Research Cente for
Education Policy of the ILKE Foundation brought together educators,
researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals through its annual
Istanbul Education Conference. In its third iteration this year, the conference
delved into the theme of vocational and technical education.
The conference
featured distinguished speakers, including Ali Karagöz, the General Director of
Vocational and Technical Education at the Ministry of National Education (MEB),
Mustafa Balcı, the Sector Manager for Education at the European Union Delegation
to Turkey, Lida Kita and Georgios Zisimos, experts from the European Education
Foundation, Mustafa Necmi İlhan, the President of the Turkish Qualifications
Authority (MYK), Feyza Arıcıoğlu, a member of the Higher Education Quality
Board, and Murat Hazıroğlu, a Board Member of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce
(ITO).
Vocational and technical education is one of the most
crucial tools for the economic development and prosperity of nations.
The III. Istanbul
Education Conference kicked off with opening remarks from Murat Hazıroğlu, a
member of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) Board of Directors, and Ümit
Güneş, Vice President of the Board of Directors of ILKE (Science Education
Culture and Art Research Association). The event proceeded with a warm welcome
from Ali Karagöz, the General Director of Vocational and Technical Education at
the Ministry of National Education (MEB).
Throughout the
presentations, there was a strong emphasis on highlighting the significant role
of vocational and technical education in nurturing a skilled workforce,
sustaining a strong presence in both production and the market, and upholding
economic and social sustainability.
The first session of
the conference was held under the theme "Skills and Policies in Vocational
Education." Lida Kita, Senior Human Capital Development Expert at the
European Education Foundation, discussed the foundation's efforts in Turkey. She
highlighted that these initiatives have found resonance in both the public and
private sectors, emphasizing significant developments in vocational education
in recent years. The second speaker of the session, Georgios Zisimos, Head
of Policy Advice and EU programming Unit at the European Education Foundation,
highlighted the importance of an
inclusive implementation network for sustainable development, emphasizing the
broad stakeholder involvement in vocational education. It was noted that the
successful implementation of this network, along with the sustainability of
qualified teacher training and excellence in vocational schools, is directly
proportional to adequate financial support.
