Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

TOBB ETU students Aleyna Ece Yalavaç (Economics and Industrial Engineering), Ekin Al (Economics) and Omer Bahadır Orhan (Computer Engineering) were among 251 students from 65 higher education institutions in 15 countries and joined the new members of the University Innovation Fellows (UIF) Program run by Stanford University Hasso Plattner Design Institute.

Members of the UIF Program, which allows students to be pioneers of change in their schools, work to ensure that all students gain the attitudes, knowledge and skills they need to build the future in a complex world. The aim of the International UIF Program is to create “change pioneer students” in universities, especially in the field of education, to strengthen the ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship. With the UIF Program, exchange pioneers from many countries are involved in a network where they communicate with each other and work to implement projects developed with Stanford University experience in their own universities.

Student leaders from schools around the world are creating student innovation spaces, establishing entrepreneurship organizations, conducting experimental workshops, working with faculty and administrators to develop new educations, creating opportunities to help their peers build the creative confidence and entrepreneurial thinking they need to overcome global challenges. Together with academic leaders, members are advocates for lasting institutional change and become the “voice of students” needed for the future of higher education.

TOBB ETU students aim to establish an “Innovation and Design Station” at TOBB ETU Technology Center within the framework of their work under the mentorship of International Entrepreneurship Department Professor Dr. Zeynep Güldem Ökem. Students introduced this station, which they planned to design within the scope of the UIF Program, on October 22, 2021 with a stakeholder meeting attended by representatives of the innovation and entrepreneurship-oriented units of TOBB ETU and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey. Planned to be used as a pre-incubation and innovation accelerator, this area is planned to host workshops and meetings where students come together with the business world, as well as providing an interdisciplinary and design-oriented thinking environment, participation in the global innovation network, peer mentoring and bilateral mentoring. Students who have successfully completed the six-week design and thinking intensive training process that started in September 2021 within the scope of the UIF Program will also take part in the final event to be held in Silicon Valley in March 2022 as TOBB ETU Innovation Ambassadors.

“Higher education needs student exchange agents more than ever,” said Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, co-director of the UIF Program. This is our second group of members affected by the pandemic and they have really embraced this opportunity to help their schools adapt to today's challenges.” Humera Fasihuddin, co-director of the program, said, “New members design experiences that will help all students learn the skills and mindset necessary to navigate these uncertain times and shape the future they want to see,” adding that members have taken their learnings back to their schools and learned strategies to help them become leaders in their careers post-graduation.