş ve Uluslararası İleri Malzeme 1.lik ödülü alarak ülkemizi döndük. Biolive granülleri, zeytin çekirdeğinde bulunan “oleuropein” adı verilen maddenin aktivasyonu sayesinde doğal olarak antibakteriyel ve antioksidandır. E.Coli de dâhil olmak üzere pek çok mikroorganizma üzerinde inhibe edici etkisi mevcuttur. Bu sayede, gıdalarda sentetik katkı maddeleri kullanmak veya malzemeye pahalı nanoteknolojiler ile antibakteriyel özellik kazandırmak yerine gıdalar Biolive biyoplastikleri ile kaplandığında ya da üzerine yerleştirildiğinde, gıdalar üzerinde raf ömrü artışı ve tazeliğini koruma sağlanmaktadır. Ayrıca Biolive granülleri biyoçözünür, geri dönüşümlü, saydam ve bitkisel atığın değerlendirilmesi sonucu üretildiği için var olan biyoplastiklerden %90 daha uygun maliyetlidir. Biyomalzemeler aslında petrol türevli kullandığınız plastik sektöründe her sektörde kullanılabilir özelliktedir. Biyoplastik sektörü ülkemizde çok bilinmese de son 6 yılda çok fazla bir büyüme etkisi meydana getirmiştir. Bizim hedeflediğimiz en büyük kullanım alanları; – Tek kullanımlık malzemeler ( poşet, çatal, tabak, bardak v.b) – Ziraat malzemeleri – Gıda kullanım kapları, – Gıda ambalajları, – Medikal malzemeler, cerrahi kıyafetler – Pet şişe v.b – Bebek ürünleri (bez, emzik, oyuncak), – Beyaz Eşya sektörü – Otomotiv sektörü – Tekstil – Hijyen materyalleri En başta gelmektedir. Bizim ürünlerimizin en büyük avantajı ise çevreci bir ürün olarak doğada 1 yıl içerisinde kaybolması, kara ve deniz canlılarının hayati tehlikelere maruz kalmasını engellemesidir. 1 Kg plastik atığı 6 Kg CO2 emisyonuna sebep olmaktadır. CO2 emisyonunu engelleyicidir, Gıdaların raf ömrünü arttırıcı etkisinden dolayı gıda katkı madde oranlarını azaltır ve gıda israfını engeller. Tıbbi malzemelerde enfeksiyon kapmayı engeller ve doğal antimikrobiyal özellikte olması en büyük avantajlarından biridir. Üretilen biyomalzemeleri yurt dışına ithal ediyor musunuz ? Evet ilk ihracatımızı pipet üretimi için Almanya’da bir firmaya yaptık. Biolive günden güne büyümekte ve globalleşmekte olan bir şirket olup üretim tesisini açtıktan sonra artan üretim kapasitemizle daha çok ihracat yapıp şirketimizi globale taşımayı hedeflemekteyiz. Ayrıca İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesinin düzenlediği Imagine Tomorrow Girişimcilik Yarışmasında 1.lik ödülü kazandık ve ABD’nin en önde olan Chobani Gıda firması ile ortak proje çalışmaları yapmaktayız. GİRİŞİMCİLİK ÖDÜLLERİ – Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Enterprize 2.lik ödülü – Tubitak- Kadem 2016 Kadın Girişimcilik 1.lik ödülü – Ege İhracatçılar Birliği Gıda Ar-Ge araştırmacı Kategorisi 2.lik ödülü – Girişimci iş adamları vakfı Başbakan Yardımcısı tarafından alınan fikir mansiyon ödülü – 2017 Tubitak Clean Tech Open Temiz teknoloji alanında alınan ABD Los Angeles ve Silikon Vadisinde Uluslararası 1.lik ödülü – Kagider, Garanti Bankası ve Ekonomist tarafından seçilen Türkiye’nin 2017 Yılının Gelecek Vaad Eden Kadın Girişimcisi 1.lik ödülü – 2017 Yılı Tubitak Kadın Girişimcilik ödülü – Enerji Bakanlığı tarafından seçilen Türkiye’nin Enerji veren ilk 3 kadını arasında yer alınması – OİB (Otomotiv İhracatçılar Birliği) Otomotiv Proje Pazarı 1.lik ödülü – Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Start-up 1.lik ve Star Camp Silikon Vadisi Eğitim Ödülü – Mercedes Benz Start-up Sosyal Fayda Alanı 1.lik ödülü – Hamdi Ulukaya Girişimi (HUG) ile New York Programında Yer alan Girişim Kategorisi ödülleri

Erhan TÜRKAN' 07

I was born in Istanbul in 1985. I graduated from the department of Tourism Hotel Management department in 2007.I started my business life at the university by doing Bodrum tours. Our teachers gave us a lot of ideas and always shared their experiences with us.I have always followed the part-time and internship preferences offered by the University Career Center. I never hesitate to plan conferences and seminars given by our university on school and student development. After graduating from university, I went to London for language training. I worked day and night between 2007 and 2009 and most recently in London. As a business that started to grow as Marmara Şişli Hotel in 2010, it continues as sales. I became a civil servant for the second year. In 2012, he started to work as a Hilton Garden Inn Istanbul Golden Horn Hotel representative. This hotel was the first hotel of Hilton to have the Garden Inn brand in Istanbul. I was promoted as selling prices because this new sale tripled all my buying and selling figures. Finding a job as a business development manager at an agency working in the eastern market alongside Jacquard. Accor Hotels Turkey looking forward to 5 months is the 18th joint responsibility of Accor Hotels Turkey. I am currently working in a job position at the Turkey branch of HWS (Hilton Worldwide Sales), the first workplace of Hilton's global sales office. In addition, Hilton is indispensable in the Middle East, which has provided the most construction in the last 10 years in the country's tourism. Due to my success in 2018, I was selected as the most successful salesperson in MEA-T's Leisure segment (Middle East, Africa and Turkey). My advice to students is to always keep their imagination and horizons wide and open.

Elif ALTINIŞIK' 13

I was born in Istanbul in 1990. I am energetic, sensible and honest; an optimist, a lively creator, a participative leader, and a self-reliant team member. Since I was a child, I have been engaged in the three main branches of art —painting, music, and theatre— and in other art events; I have practiced art and made it a part of my life’s agenda with pleasure. I chose to study International Trade because of my passion for travel, my hunger for new cultures and people, and my desire to be in an international field; moreover, this decision was partially because my parents were also merchants. In 2013, I graduated from the Department of International Trade (in English), Istanbul Aydın University, as the student with the highest ranking in the graduating class. I have been the vice-president and coordinator of the International Cooperation Platform/Bosphorus Summit for three years. The education I got at IAU played a crucial role in my current stance in different situations. The Union of E-TRADE Clubs, which I established together with my friends at IAU, and made great contributions to my international economy-based summit that I held today in line with our integrated efforts with other universities.When I was a student at IAU, I went on Erasmus in Portugal in 2012, and this was such a great attainment that I think I would do it again if I had the chance. I strongly recommend the programme to all students. I always thought, “This is how a university should be!” throughout my student life. It has been almost five years since my graduation, and I believe that IAU has very much enhanced its academic and student profile, education, and campus life over the past five years. My advice is that students should get the most out of university, benefiting from professors, activities, and privileges offered to them; in short, they should take every opportunity during their student life. They should ask for more than what is offered to them. I suggest that they have lots of chats and discussions and attend seminars and that they definitely go on exchange programmes. Again, I am repeating the same exhortation: experience studying abroad, since it broadens your horizon and contributes greatly to your being a brilliant individual.

Mehmet Şah KARATAŞ' 15

I was born in Diyarbakir in 1977. I completed my primary and secondary education in Diyarbakır and my high school education at Kayseri High School. After graduating from Istanbul Aydın University Anatolian Bil Vocational School Local Governments program in 2015, I graduated from a different university with DGS, Department of Political Science and Public Administration and 2021 Master of Business Administration at Istanbul Aydın University Institute of Social Sciences.With the start of my business life in 1996, my istanbul adventure started. As a result of my analysis, I implemented the foundation of British Time Language Schools, my initiative in the education sector, in Zeytinburnu in 1998. After 5 years of planned and stable work, our branch, which is our headquarters in Bakırköy, was also operational. In the following years, our activities continued by opening our branches in Kadıköy, Taksim, Mecidiyeköy, Avcılar, Kayseri, Diyarbakır. We are continuing our work throughout Turkey for our "81 Branches in 81 provinces" project. However, due to the pandemic, we had to suspend our projects in the UK and out of town. We are currently operating with 8 branches and online training platforms. I continue to meet with my friends and friends who have won at Istanbul Aydın University and with my teachers who have attended my courses in my Master's and Associate Degree education. Especially the knowledge I learned in my Master's degree guided me to improve my work life and transfer scientific data from theory to practice. I believe that my fellow students will definitely experience abroad through travel, education or erasmus programs and thus they will have a new perspective on the world.

Ebru ONGAN' 09

I was born in 1984. I grew up from a very young age with a great interest in art. When I was five, I spent time drawing clothes designs. For this reason, I completed my high school education on Traditional Turkish Handicraft Tezhip Anadalı, which I have always been interested in. Thanks to Ali Kunduracioglu, Classical Skin Master of Istanbul Handicraft Bazaar, where I was interned, I started to do art workshops for tourists. After finishing my school with first place, I received an academic education on Turkish Decorative Arts, which lasted for two years at Topkapi Palace. Meanwhile, I signed designs produced using glass painting art for Pashabahçe Boutique Collection. After developing myself in drawing and design, I turned to the digital field of this business and started to publish design printing as it was called at the time. Thanks to the many important trainings I received, I started to produce projects with confidence in digital environments related to design and art. After graduating in 2009, I did advertising stories and advertising montages of famous brands. I also named a shoe brand and made logo designs for two major brands. I am currently working as an lingerie department manager at Victoria's Secret. I continue my work by coaching them to develop all their skills in personnel training and sales, ensuring that they focus on their goals and aiming to provide a highly tailored service to every customer who visits our brand to create an excellent customer experience. We continue our activities to enable our employees who walk with our brand to have a strong career by planning for the future. The IAU career center allowed me to discover myself and realize how valuable I was doing by showing what I had achieved for my perfectionist character. When I look at my university life, I wish I had studied more departments at my university, met more lecturers and added more to myself and my future. It consists of a very good team working administratively and academically in our university. My biggest advice to our students is that they should evaluate every moment they are under the roof of IAU very efficiently, because they have one of the rare universities where every opportunity is provided, the student is looked after with valuable eyes, and their ideas are also taken into consideration. I send my love to all IAU employees who make me feel valued and to new students who focus on their entire goal. You're going to success it.

Nevzat KARAKEBEN' 17

I was born in Istanbul in 1972. In 1989, after graduating from Bahçelievler High School in Istanbul, I started my business life. My love of college has never faded. I fulfilled my postponed university dream at the age of 45 by graduating from Istanbul Aydın University ABMYO Tourism Hotel Management program in 2017. I continue my business life with my activities in automotive, construction and food and beverage sector. In 2008, we launched my Tonton Baba / Bread Break brand initiative and continue our activities with our branches in 12 different locations in 2021. I have worked in non-governmental organizations, volunteer work and board memberships. I had a happy marriage and two daughters doing my work. My student life at Istanbul Aydın University has brought me a lot. According to my other friends, it was a very different experience because I started life as an entrepreneur and then finished university. If my university education had started before my career, I might have experienced less commercial mistakes, financially and spiritually, in a very different position today. I have seen my experiences in my business life written in the textbooks I read during my university years. I continue to exchange communication and information with IAU career center after graduation. They helped me gain different perspectives by inviting me to every event on entrepreneurship, branding and food that I gained specialization. I would like to point out that the theoretical and practical knowledge of my friends who continued their student life at the university was presented to them as a rehearsal before starting their business life and that you can overcome it with the knowledge you have gained in university life.

Ersin BALCI' 13

I was born in Istanbul. After graduating from Istanbul Atatürk Science High School, I completed my undergraduate education at Istanbul Technical University Electronics Engineering Department. I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University, Institute of Social Sciences, Business Administration Master's program, which started with my working life, in 2013. I continued my job by getting promoted due to my professional life and success in the world that started at Procter & Gamble. Later, I worked as a manager in various positions at Unilever. I am currently working as a manager at Henkel company. In addition to the innovative aspect of Istanbul Aydın University, the fact that it has many successful academicians in the field has been one of the factors that made the most difference for me. The education process of Istanbul Aydın University, which is integrated with the business world, helps you get through the process of adaptation to business life after graduation. Especially during my MBA education, my professors, whom I took courses in the fields of economics and marketing, made a very important contribution to my business life. I advise my current university students to be aware of themselves and life, live life, work with realistic goals, without limiting themselves, and work tirelessly for these goals. There are many social opportunities for students with intensive academic education at IAU, and I could not benefit from the social opportunities of our university due to my business life and education. I want to be more involved in these events.

Nihal KAYA' 10

I was born in Giresun in 1982. After graduating from Beyoglu A.E. Anatolian High School, I did an internship in Turkish Maritime Enterprises for 1 year. Between 2000 and 2005, I served as Senior Executive Assistant at The Turkish Religious Foundation 29 May Hospital. In 2005, I started to work as The Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of The World's Eye Hospitals Group. In 2007, I returned to my student life as a 2nd lecturer in the Department of Health Institutions Management at Istanbul Aydın University during my 'working period'. After preparatory education in English, I graduated from Marketing department in 2010 by changing departments at the end of the semester. I completed my human resources and english education at Bosphorus University Lifelong Education Center. After 15 years of health experience and training, I was appointed as Hospital Manager at Dünyagöz Ataköy Hospital in 2015, and I am now continuing to work in the same position. As someone who has worked in the health sector for 21 years, I would like to point out that; it is not possible to advertise and market through human health. However, I have developed a sales strategy in health with the knowledge IU Marketing department, especially from the service marketing course, and I have achieved success in this regard. After graduating, I was pleased to have benefited both my school and my workplace by staying in touch with IAU Career Center at all times. In addition, I have always had the advantage of working with equipped and reliable staff by providing employment in our institution to graduate students. Working during the day and studying in the evenings, i.e. being a business person during the day and a student in the evening, was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. Being with precious teachers, sharing the same stress and excitement with people younger than me as age, generation Z, analyzing their outlook on life, analyzing their thoughts, has been a teaching that will benefit me in every aspect of my life. My student life at Istanbul Aydın University taught me this: no matter how old we are, no matter what job we do, being involved in education throughout life, somehow being involved with paper and pencil is the best investment and the greatest wealth that one can make for one himself.

İlkay YELMEN' 13

In 2013, I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University (IAU) Faculty of Engineering, Department of Software Engineering. In 2016, I received a master's degree in Computer Engineering from IAU. I am currently studying for a PhD in computer engineering at Kadir Has University and working as a Business Analyst and Project Manager within Turkish Airlines (THY) Information Technologies. I have articles published in international journals and conferences. In 2017, I ranked first among the employees within THY Information Technologies by scoring 100 points in the Project Manager evaluation conducted by THY Information Technologies Project Management Office. During my university life, especially in club activities, I had the opportunity to find easy work thanks to the on-site application studies and projects I have done. Since I developed myself in a multifaceted way, I had the opportunity to do different things. In addition, it was a unique experience for me to have a strong dialogue with my professors at the university. The fact that our courses have application-oriented and real business life-appropriate content, for example, the ability to participate in university-industry cooperation projects while they are still students, has allowed me to adapt to business life faster. IAU Career Center has also had significant support, especially in the internship. However, I was also short of the opportunities of my university to study abroad. My advice to my fellow students who are currently studying at IAU is that they have strong communication with academicians and that they fully evaluate the application opportunities offered to them by the university. It is in their interest to take part in at least one project activity during their education life

Batın BEZİK' 19

I was born in Adana in 1998. I completed my primary, secondary and high school education in Adana. I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology in 2019. In 2004, my father was killed in Van by a mine laid by terrorists on the road and then by crossfire. I'd say the real challenge began from that moment on. Life that changes in an instant, then the difficulties that will be experienced for years... For a while, I expressed the reaction to this incident in my angry mood and by staying away from people. Until that age, there was no sign of that fun kid who laughed at everything. Over time, I gradually tried to change my mood with my mother's support. When I went into the phase of accepting things, one day I came to meet the term psychology and the concept of psychologist. When I think of my mother, my 2-year-old brother, who endured all the hardships alone, and myself, who experienced in the most painful way what it means to be without a father at a young age, I started to make my way to become a psychologist. We're going to have to. Even though my mother, brother and I were able to hold each other tight and overcome most things, not everyone could be so lucky. This tragic event had a different effect on everyone and could have caused some of us to resent life. When I thought about all this, I wanted to be a psychologist and be there for all the relatives of the martyrs, veterans and veterans who wanted to. I've done it. As soon as I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University Psychology department in 2019, I started to provide free psychological support to the relatives of the martyrs, veterans and veterans. Although we as a family would have endured some things on our own, professional support would of course be different, and the fact that this support came from someone like me who had been injured from the same place would make them feel safer. Which it was, most of our parents told me, "No one understands me like you have ever understood me." Istanbul Aydın University was a school that I researched, wanted and wrote in the first place in university preferences during my high school life. What helped me along the way, both with his experience and the professionalism of his staff, enabled me to acquire features and knowledge that I could continue this profession competently. Always behind its students who are looking for knowledge and learning, this school has felt its support every step of the way as I build my future. I felt that they attached importance not only to the professional aspects, but also to the many development of the student individually and socially. In addition to theoretical education, I was given the highest level of applied training and experienced with internships held in important places. I would like to thank the family of Istanbul Aydın University who have been very supportive and worked for me to be here today.

Burak ALABUĞA' 15

I was born in Istanbul in 1992. I completed my high school education at Güngören İzzet Ünver High School in 2012. In 2015, I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University Anadolu Bil Vocational School Foreign Trade program. My work and education were going on together. My working life started as a sales staff in the textile sector in 2012 and continued as a chef and manager until 2020, respectively. On January 6, 2020, we took our first step as a founder in the textile sector with my business partner in Merter, Istanbul, by creating the Rollie brand, which is my initiative. We are currently exporting to more than 20 countries and we continue our activities by meeting the demand in the domestic market. During my university life, I have always been involved in social, cultural activities and activities for my personal development, as well as my working life. They should be aware that university life is not only considered as vocational education, but also a place where the individual can improve their social relations. I would like to state that my fellow students should evaluate all activities that will contribute to foreign language education, foreign experience and personal development, except for vocational training processes.

Sena Nur KARABACAK' 17

I was born in Istanbul in 1997. I completed my high school education at Orhan Cemal Fersoy Anatolian High School. In 2017, I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University Vocational School of Health Medical Imaging Techniques program as the first of my class. I attended DGS courses organized by Istanbul Aydın University and settled in nursing department with a good score with a full scholarship. I'm currently continuing my education and work life at the same time. I am continuing my career as a Radiology technician at Haliç University Medical Imaging Techniques program, advisory and scientific board and successfully working at KPSS in 2020 as a Radiology technician at Professor Dr. Cemil Tascioglu City Hospital. During my education at Istanbul Aydın University, I had the opportunity to improve myself in many fields thanks to its academic and social opportunities. I have always received support in my education and afterwards from the academicians who worked in my department. During my appointment to my post after graduation, I was in constant contact with istanbul Aydın University Alumni Association. By taking part in voluntary activities in many projects within IAÜMED, it was a factor in my personal and social development. Our university had a lot of opportunities socially, culturally and academically. My advice to my fellow students who are currently studying; to use the resources of our university, which has wide opportunities in all areas, and to improve yourself. Our university provides many opportunities for students to develop themselves in all areas. It is up to you to invest in a good future by taking advantage of these opportunities.

Yaşar UYSAL' 11

I was born on 31.10.1960 in Istanbul. As an Insurance Appraiser for 30 years, I have been serving insurance companies in the insurance sector in damage assessment. In addition to my studies at Istanbul Aydın University for the horizontal and vertical development of the profession, I continue my education life as a graduate of the Department of Industrial Relations, Banking and Insurance in The Labor Economy and as a student in the I.S.G. department. Since 1992, Yasar Uysal Insurance Appraisal LTD.STI. We continue our activities with my initiative, the departments I have completed at Istanbul Aydın University, Anadolu Bil Vocational School Automotive Technology Program 2011, Vocational School of Justice 2017, Institute of Social Sciences Business Administration Department graduated in 2019, I continue my PhD in Business Administration. University life improves one's social relations, questioning structure and human relations, allowing the individual to look at many issues he encounters in life from a broader perspective. With my education at Istanbul Aydın University, he strengthened the foundation of my profession and helped me to have a visionary perspective. The strong integration of university and sector cooperation is the science home that supports graduates and students with innovative and sustainable projects involving academicians who are experts in their fields. Through the career center, we continue our cooperation by cooperating with my students and newly graduated colleagues for on-site application courses, supporting them to start their business life and industry dynamics without any adaptation problems in implementing the theoretical education they receive at the university. I would like students who are studying at the university to be more questioned, researched, learn enough in their fields, follow national and international scientific publications, and analyze and detail what they have learned in the course, even if they are not at the academic level, and be aware that they will succeed as a result.

Hilal Nur FİCİL’ 17

I was born in Istanbul in 1995. In 2017, I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Audiology. During my undergraduate education, I was awarded the honorary certificate issued by the university in the academic years of 2013-2014, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. After graduation, I started working as an audiologist in a private rehabilitation center in Istanbul. I completed my master's degree in Audiology and Speech Disorders program in 2019. The subject of my master's thesis was the evaluation of the Effects of Electrostimulation Therapy on Swallowing and Sound in Patients with Partial Laryngectomy. During my university education, I worked part-time as an audiologist in a private rehabilitation center. After my master's degree, I was assigned to the faculty of istanbul Development University Vocational School of Health Services Inodymetry program and started working full-time. . In September 2020, I am working as Head of Audiometrics Program and as An Audiology and Speech Disorders Specialist in a private rehabilitation center. The knowledge and experience of my professors during my university life at Istanbul Aydın University and the fact that our audiology laboratory is technologically well equipped have added a lot to us professionally. As a department, we were the first graduates and our teachers and university have always been with us in the events, congresses and seminars we organized. After graduation, we have not been cut off from our teachers and we continue to receive their counseling on all subjects. We did not have any problems in adapting to professional life with the internship opportunities provided to us by our teachers and university. Approximately 3-4 years after graduation, I still receive e-mails about job advertisements and partnerships from the university career center. In this context, I can say with peace of mind that Istanbul Aydın university is behind not only its students but also its graduates. It is that the friends who are currently continuing their education should know how to evaluate everything within their means, provide personal and career development with trainings and seminars that will benefit professionally. Looking back on my university life, I would like to be more active, be in more contact with my teachers and participate in more activities.

Ahmet Yığmatepe / Çaşnigir

Ahmet YIĞMATEPE' 13

I was born in Elazig in 1989. I completed my primary and secondary education in Elazig. I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration in 2013. After graduation, I took my first step into business life professionally with the brand "Chashnigir Flavorist Head", my initiative where I sold breakfast products and raw food in a small shop in Bahçelievler, Istanbul. After 3 years, our activities continued with our second branch in Bakırköy. During the establishment process and in the early periods, our activities continued by taking the products of another brand. In the following years, our production facility in Bahçelievler also became operational. We have been working for 8 years by employing 25 people, providing production support to our branches in Bakırköy and Bahçelievler, our production facility in Bahçelievler and some organizations in the food sector. My wife is a graduate of Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, my wife is in the production facility, and I support each other in business life in branches. I have two daughters, Asel and Asli. Istanbul Aydın University had a boutique structure during our student years, and we could reach a solution in a short time by expressing our wishes by reaching our Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Doç. Dr. Mustafa Aydin. In our department, which includes very valuable academicians, they prepared us for life with what they added besides what they taught us. I continue to communicate with my friends and teachers that I have gained in university. Right now, my company's financial adviser is a classmate of mine from the university.

Berat KIRCA' 07

I was born in Istanbul in 1986, married, have two daughters. In 2007, I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University's Anadolu MYO BIL, Human Resources Management Program. I'm among the first alumni group in this program. Since 2007, I have been working in the field of human resources and have worked in positions such as HR manager HR manager in many domestic and foreign companies. In addition, in the fall semester of 2018-2019, I had the chance to teach "Administrative Affairs" for a semester in the Human Resources Management program of our school. Istanbul Aydın University offered me the opportunity to teach and practice the difficulties of business life with theoretical knowledge of ways to succeed there. With the internships found by the Career Center, my business life started, developed and allowed me to be in this profession since 2007. I am currently working as a Senior HR Partner in Turkey at Varroc Turkey, based in America.

Ayça BAKIR' 15

I was born in Bolu in 1990. Although my hometown is Kayseri and my birthplace is Bolu, I have lived in Istanbul for 29 years. I completed elementary, middle and high school as a student at a level that would be considered successful. Throughout my education and training life, I have progressed step by step towards my ideals with the great support of my family. I was also a very lucky student in terms of educators. I have the earned success of receiving training from educators who always discover my energy and potential and are always with me as friends. I continued my university life with Namik Kemal University, Department of Food Technology. After finishing 2 years of vocational school, I started working in a production planning unit at a food company. After working for a year, I started preparing for engineering thinking that the education life should not end for my life. I scored very well by taking the DGS exam in 2012. I settled in Istanbul Aydın University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Food Engineering with my first choice as a full scholarship. I continued my work and school together for about a year. My Food Engineering department teachers and laboratory training conditions were so good that I enjoyed spending time in school and in the laboratory. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Food Engineering in 2015. After graduating, I didn't have the chronic job search that everyone was going through. Thanks to Prof. Dr. Sukrü KARATAŞ, who is our Head of Department, I started to work in a good company. After working there as a "Quality Officer" for about a year, I switched to the food packaging sector besides food, thinking that the sector I worked in was not for me. After working as a "Quality Assurance Specialist" in a company that makes plastic food packaging for about a year, I thought it would be appropriate for me to work in an institution where I could use my education and knowledge more freely. At this time, I received a nice offer from Halaman Printing Company, which I am still working with, and started working as "Quality Management Systems Manager". In addition, I am continuing my education in Namik Kemal University Food Engineering Master's program with Thesis.

İsmail AKBAŞ' 07

I was born in Erzincan in 1986. From elementary school to 2015, I worked many jobs that were unrelated to each other. Although I realized later that these would contribute a lot to my future business, I just wanted to make money at the time. I founded the Band Band in 2015. The Band Band is a music ensemble that organizes entertainment and music organizations. We started this adventure with 4 people in 2015 and now we continue to serve in Turkey and abroad with a team of more than 200 musicians. In many corporate and private organizations, we organize flawless programs that have already been planned for people to be happy. My university ages had become enjoyable with the valuable teachers of our school during the university period and the pleasant friendly environment. It was a time when there was no financial value, and I miss those days. During my university years, I founded my first venture, "Band Bando", with the experiences that my teachers shared with us and gained in my business life. Although the entrepreneur does not realize the information he needs to receive, he collects it in his mind and offers them to you when you need them. My advice to all friends who are currently continuing their student life at IAU is that you can achieve success by blending your education, social relations, work and internship experiences that you have studied in university life. If you want to start a business in the future, you will be able to achieve success with your personal skills and experience. If you consider yourself good or bad according to the read section, you are unfair to yourself. I dreamed a lot, and all my dreams came true. Dream a lot, and I hope one day you'll make your dreams come true.

Andaç MARAŞLIOĞLU' 13

I was born in Istanbul in 1990. I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University, Faculty of Law in 2013. In 2017, I completed my Master's degree in Private Law at Istanbul Aydın University. I prepared a thesis under the title of Floor Equivalent Construction Contract. After completing my university education, I completed my internship in a law office for over a year. In February 2015, I obtained my license and started to work as Legal Counsel in Büyükçekmece Mayor's Office, and I left voluntarily in January 2018. Since then, I continue to practice the profession of lawyer as a freelancer. The areas I turned to during this process were Criminal Law and Construction Law. The education I received at Istanbul Aydın University allowed me to achieve a successful position in the profession I performed. The biggest contribution that Aydın University has made to me is; I've had socializing and communicating skills in my profession. Thanks to the environment I gained in university, I became a preferred name in my field. My esteemed professors at the university provided me with the necessary infrastructure. On top of that, some of our teachers have made valuable touches in my business life. The career center is an excellent platform for students studying and graduating from our university. Personally, although I don't need much in my profession, it has led me to follow the agenda and stay up to date in the field of work. In addition, the career center located at Istanbul Aydın University has a strong network that does not exist in every university. In this context, IAU students who are still continuing their university life should be in contact in this center, they are very interested with the students, they should be in more contact with our teachers and they should get more information. In this way, they can reach important positions with up-to-date data in their fields and employment opportunities are made easier. After my undergraduate education from IAU, I chose to study for a master's degree at the same university. Because both the skills and academic equipment that my university has added to me have brought me to the position I am now in in my business life.

Ali SARIKAYA' 11

I was born in Istanbul in 1990. I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University Anadolu Bil Vocational School computer programming department in 2011. After graduation, I graduated from Anadolu University, Department of Business Administration. I am currently continuing my thesis studies in Istanbul Aydın University Computer Engineering Master's program. My work and education life continued during my university education. My working life, which started as a staff member in the leading corporate companies of the sector, continued for many years as a supervisor and manager. I continue my working life as E-Commerce Manager of Jumbo brand within Karaca Group. I was previously a manager in Gülaylar Group Family for 5 years and Tekzen family for 7 years. Since I was one of the first students of Istanbul Aydın University and studied second education, our communication with my friends and teachers was at a high level. During my university years, I always took part in seminars on social, cultural activities and personal development. We are still in contact with the career center. My fellow students at Istanbul Aydın University should be aware that the university is not only considered as vocational education, but also a place where the individual can improve their social relations.

Nurşah OLSUN' 20

I was born in Istanbul in 1998. I completed my secondary and high school education in Istanbul. I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Food Engineering in 2020. During my university education, the internships I did through the career center and the experience I gained from applied courses contributed greatly to my self-esteem and easy adaptation to business life. In the last years of my university education, as a result of my career plans, after graduation, my working life as 'Project Manager' started at Pinar Yemek company. In my working life, which has been going on for about 8 months, I manage project coordination, implementation of quality-hygiene standards, ensuring quality and services iso 10002:2004 standards in production processes, customer satisfaction and complaint management system monitoring, ISO 22000:2005 food safety management system and ISO 9001:2008 quality management systems processes. As a result of istanbul Aydın University's rapid and effective adaptation to online education during the pandemic period with its technological infrastructure, I graduated without missing any subject from education and course outputs. It is with all my heart that my fellow students who continue their university education and primarily my future colleagues appreciate the university years with all my heart. In theoretical and practical courses, their progress on the field where they enjoy doing research and working will be a factor in their ability to perform their duties in business life with pleasure.

Gökhan TAŞDEMİR' 07

I was born in Malatya in 1983. I completed my high school education in 2000 at Güngören Izzet Ünver High School. I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University's Anadolu Science Vocational School of Tourism and Hotel Management program in 2007. My professional and educational life continued throughout my university education. My professional life, which started as a personnel in the leading corporate companies in the industry, continued for many years as a supervisor and manager. In 2016, I died from corporate life and founded the ORANGE brand, my first venture in the ready-to-wear industry. Our national and international operations are ongoing, both in wholesale and retail areas. I was one of the first students of Istanbul Aydın University and I studied second in school. Therefore, we had high levels of communication with my friends and teachers. During my college years, I have always taken part in social, cultural and personal development seminars. We are still in touch with the career center. Students studying at Istanbul Aydın University should be aware that the university should not be regarded as a mere vocational education, but that it is a place where individuals can improve their social relations as well.

Zişan ÇAPAR' 17

I was born on February 10, 1993, in Konya. I completed my primary and secondary education at the Private Diltaş Primary School. I passed Anatolian high school in high school exams and attended Anatolian high school for two years. In the 11th grade, I transferred to Diltaş High School on a scholarship and completed high school there. In 2011, I earned the Faculty of Dentistry at Istanbul Aydın University. One year of preparation I graduated from the Faculty of Dentistry in 2017 after five years of university education. After graduating, I got a job in my faculty again. I then had to leave for my specialty training. Throughout my university career, I tried to make the most of my university resources, both during my lecturers and the clinical and laboratory processes. We have higher quotas than other universities, and I believe this has improved us even more. We learned a lot from our teachers about education, knowledge and self-confidence. My most important advice would be to spend your college life to the fullest. Me and my friends read in a very difficult section and worked hard. Most of the time, we didn't even have a social life from working. My advice to those who will choose the healthcare industry is that if you are going to really enjoy your profession and you are going to choose it. Therefore, if you want to get a high school medical profession, or if you want to work in a hospital, as a dentist, spend two to three days in a office or clinic and ask yourself if you really want this profession.

Alper Çağlayan SARRAF' 17

I was born on August 1, 1989 in Ceyhan, Adana. After completing my primary and secondary school education at the Sakarya elementary school in 2003 and my high school education at the Ceyhan Halil Çiftçi Anadolu high school in 2007, I earned a university exam in 2008 and began studying in the Shipbuilding and Ship Machinery Engineering Department of Yıldız Technical University. After three years of engineering training, I couldn't get my dream job of dentistry out of my mind. So I decided to walk this path once more and took the university exam again in 2011. This is how we met IAU. In September 2011, I began walking at IAU Faculty of Dentistry under favorable conditions in line with my dream of studying. In 2013, amidst the hectic academic pace, I, along with my friends and I, established the "Dish-Toured Affairs Club," the first student club of the faculty where we organized many successful events. I was the founding president of the school for three years, and in which my social responsibility projects were heavily involved. Through joint projects with different university clubs, foundations, municipalities, and non-governmental organizations, we have acted as a medium for children to smile and school library students to develop reading habits. In August 2014, I spent one month as an observer student at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. In August 2015, when I graduated in the third grade, my research titled "Panoramic X-ray and Dental Volumetric Tomography Analysis of the Mandibular Channel" won the second prize in the aesthetic Dentist Academy Association's (EDAD) scientific research competition for dentistry school students and doctoral students. In August and September 2015, I spent two months as an observer in 'Universitat Hamburg' within the scope of the Erasmus internship movement offered to us by İAÜ Erasmus Office. These observations gave me the vision of seeing and evaluating different aspects of dentistry and life. I graduated from the dentistry faculty in june 2017. Since October 2017, I have been working as a dentist at the Büyükçekmece Oral and Dental Health Center, the Faculty of Dentistry at İAÜ, and at my private clinic. During my student years, I saw 15 different countries, more than 25 cities, and toured them in detail. I tried to learn different languages. I subscribed to various social communities and tried to meet people from a variety of socio-cultural backgrounds and set up communication relationships. I read books and attended conferences on good communication and articulated speech, and even secretly participated in communication faculty classes and listened to lectures, which I found to be critical. I tried to participate in events and talks in different fields, such as art and sports economy, as I had the opportunity. In my opinion, one of the conditions that brings people to a certain place is that person's vision first. Factors such as luck, money, network, hard work and family support are of course very important; however, in order for these to come to a good conclusion, one must have a vision that can evaluate the conditions first. I still have a long way to go, but I think one of the biggest chances in life for a person is to be passionate about his profession. I have succeeded in my profession, though late, by overcoming many different paths and challenges. As someone who graduated from faculty at the age of 28, I can confidently say that it is never too late to do the things you will be happy with in life. Just act.

Tuğba BAŞAK ŞAHİN' 06

1985 İstanbul doğumluyum. İlk, orta ve lise eğitimimi İstanbul/Bahçelievler’de tamamladım. Ön lisans eğitimimden 2006 yılında İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesi, Anadolu BİL Meslek Yüksekokulu Tasarım ve Basım-Yayımcılık Programı’ndan, “Yüksek Onur Öğrencisi” olarak mezun oldum. Çeşitli yayın evlerinde yerinde uygulama eğitimi, ajanslarda staj eğitimi alırken bu süreç zarfında iş hayatına eğitimim ile birlikte başlamış bulundum. Lisans eğitimimi 2011 yılında Dikey Geçiş Sınavı ile kazandığım Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi, Geleneksel Türk Sanatları Bölümü’nden “Onur Öğrencisi” olarak tamamladım. Buradaki başarımdan dolayı Sakıp Sabancı Vakfı tarafından, Sakıp Sabancı Birincilik Başarı Ödülünü layık görüldüm. Öğrenim süresi içerisinde çeşitli sergilerde katılımcı olarak yer aldım. Lisansüstü eğitimimi 2013 yılında İstanbul Arel Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Grafik Anabilim Dalı’nda tamamladım. Öğrencilik döneminde çeşitli sergiler düzenleyerek; mezun olduktan sonra tezim üzerine konferans, seminer ve söyleşi etkinliklerim oldu. 2012 yılından itibaren İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesi, Anadolu BİL Meslek Yüksekokulu, Grafik Tasarım Programı’nda Öğretim Görevlisi olarak çalışmaktayım. İnsanların hayatlarında mutlaka bir dönüm noktası olmuştur. Benimki de İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesi, Anadolu BİL Meslek Yüksekokulu’na başlamam ile oldu. Çünkü burada sadece öğrenci değil, birçok alanda yetkin bir birey olma imkânı sunuldu. Öncelikle üniversitenin her türlü imkânından sizi yararlandırmak isteyen güçlü bir yönetim ve başarabilirsiniz diye gözlerinizin içine bakan dinamik bir akademik kadro sizi karşılıyor. Özellikle ön lisans öğrencilerine yönelik dikey geçiş sınavına olan yönlendirmeler ve eğitimler sayesinde sınava hazırlanmada bir adım önde oluyorsunuz. “Yerinde Uygulama” ve “Staj” olanakları ile mezun olmadan iş deneyimi kazanmış hatta işe başlamış oluyorsunuz. Size düşen sadece eğitimi bir zorunluluktan çıkarıp, onu eğlenerek öğrenme metoduna dönüştürmek.

Damla POLAT' 15

I was born in 1991 and I live in Istanbul. I graduated from the Department of Drama and Acting at Istanbul Aydın University, Faculty of Fine Arts in 2015. I began my acting career at the Istanbul State Theater in 2018 with the Narnia Chronicles Musical. In 2020, I'm still continuing with the play "Masal is Inside the Fairy Tale." I'm currently an instructor at a special Ballet School and an Art School in addition to the stage. I think that I am lucky in my departments and teachers. Because studying art has carried people to a whole new level inmorally, and my teachers’ knowledge and dedication has taken me beyond what I had imagined. They made me dedicated to my profession, which I had dreamed of since childhood. I am satisfied with the training I received as of my department. As a graduate, I'm grateful to be in touch. I believe that I enjoy a great advantage in my professional life as the lecturers of my department are experts in their fields, respected artists and art theorists. I’m an actor and an actress instructor at the Istanbul State Theater since 2018.

Yusuf LAL’ 12

I was born in Erzincan in 1979. I successfully graduated from the Istanbul Aydın University Anatolian Science Vocational School Tourist Guidance program in 2012. I studied at Kaunas College in Lithuania with the erasmus program provided by our university. The Erasmus program played a significant role in shaping my career plans. My education and business life have always been together. I have worked in many areas in the tourism industry, excluding tourist guidance. As of 2018, I continue my professional life as the guideline of English and Lithuanian highly awarded tourists by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and in the tourism and entertainment industry in the Antalya Alanya region, with my Yusufo Kelines Tourism Agency A.Ş. initiative.

Fatma Gülşah DİZAR' 07

I graduated from the Department of Office Management, Istanbul Aydın University in 2007. I have been a part of Turkish Technic for ten years, and so far, I have worked as a planning specialist, an education coordinator and a quality coordinator at the unit of Production Planning and Control. Also, I started my own enterprise CreatetheCraft, for which I got massive support from IAU Career Centre and the Director of the Centre Sözer Kırca with regard to training and technical details; I have been running this enterprise for two years. Being the first students at Istanbul Aydın University and taking great steps as a small group created a sense of belonging among us. Thanks to the responsibilities assigned to us when we were students, we gained confidence as well as considerable awareness of our abilities and potentials. On-site training in particular is a wonderful opportunity for students to be introduced to working life. The education I received and each activity I joined at university provided me with a significant advantage in situations when it was essential to be insightful, enterprising, responsible and organised. I still work for the company where I did my internship with the help of on-site training programme. When the student acts with self-awareness, it becomes easier for him or her to integrate well into the university life as well as working life. If students at IAU get the most out of the university experience and know what it means to be a part of IAU, they will never have regrets, just like me. A savvy student both enjoys student life and has an interest in any self-improving activity.

Aşkın YILMAZ' 07

I was born on March 15, 1986, in Istanbul. In 2004, I entered the Department of Business Administration in English at the Anatolian Science Vocational School at Istanbul Aydın University. I am one of the first students of the English Business Department at Istanbul Aydın University. Our university offers internship opportunities on-site at our application center as a career step. After completing my English Preparatory Year training with the opportunity provided by the Istanbul Aydın University Career Center, I completed my internship at Siemens AŞ and the Human Resources department for five months. I have also made a vertical transition to the overseas education program, which is one of the greatest facilities offered by our university to its students. In 2007, I moved vertically to Notenboom Business School Business Management in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, where I graduated. I started my professional career as a finance specialist. The last time I was promoted, I was still working with my team of ten people as a branch manager at the same financial institution. The most important factor to achieve great success in both education and professional business life is the fact that I take full advantage of the opportunities offered by our school and teachers. My recommendation to all of my continuing students at Istanbul Aydın University is that they make the most of every opportunity presented by our university and lecturers.

Merve Elif ŞAHNE' 15

I was born in Ankara in 1993. I completed my secondary and high school education in Istanbul. In 2011, I entered the psychology department at Istanbul Aydın University. Throughout my university career, I have met with lecturers who are very valuable and who allow me to be where I am right now. You meet your university professors, and the opportunities your university provides are very important in your professional life. During my university years, I had the opportunity to do internship in important places both with the career center of the school and the support I received from my professors. After graduation (2015), I started working at Darülaceze as a volunteer in my academic years. I started my master's degree in clinical psychology while working in Darülaceze. When I was working here, I received a job offer from Tav Holding, for which I did my internship while still studying at university. I have been working at Tav Security Human Resources for three years. During the time I worked here, I had the chance to both run human resources processes and provide psychological support to the personnel. After completing my master's degree, I went to London for language education. My thesis on "Factors Related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Personnel After the Terror Attack at Atatürk Airport", the subject of my master's thesis in London, was published at the ICPESS 2018 International Civil Aviation convention in Venice organized by Cambridge University. All the articles published in Congress were put together in a book. It was really an invaluable experience for me. I continued working at the same company after completing my language training. Currently, I work as a Business Development and R&D specialist at Tav Security Company. My advice to my colleagues and my fellow students is that whatever you do, do it with love and patience. Sometimes, the chapters we read open very different windows in our lives. We hope that your talents and the excitement within you will put you where you want to be.

Senem KARADUMAN' 07

I was born in Istanbul in 1983. I completed my high school education in 2000 at the Bakırköy Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Anatolian High School. I graduated from the Department of Printing and Publishing Technologies at Istanbul Aydın University's Anadolu Vocational School in 2007. During my day studies, I attended university in the evenings because I was studying in the second grade. For many years, I graduated from a private company in graphic and design. I always had the idea of opening a beauty center. In 2019, she died from the corporate world and took a one-year aesthetics training. In 2020, she established the Seven Beauty Care Beauty Center as a founding partner and started her efforts in Şişli. Istanbul Aydın University had a more boutique structure in my student years. There was a warm ambiance on campus. I still keep meeting with my friends and teachers at that time. I never deny the values that my university has brought me in my professional and personal life. Showing the theoretical information in practice was critical for us to adapt to business life. I felt sorry for not being able to attend the events and seminars organized by my university since I had studied and worked at the same time. My recommendation to my fellow students should be to participate as much as possible in the career and social benefits provided by the university and be an active student.

Ömer Faik ALKILIÇ' 07

I was born in Samsun in 1987. I graduated from Maltepe High School in 2003. In 2007, I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University’s Anatolian Science Vocational School and Department of Business Administration in English. After graduation, I graduated from Notenboom Business School, the Netherlands Notenboom Business School, with an agreement made by our university. I continued my education and work in London from 2010 to 2011. During our time in the Netherlands and throughout our university, we were always helped by our teachers. I get ready for business life in a social and professional sense with the overseas education our university offers us. After returning to Turkey in 2012, I continued working in the shopping mall marketing, property manager and media industries. I am currently working as the marketing manager of Sur Yapı. I had always designed that since I worked and continued my education together, I should have a planned and organized life. We became an influential student in our university by organizing spring festivals on career days with our career center and student clubs. We tried to make full use of the opportunities and privileges our university provided to us. I had a great time studying at the university, and was happy, but most importantly, productive. My advice to my fellow students is to make use of the facilities and activities available to you to the end.

Merve MERTCAN' 13

I was born in Istanbul in 1993. In 2010, I graduated from Nişantaşı’s Maçka Akif Tuncel Vocational High School. In 2013, I graduated from the Istanbul Aydın University Anadolu Science Vocational School, Photography and Cameraman Program. I began my professional career as a student with the company he referred as a part of on-site application class at Istanbul Aydın University Career Center. I began to combine my university education with my work life. After graduation, I Photography was completed by Merve Mertcan. We have been continuously working in many industries for eight years. There are sections in which every person gets pleasure from being involved in their work. In moments of birth photography, I become incredibly happy. In addition to my efforts, I started to give training on birth photography as of 2018 by opening workshops. Then, I started to provide basic photography, baby photography, and photoshop training to a wider range of people. As of 2019, I started to create my own exhibitions in the field of birth photography. In my birth photography exhibitions, I can be proud and happy if people state their positive or negative opinions about photographs. We voluntarily participated in social responsibility projects and initiated a charity project to 500 students at a village school in Ağrı Doğubeyazıt in 2020. It was one of the most special moments of my life for me. Photography, video, and animation businesses have created new business opportunities with the rapid advancement of technology. My fellow students may also make career planning by making a difference in these fields.

Uğur KADAM' 14

I was born in Zonguldak in 1990. After graduating from Atatürk Anatolian High School, I enrolled at Istanbul Aydın University in 2009. I started to work in 2010, and I set up Mito Internet in order to design websites for corporations and to develop web applications in line with the activities I participated in. Having finished my studies in the Department of Software Engineering in 2014, I worked as a project consultant for Tat Gıda for a year and a half. I am now the manager of my own enterprise “yolluyo”. Throughout my bachelor’s degree, I was actively involved in social clubs, and this played a significant role in developing my social, managerial and administrative skills as well as in increasing my ability to assume responsibility. Thanks to our professors, who supported our personal development, I gained a lot of valuable experience in both social and working life, and I can say that the education we got in our department definitely prepared us for our career. I, as a student and an employee, benefited greatly from the content of the courses and their practice-oriented nature. Also, owing to the education I got at IAU, I comprehended better the duties and details of my profession and managed to overcome the difficulties I encountered in my career. In my opinion, if IAU students become aware of how instrumental their education will be in their working lives, they can make better use of the University’s resources and facilities. I recommend that they should take advantage of every opportunity IAU offers them in terms of campus and collegiate life. They should ask for more and try to be active students as much as possible, participating both in career activities and in social events at university.

Murat YUSUF' 14

I was born in Istanbul in 1992. In 2014, I graduated from the Department of Public Relations and Advertising at Istanbul Aydin University. Undergraduate years are no doubt one of the most productive periods in which one can get to know oneself and add something to themselves. During my studies at Istanbul Aydın University, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from experts in their fields. I had the opportunity to get to know and observe the business world through the privileges of on-site application provided by the Career Center. As a result, we have experience in the industry before we start our business. After graduating from Istanbul Aydın University in 2014, I got a job at TGS ground handling services. Then, I worked at the operations and Turkish Airlines ticket sales offices until 2018. I then applied for a "Green Card" and after it turned out OK?, I moved to San Francisco, CA., USA. I applied to Hallmark Aviation Services and after completing many stages I started working. Now, I'm working as an operations officer at this company. My advice to my fellow students is to move forward and pursue the career steps they set their goals with determination. Don’t forget that university life is a living space that will not only shape education but also their social environment.

Burcu Burkut ERENKUL' 13

I was born in Istanbul in 1989. I graduated from the Department of Radio, Television and Cinema, Istanbul Aydın University in 2013. I present a television programme on cars called “Otoyorum” on TRT Haber. I have also worked in the department of corporate communication in Anadolu Hayat Emeklilik, a life insurance company, for a year. Since I was seven years old, I have been a licensed sportswoman in TOSFED, the Turkish Automobile Sports Federation. Having been active in many branches of automobile sports, I won several championships both in the city of Istanbul and across Turkey. The best feature of IAU was that it was a rapidly changing and developing university. Its dynamic nature enabled us to be independent. I made such good friends throughout my studies that I turn to them whenever I need help. Thanks to IAU, I had the opportunity to apply my professional knowledge to practical matters and gained occupational experience when I was still a student. I experienced what it was like to practice my profession with the help of on-site training. It was a huge advantage especially for me to have a studio where we could do lots of training, and this made me a more practical and faster thinker in working life. What I like most about the University is its contribution to one’s personal development. In fact, I think this is what IAU is best at. I suggest that current students should value their time at university, benefit from professors and gain professional experience as much as possible, for IAU is supportive of students wishing to improve themselves and creates a platform which provides them with many opportunities. The teaching staff consists of esteemed, experienced professors who willingly share their knowledge with students. To conclude, I do not have any regrets when I look back on my time at university, and I am one of those who are so glad to have attended IAU.

Mustafa ÖZAN' 07

I was born on October 23, 1976 in Istanbul. After graduating from Bakırköy Commercial High School, I took a break from my education for a while. In 1994, I started my professional life as the accountant of Carousel Shopping Mall. My business life I focused on Baraber and the shopping mall industry with the shopping experience. Until the end of 2018, I served as the General Manager at Metroport’s shopping and lifestyle center. I graduated from the Logistics Department at Istanbul Aydın University in 2007. As I worked and continued my academic life throughout my university years, I had designed that I should have a planned and organized life. We became an influential student in our university by organizing spring festivals on career days with our career center and student clubs. We tried to make full use of the opportunities and privileges our university provided to us. I had a great time studying at the university, and was happy, but most importantly, productive. He completed his PhD training in 2018. Currently, I teach as an academic member at a foundation university. My advice to my fellow students is to make sure you take full advantage of the facilities and activities available to you.

Uras KANMIŞ' 14

I was born in Eskişehir in 1990. After completing my secondary and high school education in Eskişehir, I graduated from the Department of English Language and Literature at Istanbul Aydın University in 2014. I have been working as a Graduate Placement Specialist at the Career Center of Istanbul Aydın University since February 2015. I also hold a master’s degree in Human Resources and specialize in this field. I would like to talk about the advantages of studying at university and the value it adds to people. university is an education home that we have embarked on at a very young age and that brings us a different vision. Studying at a university lets you get out of the box and move away from unconditional support while staying firmly on your feet. I don’t work in a field related to the education I received, but thanks to my job, I discovered what I wanted and what I should improve on. In short, I discovered myself and started getting a master’s degree in this field immediately. In addition to the theoretical training provided by Istanbul Aydın University, it is an institution that places importance on the practical experience of its students. Thus, individuals can adapt to business life easily after graduation. It would be beneficial for our undergraduate friends to set personal goals first of all. In addition to setting the right goal, it is crucial to make sure that it fits your structure. It should also be possible to achieve and make you happy when the goal is achieved. In addition, the student should also improve himself in the social field. Social activities such as theaters, cinemas, concerts should be attended in leisure time. The remaining time should be spent working at a job where possible, and participating in voluntary activities such as assistance. Learning at least one foreign language is vital.

Selda ÇALLI' 18

I was born in Istanbul in 1996. In 2018, I graduated from the Department of Psychology as the winner of the Faculty of Science and Literature. I participated in national and international conferences as a student. I started to do internship at different institutions since the second grade to reinforce the knowledge I acquired at school with internships. I have gained diverse experiences at institutions such as the Bakırköy Psychiatric Health and Neurodiseases Hospital, Apamer Psychological Counseling Center, Kim Psychology, French Lape Hospital, İstek College, and Doğa College. After graduating, I started working as a pre-school and primary school psychologist at Doğa College. I received training on test and game therapy to specialize in children in psychology. In addition to my current role at school, I now see an adviser as a game therapist.

Mahmut YAZICI' 06

I was born in Istanbul in 1983. In 2006, I successfully graduated from the International Logistics Program at Anadolu BİL Vocational School at Istanbul Aydın University. My first job experience after graduation; 2007-2009: I worked as a sales representative at Ser-Den Denizcilik. Then, I moved to KTT Konktner A.Ş. and worked as Sales Manager between 2009 and 2011. As my experience increased, I served as the Import Manager at Nmt Cape Horn Company and then as the Import Director at the end of 2011-2016. In 2018, I founded my own company, Giz International Stone and Logistics, and I continue my logistics operations in my own company.

Gözde Canan TURAN' 15

I was born in Istanbul in 1992. I completed my primary and secondary education at the Bostancı Elementary School and then Erenköy Girls High School. I graduated from Istanbul Aydın University’s Faculty of Law in 2015 and completed my master’s degree in Private Law at Istanbul Aydın University’s Institute of Social Sciences. Because our legal education at Istanbul Aydın University was received by prominent law professors and academicians, our adaptation process to the worksite became a source of our confidence and inspiration. So university life opened up a window for me to expand my horizons and think with different perspectives. I was open to new ideas. Furthermore, the Istanbul Aydın University Career Center continues to support me by providing information on career opportunities regarding preparation of professional CVs, the internship process and at certain periods following graduation. I still work as a lecturer in the Department of Justice at Istanbul Gelişim University's Vocational School.

Cahit KESGİN’ 17

I was born on March 3, 1991 in Istanbul and I am originally from Kayseri. I completed my primary and secondary education at İstanbul Bahçelievler. I started my high school education at Tekirdağ Science High School and completed it at Istanbul Adnan Menderes Anatolian High School. In 2011, I entered the Faculty of Dentistry at Istanbul Aydın University. After one year of English preparatory education, my life as the first students of the faculty began at the Faculty of Dentistry. I received one-on-one training to become a first student at the Faculty of Dentistry. We were raised very well thanks to the vast knowledge of our teachers and the endless opportunities offered by our faculty. Medicine is perhaps one of the most difficult and sacred professions in the world, but I do it freely given the knowledge acquired by my university after graduation. Our university offered me a job before I even graduated. After receiving my diploma, I began my professional career at Istanbul Aydın University, Faculty of Dentistry. I continued my education and development at the university. When we were students of my professors, we became colleagues under one roof. I am very happy that my career life continues at the university. As a student educated at our university, I use my advantages because I am continuing to work here. I feel more and more confident and embraced by the university. I would like to express my gratitude to my teachers and colleagues for their support.

Oğuzhan MEMİŞ’ 15

I was born in Istanbul in 1991. I am one of the alumni of Istanbul Aydın University 2015. By the time I graduated in our university, I had great experiences and friendships. Throughout my university career, I have prepared and published nearly 600 software training videos on YouTube. I started my first IT company at university 1 yet. It has not been difficult to do both company and university lectures. Our experienced teachers were always by our side and supported us. The beauty of Istanbul Aydın University is that when you have a problem, you reach out to its staff, professor, rector or even the president of the school and explain your problem. Throughout my education, I have seen Mustafa Aydın come around the school to listen to the problems and troubles of students. Since our school is open to technological developments and entwined with technology, I first used the Apple computer at our school, which is frequently used in business life. By that time, I had not had the chance or the opportunity to own an Apple computer. When I graduated from college in 2015, I completely dedicated myself to my work. We develop and sell software products from our offices in Istanbul and London to almost every city in Turkey and around the world. My recommendation to my friends who study or want to study at our school is that they do not hesitate to contact their teachers and receive support. All investments in your development during these years will provide you with material and moral returns in the coming years. I will be looking forward to meeting with my friends who are still in university or graduates but have not met before in business life.

Öznur TOPÇU’ 13

I was born in Istanbul in 1990. My hometown is Sivas. Apart from a lot of support, I have come to this day mostly with the support of my family. I’m a master food engineer and a professional life coach. One month after my master's degree was finished, my daughter was born and now I'm a mother. Throughout my education, I had a positive interest in science, especially chemistry and biology. And with the passage of time, health sciences were involved. When choosing my profession, I wanted to choose food engineering, which involved all my interests. We've been to a few universities. The decision was made very easy thanks to the merger of many features such as the Istanbul Aydın University preference center, the vision of the academicians we met, the new structure of the school's undergraduate programs, the scholarship opportunities, the facilities offered to the student, the advantages of being the first graduate of the department, foreign language education, and accessibility. We will grow up as university grows, and our university will advance as we move forward. The quality of the university meant our quality. That's why I received training in a special department with the most experienced instructors of the department, internship opportunities, support for on-site implementation, effective student listening, quality policies, classrooms, and laboratory facilities. The circle of friends was also important in college. Working at the same perseverance of all our colleagues, being in touch with people who have self-esteem and love increases the efficiency of the classes and personally leads to happiness. I still see my close friends regularly. Our university and professors gave me a vision, perspective, entrepreneurial spirit, self-confidence, knowledge, experience, and skill. Nevertheless, they brought me my closest friends. Instructions from our professors and university departments contributed greatly to my life. I found good connections with the right direction from the onsite application center (career center). After I graduated, I got a job in my internships. I have developed many projects and products. I prepared TUBITAK projects. My international academic articles have been published. My products were launched in international markets. I collaborated with TIKA and supported its establishment abroad. My future goal is to realize my food production initiative and dedicate it to my family through many compulsory and voluntary internship experiences, my seasonal work when I was a student, my part-time projects, my experiences in different industries, my two previous professional experiences with my diploma since I graduated, my experience with my venture preinspection (we are life coaches). My recommendation to my college friends is to be as active in business life as possible, to see different industries, and to communicate with people. They should make analyses about themselves, know what they want, listen to the lesson well and work daily, read a lot, apply a time matrix and always act with honesty and a clean heart.

Anıl BOZKURT' 13

I was born in Istanbul in 1991. I graduated from Güngören Izzet Ünver High School of My High School in 2008, and from Istanbul Aydın University Anatolian Vocational School, Radio and Television program in 2013. I completed my undergraduate education in 2018 by making a vertical transition to the Public Relations and Promotion Department of IAU in 2015 with courses organized by our university. I took part in various part-time and volunteer assignments in projects related to my field during my student years and after graduation. As of October 1, 2020, I am a brand expert at Publicis Groupe Agency. I would like to thank my distinguished mentors at Istanbul Aydın University for every experience and information they have provided me.

Şenay SOLMAZ’ 19

I was born in Istanbul. After completing my education in Istanbul, I studied design and foreign language in Istanbul and the United States. Later on, I began my professional career as a designer and worked as a design manager in Turkey's prominent corporate companies. I have worked on various design projects both in Turkey and abroad. I always wanted to study marketing. After having my son, I took a short break from my busy work life and decided to study marketing at Istanbul Aydın University, Anadolu MYO. Before coming to Istanbul Aydın University, she had worked as a seasoned student in both Turkey and the United States. I was very satisfied with the quality and programme of education and the fact that it is a university with such good physical conditions. In fact, I went through an educational process I never wanted to end. I would also like to state that I saw that the training we received at Istanbul Aydın University is a face-to-face training program that renders us an extremely well-equipped information. Because the training I received at Istanbul Aydın University made me more advantageous by allowing me to foresee possible situations that may arise in business life both theoretically and practically. Currently, I work as a Design Development Manager at Zens textile company and I am continuing my education at AUZEF, Istanbul University, Department of Business Administration..

Atakan GÜRE’ 07

I was born in Samsun in 1985. I completed my primary education at Sakarya Primary School, secondary education at Samsun Huriye Süer Anatolian High School and high school education at Samsun Atatürk Anatolian High School. In 2004, I enrolled in the Department of Business Administration in English at Anadolu Bil Vocational School at Istanbul Aydın University. After completing my one year English preparatory course, I successfully completed my two-year pre-graduate degree program and graduated as a "Master of Honour Student" in 2007. During my Associate Degree training, I had the opportunity to work during the day since I was a graduate student. I worked part-time at one of the largest human resources companies in Turkey for nearly one and a half years. Even though I entered another university after passing the Vertical Transition Test in 2007, I joined the program with 18 people who have successfully graduated from the Department of Business and Economics at Anadolu Bil Vocational School of Business through the agreement your school entered with Notenboom Business School in Eindhoven, Netherlands. In 2010, I graduated with my undergraduate degree from Notenboom Business School and returned to Turkey. During our visit to the Netherlands, everyone, from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees to our department instructors, had their hands on us and they always supported us. Thanks to the program offered to us by our school, I was able to develop myself socially and prepare myself for work in professional life. I worked as a sales representative at Serve Stationery between 2010 and 2011. I started to work as a Rental Specialist at Tesco Kipa from 2011 to 2013. I managed tenant relations and new store rental processes of more than 1,000 stores in 35 shopping malls of Tesco Kipa in Turkey. In 2014, I was promoted to the position of Leasing Manager. Since 2015, I have served as the Business Development and Leasing Manager at Apleona Real Estate. I have opened more than 10 shopping malls throughout Turkey so far and I am currently involved in the management and leasing processes of 12 shopping malls located in various regions of Turkey. So IAU has given me three years to remember and great friendships. One should keep in mind that university life is not just about education. We go through the best and most unforgettable years of our lives at university, where we can socially improve ourselves while studying, and contribute to our environment, area of residence and country.

Duygu ALUÇ’ 17

I was born in Istanbul on March 1, 1983, but I am originally from Sivas. I completed my primary and secondary education at the Gültepe Elementary School and my high school education at the 50th Yıl Çağlayan Super High School. After completing my high school preparatory year, I began to work as a sales consultant due to my financial situation. I worked and went on with my high school education. Based on my university exam results, I had scored placeable at several universities outside Istanbul. But under the circumstances, I had to end my education. I then set goals to pursue a career in business life. Kariyer began as a sales consultant in a children’s clothing store in 2002. He then worked as an assistant manager, store manager, regional manager and general coordinator at the same company. When the company I worked with became the leader in its market, I started receiving offers from competitors. During my meetings, I realized that my experience alone is not sufficient and that the lack of academic skills is a disadvantage. At the age of 31, I prepared for the exam again. I decided to complement the academic side of my work and began studying at Istanbul Aydın University, Anadolu MYO, Marketing Program. I was very lucky; because you had a university that supported students with everything. Our esteemed marketing department head Dr. Öğr. Our paths crossed with my teacher Şule Darıcan. I quickly adapted to university life with his support. So much so that in 2017, I graduated with the title of Marketing. I moved to Anadolu University’s Faculty of Business Administration with the feeling of never ending learning and success. After combining my professional experiences with the education I received from Istanbul Aydin University, I started to look at job offers as someone who has more self-confidence. I left the company I worked for 15 years and moved into the children's textile clothing company called Jolanda. I have been working as a general coordinator for nearly two years in this company, and I represent the company I have worked for in many national and international fairs to find new markets.

Serdar Fikret ARPAĞ’ 06

I was born on October 28, 1983 in Istanbul. I completed my primary, secondary and high school education in Bahçelievler, Istanbul. I am one of the first graduates of the Logistics Department at Anadolu Bil Vocational School at Istanbul Aydın University in 2006. I have always kept track of the part-time and internship opportunities offered by the university's career center. I have never stayed away from participating in the conferences and seminars that we were provided by our university's clubs and student associations. I took my first step into my professional life in 2004 with the on-site implementation opportunity provided by the career center. I started working at my workplace as an intern and received a job offer from the same company. I started working in the operations team professionally. I took 1.5 years of language training in Cambridge, England, in 2011 to develop foreign language and promote different culture. Then, I continued my management duties in the logistics industry at Hong Kong, Turkey, and Amsterdam, respectively. I currently serve as Executive Vice President of Transavrasya International Transport. I recommend it to my fellow students to make the most of the opportunities offered by our university and to learn at least one foreign language.

Yağmur AYSAN’ 13

I was born in Istanbul in 1994. In 2012, I graduated from the Clothing Production Technology Department at Bakırköy Anadolu Vocational High School for Girls. In 2013, I graduated with honors from the Fashion and Textile Design Department of Istanbul Aydın University's Faculty of Fine Arts. I received my first and full scholarship. In my elementary school days, my goals were in the direction of fashion. My interest in fashion has not changed and has only increased since then. Since 2012, I have worked with different companies and designers in magazine and catalog shooting. I presented my collection as a finalist at the Dream Style-Fashion Design Competition, which I took part in in in 2015. In October 2016, my team and I won first prize at the Kea-Copenhagen School of Design and Technology (Denmark) The Charette-Urban Livebality program. In 2018, I was one of ten designers who experienced the final excitement at the EIB Fashion Design Contest. I still work as a fashion designer.

Burak UYANIK’ 14

I was born in Istanbul. Starting in high school, she lived in a music-intertwined life. I studied guitar, singing and piano. During my undergraduate years, I founded the Koro Aydın Musical Team of Istanbul Aydın University and worked as the chief for three years. We were invited to the Russian Consulate with the team "Special Award of the Culture Festival", the Marmara University Culture Festival Success Plaque, one book container social responsibility project and Anatolian libraries, Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff, and the Koro Aydın Music Leader in the Piano Competition. As a result of the offer, I was appointed to the position of theater instructor at Üsküdar Youth Academy. Here, the musical play I wrote called "If It Wasn't For You," ran for 30 screenings and was exhibited to 15,000 people. Later, I took on the role of a sketch artist, presenter, and programmer for the Improvisation Workshop, in addition to Kanal A, Tv Em, Delta Fm, the Voice of Anatolia and the Voice of the Black Sea radio. My play "There is a Letter from Çanakkale", which I wrote, directed and played for the 18 March Çanakkale Martyrs' Commemoration Day by Avcılar Municipality in 2014, was highly appreciated and was exhibited many times in different cities. My theater adventure, which started with the play "Dilemma", which I wrote and directed at the pocket theater for 6 months and also played at the same time, continued with the Musical theater training he received from the great master Haldun Dormen. I took part in the play Hello from Musicals, written and directed by Haldun Dormen. I became the youngest artist to donate the premiere income of his one-man play "Crime Machine", which he wrote, played and directed, to Turkey Spastic Children's Foundation. His essays and poetry books, published in 2012 and 2015, attracted great attention. My latest book "Get Out" is on sale in select bookstores. Master's education Prof. Dr. I continue in the field of Theater Directing under the chairmanship of Mehmet Birkiye, and at the same time, I continue to work on theater together with the master actor Emin Olcay.

Sinem VURAL’ 07

I was born in Gümüşhane in 1986. I am one of the first students to have graduated from the Department of Child Development, Istanbul Aydın University. After graduation, I worked as the personal secretary of Dr. Mustafa Aydın, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of IAU, for more than a year. I was then employed by a private company in London for nearly two years. I have been working for Turkish Airlines as an aviator for the past eight years. Istanbul Aydın University helped me develop such values as honesty, equality, justice, reliability, success-orientedness, and open-mindedness. Studying at university enables a person to have a vision in the first place. I believe that the student acquires other positive qualities and accomplishes self-improvement. Through my experiences both in Turkey and abroad, I have come to realise how much I benefited from my studies and the ethical values instilled in me in the course of my education. The combination of theory and practice in particular was invaluable to my success, and IAU Career Centre provided us with internship and job opportunities. The Centre’s support was so huge that I kept receiving information on vacant positions until I switched to another sector. In my opinion, IAU students should follow the same road I did: They should definitely combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience by doing an internship or getting a part-time job in a related field, and attend classes with the awareness that the education they get at university will yield great returns in working life.