DR. ERHAN ERKEN

He was born in 1961 in Istanbul.

EDUCATIONAL CAREER:

High School education:  Galatasaray High School

University education: Boğaziçi University, Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Department of Public Administration

Master’s education: Marmara University Institute of Turkic Studies

Doctorate education: Medipol University Department of Political Science and International Relations

PROFESSIONAL CAREER:

PUBLISHING SECTOR: Since 1983, he has worked as a founder, partner, manager and consultant in various companies in the Advertising, Printing, Packaging and Publishing Sectors.

He was the Editorial Director of Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association’s (MUSIAD) ‘ÇERÇEVE’ (Framework) Magazine and the Association’s BULLETIN between 1994 and 2001.

In the field of digital publishing, he is one of the founders of the trilingual cultural websites, i.e., ‘Dünya’ (World) Bulletin, Worldbulletin, ‘Son Devir Haber’ (Latest News), ‘Püfterem Mizah’ (Humor) and ‘Dünya Bizim’ (Our World).

Since 2010, he has produced various documentary films within the body of ‘Kuzey Haber’ (Northern News) Agency. He worked as the General Coordinator in the documentaries named ‘Almanya’da Türk İzleri’ (Turkish Traces in Germany), ‘Almanya Treni’ (German Train), ‘Kıbrıs’ta Vakıf Malları’ (Properties of Foundation in Cyprus), and ‘Endülüs’te Moriskolar’ (Moriscos in Andalusia).

While he was working for Kuzey News Agency, he served as the manager of the team that prepared TV programs for various channels of Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), including TRT TÜRK (TURKISH), TRT AVAZ (VOICE), TRT HABER (NEWS) and TRT ARAPÇA (ARABIC) channels of Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).

He worked as a concept consultant and moderator in the 13-episode program called ‘Hanlardan Plazalara’ (From Inns to Plazas), broadcast on TRT TÜRK. He produced and presented the 13-episode talk show ‘Elif’den Z’ye’ (From Elif to Z), broadcast on TRT OKUL (SCHOOL).

Since 2020, has been running a bookstore (Sahaf) named Kariye Kitap/Hediye (Book&Gifts) in the Edirnekapı quarter of Fatih District in Istanbul. This bookstore also features works related to our traditional arts.

EDUCATION SECTOR: In the field of education, he established and managed several institutions that cater to the pre-school and primary education age, i.e., Elif Yuva (Nursery), Bayram Yuva (Nursery), Bayrampaşa Bilgi Merkezi (Information Center), Ebsad Bilgi Evleri (Information Houses), since 1986.

He served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Istanbul Ticaret University between 2009 and 2013. As of January 2023, he was re-elected to the Board of Trustees of Istanbul Ticaret University. In 2019 and 2020, he taught some courses as a Visiting Lecturer at Medipol University. Most recently, he lectured as a Visiting Lecturer at Istanbul Ticaret University during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years.

VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS:

In addition to being a founder, chairman and member of the board of directors in various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (‘Bilim Sanat Vakfı’ (Science&Art Foundation), Boğaziçi Yöneticiler Vakfı (Executives Foundation), Bayrampaşa Bilgi Gençlik Derneği (Information&Youth Association), he was a member of the Board of Directors of MUSIAD between 1994 and 2004 and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) between 2005 and 2009. After the elections held in November 2022, he was appointed as the Speaker of the ITO Assembly.

ERKEN, who speaks English and French, is married and has 4 children.