Entrepreneurship and Innovation Company Fair links schools with businesses

June 5, 2009

DCM Douglas Silliman with Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project Winning Company from Adiyaman

On June 5, 225 secondary school students from public schools across Turkey came to Ankara to present their projects and business plans to Ankara-based Turkish and American business interests, economics professors and embassy officials at an “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Company Fair” at the Turkish Education Association (TED) in Ankara.  The Fair was opened by Charge D’Affairs, Doug Silliman and TED Chairman Selcuk Pehlivanoglu.  

The students had just completed a 7 month business education course sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and co-facilitated by the embassy and TED.   Each participating school formed “companies” which developed innovative products and comprehensive business plans for those products. 

Invited guests, including academics, Turkish and American business interests and embassy officials, visited each of the 35 participating companies and “invested” in their favorites.  The  company team (5 students and a teacher) that attracted the most investment by the end of the fair was declared the winner at a BBQ at the embassy for all fair participants.  A company form Adiyaman won and will be participate in a two week educational exchange program in the US in September, sponsored by the US Embassy in Ankara.