27.09.2019 İzmir
Attending the İzmir University of Economics 2019-2020 Academic Year Opening Ceremony and participating in the first lecture of the academic year, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, while standing on the importance of entrepreneurship, instilled hope in the students. “If you were to ask me to define the entrepreneur in a single sentence: for me, the entrepreneur is the person who crosses boundaries,” Hisarcıklıoğlu defined it as dreaming, setting goals, working hard, inventing and doing new things, branding, taking risks, not giving up and developing a culture of partnership.
TOBB
President Hisarcıklıoğlu, before addressing the participants, along with Izmir
Commerce University Board of Trustees and Izmir Chamber of Commerce President
Mahmut Özgener and Rector Prof.Dr. Murat Aşkar, laid a wreath at the Atatürk
Bust. Hisarcıklıoğlu later in his speech, expressed his well wishes for success
in the new academic year. Stating that İzmir University of Economics together
with İstanbul Commerce University were the first universities of the community,
Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “At that time, the management of İzmir Chamber of Commerce
and its President Ekrem were undertaking a visionary endeavor. We had made
serious contributions. I graduated from this school. In 2009, you gave me an
honorary doctorate. I proudly carry this honorary doctor title. Our university
has grown. It has entered the top 10 in Biomedical and interior design fields in
Turkey.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
thanked the Board of Trustees of Izmir Commerce University and the Izmir
Chamber of Commerce President Mahmut Özgener for his work and visionary
approach.
Emphasizing
the importance of entrepreneurship, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “I have to say that
there is nothing more joyous than providing people with livelihoods. Our
culture says that the best of people are those beneficent unto others. So we
need new entrepreneurs. We need to get more entrepreneurs. I've traveled throughout
Turkey step by step. We established the Turkey's biggest Women Entrepreneurs
Council. We established the Young Entrepreneurs Council. We established TOBB
ETU. Modesty aside, if entrepreneurship comes up in conversation in Turkey
today; if it is fashionable, I have a big share in this success.”
- Everything starts with dreams.
Emphasizing
that all endeavors begin with dreams, Hisarcıklıoğlu advised the students not
to limit their dream. The TOBB President said, “Never be afraid to lose.”
Emphasizing
that the country is hopeful for the future, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said,
“There is no need for pessimism. As long as we do not marginalize each other.”
- Other speakers
In
his speech, Izmir Commerce University Board of Trustees and Izmir Chamber of
Commerce President Mahmut Özgener said that the communication of the new
generation with the older generations is of great importance in order to
capture the spirit of time. Özgener expressed that they wish Izmir Commerce
University to walk with a vision that is not only teaching but also learning
and growing, and explained that the University will be the center of entrepreneurial
vision.
Mahmut
Özgener stated that their goal is for the university to be an institution which
has a voice not only in Izmir, all over the region and abroad.”
Rector
of Izmir Commerce University Dr. Murat Aşkar, while drawing attention to the
increase in the number of students, said that the base scores have also
increased. Aşkar touched on the advantages and job opportunities in scholarship
and other subjects, stating that students have attained significant
achievements not only in Turkey but also abroad.