The future of Entrepreneurship and Innovation is taking shape at Istanbul Ticaret University
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The 1st International Leadership and Entrepreneurship Symposium, which brought together the important names of the scientific and business world, started at Istanbul Ticaret University. The papers published in the symposium, where the social and economic aspects of entrepreneurship and innovation are discussed, Turkey’s breakthroughs in the field of intellectual property and the potential of its young population come to the fore, will shed light on the future of the entrepreneurial world.
The first day of the I. International Leadership and Entrepreneurship Symposium on “Entrepreneurship and Innovation” with the cooperation of Istanbul Ticaret University Leadership and Entrepreneurship Application and Research Centre and Information Technologies Application and Research Centre was held at Sütlüce Campus Conference Hall. Istanbul Ticaret University Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. İsrafil Kurulay, Rector Prof. Dr. Dr. Abdulhamit Avşar, President of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office Prof. Dr. Muhammed Zeki Durak, academicians and students attended the symposium.
Prof. Dr. İsrafil Kurulay, Prof. Dr. Abdulhamit Avşar, Prof. Dr. Muhammed Zeki Durak and Director of Leadership and Entrepreneurship Application and Research Centre Prof. Dr. Yusuf Balcı made the opening speeches of the International Leadership and Entrepreneurship Symposium, which provides an opportunity for academicians, public, private and NGO representatives from Turkey and abroad to share their original and scientific studies and to present new perspectives on the field, aiming to contribute to the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation.
- KURALAY MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE MEETING WITH INDUSTRY
Dr. İsrafil Kürtay emphasized in the opening speech that entrepreneurship and innovation are a tool of social transformation, beyond their economic dimension. Dr. Kurulay highlighted the broad themes and comprehensiveness of the symposium and stated that entrepreneurship and innovation are a journey that combines courage and creativity, pushing the limits. He also underlined the projects that will pave the way for young entrepreneurs and the effort of social entrepreneurship to produce sustainable solutions.
At the symposium, the services offered to entrepreneurs by the Information Commercialization Center and Teknopark Istanbul, implemented by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), were also mentioned. Dr. Kurulay emphasised the importance of bringing academic knowledge together with industry and stated that technological innovation is critical for competitive advantage and sustainable success. Stating that leadership and innovation are complementary elements and that entrepreneurial leadership is one of the focal points of the symposium, he expressed his hope that the event will contribute to the emergence of new ideas and collaborations.
Dr. Kuralay touched upon the importance of human values while producing an idea and said, “It is not right to just produce an idea. For example, the atomic bomb was born after an idea and caused the death of thousands of people. It is important that your idea is valuable from a human perspective as well.”
“ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS PARALLEL TO THE DYNAMISM OF THE MOVEMENT AND THE DESIRE FOR CONTINUOUS PROGRESS”
Our Rector Prof. Dr. Abdulhamit Avşar emphasized the close relationship between movement and entrepreneurship and stated that putting thoughts into action is the basic condition of wealth and value production.
Prof. Dr. Abdulhamit Avşar stated that entrepreneurship is parallel to the dynamism of movement and the desire for continuous progress, and that in Turkish culture, movement and entrepreneurship are ancient elements and historically based on strong traditions of movement and entrepreneurship.
Prof. Dr. Avşar emphasised that historical examples such as the Ahilik system integrated entrepreneurship into Turkish social life with an understanding that builds on values and that this heritage can accelerate Turkey’s development by supporting it with modern methods.
Stating that Turkey’s young and dynamic population can increase innovation and creative ideas by spreading this entrepreneurial spirit, Prof. Dr. Avşar noted that universities can also contribute to this process by providing students with innovative thinking, problem solving and adaptation skills.
Prof. Dr. Yusuf Balcı started his speech by thanking everyone who participated and said that if a country is developed, a few factors stand out in the development of this country. Prof. Dr. Balcı emphasized that the most important reason for development is manpower. Noting the impact of technological changes on entrepreneurship, Prof. Dr. Yusuf Balcı said that in the programmes they organise, studies that are useful for our country and shed light on certain issues will be shared.
“INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ARE VITAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY”
In his speech at the 1st International Leadership and Entrepreneurship Symposium organised by Istanbul Ticaret University, Prof. Dr. Muhammed Zeki Durak, the main speaker of the symposium, emphasised the increasing importance of entrepreneurship and innovation in today’s world.
Reminding that the symposium aims to contribute to the development of innovative ideas and solutions by focusing on various themes such as women’s entrepreneurship, innovation and economy, digital entrepreneurship, green entrepreneurship and university-industry cooperation, Prof. Dr. Durak referred to Turkey’s progress in the field of intellectual property. Prof. Dr. Durak stated that intellectual property rights are vital for the development of innovation and creativity, and that these rights allow inventors and entrepreneurs to invest and develop new products while protecting their ideas.
TURKEY RISES IN WORLD RANKINGS
Emphasising that Turkey has risen in the world rankings with its performance in R&D investments and has reached an important position in the field of creative outputs, Prof. Dr. Durak talked about the efforts made to transform the country’s intellectual property assets into economic value.
THE SYMPOSIUM WILL LAST TWO DAYS
Three important sessions were held on the first day of the symposium. The first session on Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Scope of Research and Development chaired by Prof. Dr. Rahmi Deniz Özbay, the second session on Entrepreneurship and Innovation from an Economic Perspective chaired by Prof. Dr. Elçin Aykaç Alp and the third session on Smart Systems – Entrepreneurship and Innovation chaired by Prof. Dr. Yusuf Balcı. The symposium addressed different aspects of entrepreneurship and innovation and enabled local and foreign experts in these fields to share their views and experiences with the participants. The symposium will be completed with 4 sessions held tomorrow. The papers accepted and deemed appropriate by the jury will be published in the Special Issue of Istanbul Ticaret University Journal of Social Sciences.
