As part of efforts to develop university-industry collaboration, the management of Ostim and the Rector of Atılım University met and exchanged views on possible partnerships.
The meeting, which took place at the Ostim administrative building, was attended by Atılım University Rector Prof. Dr. Abdurrahim Özgenoğlu and faculty members from Atılım University, as well as Ostim Board Chairman Orhan Aydın, Ostim Foundation General Secretary Gülnaz Karaosmanoğlu, Ostim Cluster officials, and representatives from some Ostim companies.
At the meeting, which provided a general overview of Ostim's development from the past to the present, its clustering efforts, and projects carried out in partnership with universities, the question of what areas of cooperation could be established between Atılım University and Ostim was explored. Ostim Chairman Orhan Aydın, emphasizing the great importance they place on collaborations with universities, stated: “We have many things to do together, many common areas of cooperation. Of course, our universities contribute a great deal to us in these projects. These are the projects that Ostim is capable of undertaking, but we believe that if you join us and provide support, we can achieve even more.”
Following Aydın, Atılım University Rector Prof. Dr. Abdurrahim Özgenoğlu also spoke, stating that they were ready to produce projects in cooperation with Ostim, and even considered themselves late in this regard. He said they wanted to close this gap with future work, continuing: “Actually, we had come to Ostim before within the framework of several projects. We opened an Industrial Relations Office in Ostim. This office continued its work here for about two years, and we tried to establish relations with the industry. Of course, I see that Ostim has developed considerably since then. What impressed me most was the importance you place on university-industry cooperation and your visionary approach. This pleased us very much, but on the other hand, I was saddened that Atılım University hadn't been involved in such a collaboration until now. Of course, it's never too late.”
"We must definitely be involved in the clusters' projects."
Özgenoğlu stated that Atılım University, like Ostim, has made significant progress over time, saying: “While we had 6-7 departments in our engineering faculty in those years, we have now doubled that number. The number of departments in our other faculties has also increased. Here, we are not only working on technical subjects, but also on other areas such as export, finance, logistics, etc. In that respect, I believe that we can collaborate with our other faculties and departments in addition to our engineering faculty. As a university, we have very important responsibilities. I think we must fulfill these responsibilities, even if belatedly. I believe we can find areas of collaboration with the four cluster areas in Ostim. I think we absolutely must be part of these clusters.”
Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Dr. Gülhan Özbayoğlu, also stated that Ostim could be an excellent research area, especially for final-year students' graduation projects, and that Ostim could greatly benefit students by providing a real-world application area for the theoretical knowledge they have learned.
Following the meeting, the delegation also visited some companies located in Ostim and the Ostim METU Technopark, and had the opportunity to examine the companies' manufacturing processes on-site.
