News & Events

Welcome 2024!

The Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration organized a warm ‘Welcome 2024’ event on December 18 with the contribution of it’s academic staff, administrative staff and graduate students. Our Rector Prof. Kürşat Aydoğan was also in attendance.

Pitch Game in MAN 484 Course

In the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital course at the Faculty of Business Administration, students participate in a “Pitch Game.” They prepare an investor pitch on a business venture of their creation. On December 20, all teams presented their business ideas to an investor group including Evren Cantürk from Misyon Investment Bank, Nihal Yazgan from Bilkent CYBERPARK, Mert Gür from Loop Games, and course instructor Tolga Demir.

The teams submitted interesting business ideas with eye-catching presentations and carefully done analyses. The top three pitch performances were Cas[e]pire, iQuit, and Beatus Mos. Among the top three, Cas[e]pire by Gurson, Bingol, Yurtseven, and Yildirim got the highest score and won the competition. iQuit took the second place, and Beatus Mos got the third place. The top 3 teams have also passed the initial qualification process required to participate in the pre-incubation programs offered by Bilkent CYBERPARK. The winning business, Cas[e]pire is an online platform that aims to make job searches easier and more efficient for university students and recent graduates by connecting companies with students and utilizing simulations to find the best matches. iQuit is a health tech startup that provides a unique, innovative tool for smokers to track their smoking habits and eventually quit smoking. Beatus Mos is an innovative CRM software targeted for the hospitality sector. For more details, please check the decks.

We want to thank all the teams who participated in the Pitch Game for their well-prepared pitches. On behalf of Bilkent University students, we thank Nihal Yazgan, Mert Gür, and Evren Cantürk for accepting our invitation and sharing their valuable comments with us. We wish all students good luck in their careers.

MODAV-ICA 2023, 20th International Conference on Accounting

MODAV-ICA 2023, the 20th International Conference on Accounting, was held on September 20, 2023, in collaboration with Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration and MODAV FOUNDATION (MODAV: Turkish Accounting Academicians’ Collaboration & Research Foundation) at Bilkent Hotel. The theme for this year was “Climate Change: Accountancy & Good Governance”. All the participants exchanged views on climate change within the context of good governance from the specific perspective of Accountancy. Distinguished invited speakers from both academia and regulatory bodies were hosted, along with participants from 55 universities, and fifteen papers were presented.

INFORMS Fellowship to our Dean, Prof. M. Selim Aktürk

Our Interim Dean, Dr. Aktürk, has become the first academic from a Turkish university to receive the INFORMS Fellow title, which is awarded to researchers who have demonstrated outstanding lifetime achievements in operations research and management sciences. He was honored with the INFORMS 2023 Fellow title for his exceptional leadership in developing industrial engineering and operations research in Turkey, his longstanding academic contributions, mentorship to future academics, and research contributions in the field of airline disruption management. (more)

Prof. Mehmet Selim Aktürk has been appointed as the Interim Dean of the FBA

Effective September 18, 2023, Professor Mehmet Selim Aktürk from the Bilkent University Industrial Engineering Department  assumed the role of Interim Dean for the Bilkent University  Faculty of Business Administration, succeeding Prof. Ülkü Gürler

As the Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration, we extend our gratitude to Prof. Ülkü Gürler and wish Prof. Mehmet Selim Aktürk all the best in his new position.

Dean Ülkü Gürler’s farewell message

Dear Bilkent FBA Students,

Firstly, I welcome you all back to our classrooms. A special welcome also goes to 2023 entrants as they start their Bilkent FBA journey either in the Prep School or in the Freshman classes.

I am confident that you will all not only benefit from our program and extra-curricular activities supported by our world-class faculty and student-friendly staff at our Faculty, but also will make new friends and strengthen the existing ones. I wish you all a very fruitful and enjoyable academic year.

This is a bitter sweet message for me as I shall be stepping down from my position of Deanship on September 15, 2023, today.

I have served as the Dean of the FBA for almost full seven years since October of 2016. Despite my Wharton School of Business background, it has been a pleasant and enjoyable challenge for me to work in this capacity, while getting to know our programs, faculty members and students. I have had the opportunity to continue the good practices that have been implemented by our Business School with its good reputation globally, and have introduced new initiatives and practices to take our Faculty and our students to new heights. I would like to briefly outline some of the things we have achieved together during my tenure.

In 2021 we have renewed our five year AACSB Accreditation for the third time. The FBA is proud of being the first University in Turkey with this seal of excellence.

In addition of the Faculty Advisory Board, we have established active and strong advisory boards individually for the Undergraduate and MBA/EMBA programs. Our boards are composed of business leaders and professional managers who bring their experience and outlook to our efforts of revising and updating our curricula as well as understanding the needs of the business world. Their suggestions and support over the years have already resulted in positive changes in coursework and improved the skill sets of our graduates.

At the undergraduate level, The senior year project course, MAN 495, has been added to the curriculum and has matured over the years into a very successful experience for our students and the companies involved. I hope that it further flourishes and Bikent FBA students start making an impact in the business world even before they graduate.

We have initiated a Mentorship Program for our students in which our alumni volunteers are matched with undergraduate students over a year long period with personal meetings to prepare them for their professional careers. I would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our juniors and seniors to be a part of this unique network.

In addition to our regular academic advisors at the individual level, we now have Class Advisors for each year. Your Class Advisors hold periodic meetings with you and inform you about how to make the best of the curricular and extracurricular opportunities like summer training, Erasmus Exchange, Mentorship Program options. I would recommend that all of our students be in communication with their Class Advisors.

Our graduate programs MS and PHD programs continue to make an impact in their strong traditions of research and publications. We are proud to launch an MS program in Management area which have started to recruit a good number of students. Our MBA and EMBA programs continue to expand and integrate with and make impact for the business world.

Recently, we have expanded our Corporate Education portfolio and are working on new projects to make Bilkent FBA the choice venue of more companies for their internal training and education programs. Such collaborations expand our networks and provide additional summer training and employment opportunities for our students and alumni.

Overall, the discipline specific ranking of Bilkent FBA has risen from the bracket of 251-300 to the bracket of 201-250 in the World Rankings. I am sure that this upward trend will continue at a faster rate in the future.

Last but not least, we have also lived through some days of difficulty and sorrow. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our Faculty responded to the challenge of distance learning rapidly and efficiently enabled with the facilities provided by the University. Those difficult times have helped us renew our pedagogical methods and technological infrastructure so that we have come out of this period stronger and better. When the earthquake hit southeastern Turkey last winter, we also saw the humane and empathic side of our student body and faculty/staff as we united our efforts to help those affected in the area and at large. I extend once more my condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. I believe that we all have come out of this tragedy as better people.

All these and many more could not have been possible without the active support and assistance of our faculty members and staff. I would like to thank each and every one of them for their services.

As I say farewell to you, our beloved students and future colleagues, I wish you the very best in your personal lives and professional careers. I hope that you establish and nurture life-long friendships with your peers, instructors and mentors during your stay at Bilkent FBA. I know that I, myself, shall cherish the good memories of my second home of Bilkent FBA as I shall be continuing my academic career at my first home, Bilkent Industrial Engineering Department (x-1520, Room EA 314). I would be extremely happy if you contact me by any means whenever you need or feel so.

Goodbye and best regards,
Professor Ülkü Gürler

Poster Presentations of “MAN 307 Financial Management” Course

Student teams showcased their projects for MAN 307 Financial Management course in the lobby of Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration. Students shared their valuation reports on Arçelik, Ayen Enerji, Vestel, THY, Tofaş with peers and faculty.

Poster Presentations of “MAN 421 Capital Markets and Financial Markets” Course

Student teams showcased their projects for MAN 421 Capital Markets and Financial Markets course in the lobby of Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration. Students shared their analysis on the financial performance of Imarbank, Washington Mutual, Türk Ticaret Bank, Pamukbank, Demirbank during bankruptcy, Garanti during its M&A, Bank of China, Garanti during Covid.

“Pitch Game” in Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Course

In the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital course at the Faculty of Business Administration, students participate in a “Pitch Game” to prepare an investor pitch on a business venture of their creation. On Wednesday, all teams presented their business ideas to an investor group, including Serkan Usanmaz from Zen VC, Başak Zorlutuna from ScaleX, Derin Keskin from DOMiNO Ventures, and course instructor Tolga Demir.

The winning pitch of the Spring Semester’s Pitch Game was “ARA Robotics.” Kemal Eren Şerbetçi, Mehmet Fevzi Benli, Jaeyeong Lim, and Hassan Imran Faiz developed the business idea behind ARA Robotics. ARA Robotics designs and produces fully autonomous commercial floor maintenance robots. Globally, 3 billion liters of water and 520 million liters of chemicals are used for cleaning very day. ARA Robotics aims to decrease the waste from floor maintenance significantly by offering fully autonomous cleaning robots equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software that can perform inspection, mapping, cleaning, and refilling without any human intervention. For more detail, you can check the pitch deck.

We want to thank all the teams participated in the Pitch Game for their well-prepared pitches. On behalf of Bilkent University students, we thank Serkan Usanmaz, Başak Zorlutuna, and Derin Keskin for accepting our invitation and sharing their valuable comments with us. Their feedback is highly appreciated.

Fourth Management Research Day

The fourth Management Research Day was organized on May 4-5, 2023, virtually through Zoom. This year we hosted Prof. Yasin Rofcanin from the University of Bath, UK. Thank you so much, Yasin, for sharing your time and research with us! Our faculty members Assistant Professor Rasim Serdar Kurdoğlu, Assistant Professor Atilla Onuklu and Associate Professor Zahide Karakitapoğlu-Aygün presented their work-in-progress on May 4th, and Prof. Yasin Rofcanin delivered his talk on May 5th.

Hult Prize OnCampus Competition

Hult Prize OnCampus Competition, organized by MEC this year, had the theme of redesigning fashion. Teams from different Bilkent University departments presented their innovative social ventures which aimed to make the textile industry more sustainable. We would like to thank the jury members; Assoc. Prof. Serdar Egemen Nadasbaş, Assoc. Prof. Ceyhan Çiğdemoğlu, Derya Polat Bardak, and Servet Gül for their valuable feedback and suggestions to the teams. Congratulations to the winner team made up of four management students; Erkam Cırdı, Sude Hanefioğlu, Görkem Sarıbaş, Yusuf İnci, and Aytek Akın from the industrial engineering department. We wish the team success in the Hult Prize Competition they will be attending in Lisbon this June.

Previous Years:

The EMBA 2022 class started the program with sailing training in Göcek

Faculty of Business Administration, with collaboration of Ankara Sailing Club, organized a 3-day orientation program for the Executive MBA 2022 class in Göcek, Fethiye. The program, entitled “Leadership and Team Spirit at Sea”, offered a unique approach to teamwork and leadership for students who started the program this year.

Designed as sailing training, the orientation program focused on the concept of team spirit using the medium of maritime language and culture. Participants had the experience of “being a team member” by performing different roles within a sailing team. The sailing training provided them with an excellent opportunity to examine their time and risk management skills and leadership abilities. On the last day of the 3-day sailing training, 34 EMBA participants enjoyed a sailing race with 6 boats. The program ended with the medal ceremony of the winning teams and the workshop where the program was evaluated.

New Research by Başak Tanyeri Günsür and Ezgi Alp!

Corporate governance at both the national and firm levels matters. New research by faculty members Başak Tanyeri Günsür and Ezgi Alp forthcoming at CGIR Journal found that “Investors pay attention to the regulatory environment of the country, as well as corporate governance in the firm when evaluating agency costs.” Details are here.

FBA is ranked as the best Business School in Turkey!

According to the QS World University Rankings of 2022, Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration is ranked as the best business school in Turkey. Moreover, we are also ranked as the best at Bilkent University among other disciplines. The QS World University Rankings by subject are based upon academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact, you can learn more by reading the methodology. The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 cover 51 different subjects that are mentioned at that list.

“Turquality 19. Dönem Yönetici Geliştirme Programı” başarıyla tamamlandı!

2021- 2022 akademik yılında fakültemiz tarafından yürütülen “Turquality 19. Dönem Yönetici Geliştirme Programı” farklı şehirlerden ve 16 farklı firmadan gelen 36 katılımcımızla başarıyla tamamlamıştır. Program, derslere online devam eden katılımcılarımızı kampüsümüzde ağırlamak için 28 Mayıs’ta düzenlenen veda organizasyonu ile sona ermiştir.

Spring 2021/2022 – Graduation Project Presentations

MAN senior students presented their projects conducted for MAN 495, Business Capstone Project Course, which is taught by Ceren Aydoğmuş, Nazlı Sönmez and Rasim Serdar Kurdoğlu, on May 27-30, 2022.  In the first part of the course, the teams conducted a field study at a company of their choice and worked on business problems that were given by the companies. Each team is required to define, describe, analyze and examine these problems. For the second part, teams develop and present their proposed solutions to the defined problems. On May 27-30, the teams made their presentations to their classmates as well as to the company representatives and the faculty members, followed by a discussion and Q/A session.

The groups with the highest marks in each section are rewarded with mentorship by FBA graduates with vast business experience. The winner groups are as follows:

• Section 1: Successors – Zynga
  Team members: Cansu Akartürk, Elif Doğan, Pınar Ekmekçi, Erenşah Özdoğan, Tuğçe Tan
• Section 2: Advanced Management Consulting – Türkiye İş Bankası
  Team members: Hazal Işıksaçan, Esra Kaya, Nabi Kuştepe, Göktuğ Sorkunlu, Doğaç Sanberk Şalgam, Helin Yavavlı
• Section 3: The Leftovers – Pepsico
  Team members: Sıla Bozoğlu, Zeynep Dik, Ayşe Parıltı Erkan, Gülay Göçmen, Cansu Karaman

Congratulations Professor Erel!

The Board of Trustees of Bilkent University has appointed Erdal Erel, Professor of Operations Management at Bilkent FBA, as Vice Rector for Administrative and Financial Affairs.

As Faculty of Business Administration, we would like to congratulate Professor Erel for his achievement and wish all the best in his new position.

‘Sürdürebilirlik: Sorunlar, Çözümler ve Fırsatlar Paneli’ 18 Mayıs’ta internet üzerinden gerçekleşti

Fakültemiz bünyesinde 18 Mayıs 2022 Çarşamba günü düzenlenen “Sürdürülebilirlik: Sorunlar, Çözümler ve Fırsatlar” konulu panelin video kaydına buradan ulaşabilirsiniz. Rektörümüz Prof. Dr. Abdullah Atalar’ın ve dekanımız Prof. Dr. Ülkü Gürler’in açılış konuşmalarıyla başlayan panel, fakültemiz mensubu ve Novartis Kurumsal İlişkiler Direktörü Selcen Erdem’in moderatörlüğüyle gerçekleşmiştir. Panelistler ve konuşmacılar: Prof. Dr. Güler Aras (Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi), Nilüfer Aktaş (Impactmaze Danışmanlık), Dr. Neyran Akyıldız (WWF Türkiye), Fatih Özkadı (Arçelik), Pırıl Kadıbeşegil Yaşar (Allianz Grup).

Pitch Game at MAN 484 Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Course

In the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital course at the Faculty of Business Administration, teams of students take part in a “Pitch Game” to prepare an investor pitch on a business venture of their creation. Last week, all teams presented their business ideas to an investor group including Emirhan Sahinoz from Sente Foundry, Utku Tuncay from Endeavor Turkey, and course instructor Tolga Demir.

The winning pitch of the Spring Semester’s Pitch Game was “NMCC.” Halam Kim came up with the business idea behind NMCC. NMCC serves as an NFT marketplace for content creators. NMCC aims to solve three important issues in the NFT market. First of all, early-stage content creators have a hard time continuing their work due to low-to-no income. Secondly, early users and viewers of successful content creators have no benefits from excavating the gems. Third, it is hard for ordinary people to get information about the NFT market and the authenticity of the products. NMCC claims to be a cure to all of these issues by creating a safe environment that benefits both users and content creators. For more detail, you can check the pitch deck.

We would like to thank all the teams for their well-prepared pitches. On behalf of Bilkent University students, we thank Emirhan Sahinoz and Utku Tuncay for accepting our invitation and sharing their valuable comments. Their feedback was highly appreciated.

Poster Presentations of MAN 421 – Financial Institutions and Capital Markets Course

MAN421 Financial Institutions and Capital Markets students shared the results of their project with friends and faculty in Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration lobby. Congratulations 🎉 to all teams. Posters on the financial performance of İmarbank, Türk Ticaret Bankası, Sümerbank, Yapı Kredi, Garanti BBVA QNB Finansbank Akbank Wells Fargo Danske Bank BNP Paribas DenizBank in the FBA lobby.

Poster Presentations of MAN 307 – Financial Management Course

MAN307 Financial Management students presented their end-of-semester projects to friends and faculty in Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration lobby. Congratulations 🎉 to all teams. Valuation recommendations on Tesla Turkish Airlines Pegasus Airlines Arçelik Global Mavi TUPRAS Şişecam and Aselsan in FBA lobby.

SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİRLİK: SORUNLAR, ÇÖZÜMLER VE FIRSATLAR PANELİ

Bilkent Üniversitesi İşletme Fakültesi Geçişteki Toplumlar Araştırma Merkezi bünyesinde, mezunumuz ve fakültemiz mensubu Selcen Erdem moderatörlüğünde, 18 Mayıs 2022 Çarşamba günü 13:30-15:30 arasında, çevrim içi olarak, “Sürdürülebilirlik: Sorunlar, Çözümler ve Fırsatlar” paneli düzenlenecektir.

PROGRAM

MODERATÖR
Selcen Erdem – Bilkent İşletme Fakültesi, Novartis, Kurumsal İlişkiler Direktörü

13:30 – 13:40 Açış Konuşması: Bilkent Üniversitesi Rektörü Prof. Dr. Abdullah Atalar ve Bilkent İşletme Fakültesi Dekanı Prof. Dr. Ülkü Gürler
13:40 – 14:05 Davetli Konuşmacı: Profesör Güler Aras
14:05 – 14:10 Ara
14:15 – 15:25 Panel
15:20 – 15:30 Kapanış

KONUŞMACILAR (14:15 – 15:25)
Nilüfer Aktaş – Impactmaze, Danışman ve Stratejist
Dr. Neyran Akyıldız – WWF Türkiye İletişim Grup Müdürü
Fatih Özkadı – Arçelik Sürdürülebilirlik ve Resmi İlişkiler Direktörü
Pırıl Kadıbeşegil Yaşar – Allianz Grup Global Sürdürülebilirlik Yöneticisi

Accounting Workshop Explores Corporate Sustainability Reporting

A workshop on the topic “Nonfinancial Information Reporting and Assurance Within the Framework of Corporate Sustainability: Regulations and Practices,” organized by the university’s Faculty of Business Administration and Center for Research in Transitional Societies in partnership with the Turkish Accounting Academicians’ Collaboration and Research Foundation (MÖDAV), took place on Friday, April 22.

The workshop opened with introductory remarks from Prof. Ülkü Gürler, dean of the Faculty of Business Administration; Prof. Nuran Cömert, chair of MÖDAV; Yahya Arıkan, general secretary of the Turkish Union of Chambers of Certified Public Accountants (TÜRMOB); and Dr. Hasan Özçelik, chair of the Public Oversight, Accounting and Auditing Standards Authority (KGK).

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Tamer Atabarut, a faculty member at Boğaziçi University and the director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network in Turkey, who discussed issues relating to sustainable development and corporate sustainability reporting.

The workshop consisted of two sessions. During the first session, Dr. Banu Sultanoğlu (Bilkent University), Prof. Yıldız Özerhan (Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University) and Prof. Lerzan Kavut (İstanbul University) spoke about corporate sustainability reporting and its assurance.

In the second session, Murat Yünlü, vice chair of KGK; Dr. Hüseyin Yurdakul, a specialist with the Capital Markets Board of Turkey; Burçun İmir, sustainability and communications leader at the Coca Cola group; and Zeynep Okuyan, assurance partner and sustainability leader at EY, gave talks about regulations and business practices relating to sustainability reporting, the Green Deal and carbon taxation.

Congratulations Atilla Onuklu!

Atilla Onuklu’s paper, titled “Institutional Harmonization and International Connectivity in Innovation”, accepted for the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management taking place August 2022, has been judged by the reviewers to be one of the best accepted papers in the program. This high honor entitles the paper to be published in the Proceedings of the 2022 Academy of Management Meeting.

Joint case activity with Unilever at MAN 495 Business Capstone Project course

Unilever Management Team carried out a case study entitled “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” with the FBA students who are taking the MAN 495 Business Capstone Project course that is taught by Ceren Aydoğmuş, Nazlı Sönmez and Rasim Serdar Kurdoğlu. Student teams presented their solutions for the Unilever case about equity, diversity and inclusion practices on April 4 & 5. Beneficial, efficient and valuable ideas for equity, diversity and inclusion issues emerged from the team presentations.

Our faculty members Lale Tomruk Gümüşlüoğlu & Zahide Karakitapoğlu-Aygün published an article in Harvard Business Review Türkiye!

Our Faculty members Associate Professor Lale Tomruk Gümüşlüoğlu & Associate Professor Zahide Karakitapoğlu-Aygün published an article in Harvard Business Review Türkiye based on a cross-cultural data set collected from Turkey, Taiwan and the US. They studied how two dimensions of paternalistic leadership, namely authoritarian and benevolent leadership, influenced justice and ethical climate perceptions in different cultural contexts. Their results revealed very striking differences across cultures. You can access this interesting article at hbrturkiye.com or April issue of Harvard Business Review Türkiye.

Guest speakers from Unilever at MAN 262 Organizational Behaviour course

On April 4, 2022 our faculty member Assoc. Prof. Zahide Karakitapoğlu-Aygün hosted two guest speakers from Unilever in her MAN 262 Organizational Behavior course: Pelin Erkoç (National Accounts and Discounter Channel Manager, Ice Cream) and Yiğit Taşkın (Food Service Manager). Their talk is titled “How to integrate Equity, Diversity & Inclusion into the business strategy?” Our guest speakers introduced Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP), which serves as their blueprint for sustainable growth. The USLP sets stretching targets, including how they source agricultural raw materials and how consumers use Unilever brands. Their aim is to contribute to economic well-being through wealth creation, employment, improving skills, and access to markets – a virtuous cycle of growth linked to their business. They contribute to a number of UN Global Goals such as: Goal 1 – No Poverty; Goal 2 – Zero Hunger; Goal 8 – Decent Work & Economic Growth; Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; and Goal 10 – Reduce Inequality.

Our students enjoyed the presentation and found the activity very valuable for creating networking opportunities!

Graduation Project Presentations (Fall 2021/2022)

On January 14, 2022, MAN senior students presented their projects conducted for MAN 495, Business Capstone Project Course, taught by Başak Tanyeri and Ceren Aydoğmuş. In the first part of the course, the teams conduct a field study at a company of their choice and identify a business problem that the company had faced or was facing. Each team is required to write a description and a clear articulation of the business problem in a report format. For the second part of the course, teams analyze the problem in the report they have written, add complementary and relevant information if needed, and develop their proposed solutions. On January 14,  the teams presented their problem solutions to their classmates as well as to the company representatives and the faculty members in an online platform, followed by a short discussion and Q/A session.

The team with the highest marks is rewarded with mentorship by FBA graduates with vast business experience. The winner team is :

Faneks Consulting (Company: Akbank)
Team Members: Feyza Karakaş, Kerem Bahtiyar, Su Ece Ergezen, Ahmet Özsoy and Narin Su Pamir

Previous Years:

Dr. Banu Sultanoğlu has published her book titled “Non-Financial Information Reporting Standards and Frameworks, The Latest in Sustainability Reporting”

Sustainability is the key to a better future. In today’s business world, enterprises are expected to report non-financial information primarily about the 3 pillars of Sustainability: Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). Hence, Sustainability Reporting has become a vital differentiator across all industries. However, since it is volunteer reporting, enterprises use different standards and frameworks while issuing sustainability reports causing a “greenwashing” problem. In 2021, which Bilkent University declared as the year of sustainability, Dr. Banu Sultanoğlu has published her book titled “Non-Financial Information Reporting Standards and Frameworks, The Latest in Sustainability Reporting”. The book is about the latest global developments in Sustainability Reporting. She has signed a copy of her book for our Rector Abdullah Atalar on Thursday, December 30.

3rd NIBES Research Session: “Sustainability Research in Business and Economics”

The 3rd NIBES Research Session with the research theme “Sustainability Research in Business and Economics” was held online on November 23, 2021. The conference was hosted by the Faculty of Business Administration, Bilkent University under the auspices of the Bilkent University Centre for Societies in Transition in collaboration with the Cracow University of Economics. The research workshop was co-chaired by Associate Professor Emre Berk and Associate Professor Ahmet Ekici from FBA – Bilkent University. The aim of the workshop was to exchange research interests and ideas among members of the Network of International Business and Economics Schools (NIBES).

The session was focused on research on sustainability issues in business and management as well as economics. The presented research was about sustainable consumption attitudes, societal marketing for alternative food networks, legacy narratives in regional construction and infrastructure projects, material flow cost accounting for resource efficiencies, multi-dimensional emission balancing for businesses, clean technology selection with carbon taxation, a meta-analysis of IFRS adoption effects, and case studies of sustainable finance and development, governance in renewable energy innovation, and best practices for resource efficiency measures.

FBA Operations Management Online Research Day

A research day in operations management was organized online by FBA on December 1, 2021. Our keynote speaker was Professor Onur Boyabatlı from Singapore Management University.  He delivered a talk about “Integrated Optimization of Farmland Cultivation and Fertilizer Application: Implications for Farm Management and Food Security”. The details and the program is here.

FBA Retreat in Pia Sera, İncek – November 14

On November 14, the Faculty of Business Administration held a Retreat in Pia Sera, İncek to discuss the “Societal Impact” issue in the context of AACSB standards, Faculty’s mission and Strategic Plan.  The Faculty generated valuable ideas about creating/increasing and measuring societal impact in terms of Education, Research and Co-Curricular Activities.

Intercultural Case Experience @ MAN467 – Cross-Cultural Management course of FBA

A case study analysis was conducted between Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration and the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. Within the context of the Cross-Cultural Management courses, which are taught by Dr. Ceren Aydogmus in Bilkent University and Prof. Dr. Ahu Genis-Gruber in the University of Applied Sciences, students have been grouped online to work on, analyze the case and present their solutions. A great intercultural spirit, a vivid cultural interaction, and a very fruitful collaboration between two universities.. This is what Cross-Cultural Management is all about. Different cultures, different approaches, different decision-making processes, and various solutions. More innovative teaching experiences to follow..

EMBA 2021 class started the program with sailing training in Göcek.

Faculty of Business Administration, with collaboration of Ankara Sailing Club organized a four-day orientation program for Executive MBA 2021 class in Göcek, Fethiye. The program, entitled “Leadership and Team Spirit at Sea”, offered a unique approach to teamwork and leadership for students who started the program this year.

Designed as a sailing training, the orientation program focused on the concept of team spirit using the medium of maritime language and culture. Participants had the experience of “being a team member” by performing different roles within a sailing team. The sailing training provided them with an excellent opportunity to examine their time and risk management skills and leadership abilities.

Associate Professor Zahide Karakitapoğlu-Aygün delivered a seminar titled “Leadership in Turkey” in “The Future is in the Human Resources” workshop organized by Bilkent Holding on September 7, 2021

Thirty two human resources directors, coordinators, supervisors and specialists from more than 15 Bilkent Holding companies attended the workshop. Dr. Karakitapoğlu-Aygün summarized her leadership-related research findings in the last 15 years with a specific reference to transformational leadership, paternalistic leadership and dark side of leadership in the Turkish context. Based on her findings, she provided suggestions to HR departments while recruiting, promoting, training and developing leaders in their companies.

AACSB Accreditation of Faculty of Business Administration Extended for the Third Time!

Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) is proud to announce that on June 28^th, 2021, its accreditation by the AACSB International for all of its degree programs has been extended for the next five years.

Bilkent FBA received its initial accreditation in 2006, becoming the first accredited business school in Turkey and the region. This is the third time the Faculty is renewing its accreditation, previously in 2011 and 2016.

Founded in 1916, the AACSB International is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in business. As the hallmark of excellence in business education, this accreditation is awarded to fewer than 5 percent of all business schools worldwide. Institutions with AACSB accreditation pledge their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer-review process.

To view the press release by the AACSB, please visit https://www.aacsb.edu/newsroom/2021/6/confirming-global-quality-and-distinction-in-business-education.

MAN 213 Principles of Financial Accounting Course – “Understanding and Analyzing the Financial Statements” Project

In MAN213 “Principles of Financial Accounting” course, taught by Dr. Banu Sultanoğlu (Section 1) and Selda Sevin (Section 2), team-based “understanding and analyzing the financial statements project” is employed to strengthen the use of accounting knowledge in business practice. The students form teams and each team performs financial statement analysis of a Turkish Company traded in BIST.  The teams are required to analyze the material changes in key income statement and balance sheet accounts and asses the financial performance of the companies’ liquidity, profitability and leverage for the year ending 2021. Besides, the teams collect information about the COVID-19 strategies and sustainability approaches of the assigned BIST companies. All the teams prepare a report and a video presentation that summarize their findings.

The winning team is from section 1 with Ülker Bisküvi ve Sanayi A.Ş. Company. The team members are Kübra Nur Güngör, Aybüke Dere, Mehmet Kol, Senem Safi and Pınar Erden.

Second place winner team is also from section 1 with Tat Gıda Sanayi A.Ş. and the team members are Ahmet Furkan Kan, Muhammet Fatih Kumser, Sinem Demir and Ahmet Faruk Uncu. The team of Onur Şişman, Berk Tezcan, Halil Öztürk and Seden Periyadılı come in third place from section 2 with again Tat Gıda Sanayi A.Ş. We congratulate all of the teams.

MAN 312 Managerial Accounting Course – Research Project

In MAN312 “Managerial Accounting” course, a research project is assigned by the course instructor, Dr. Banu Sultanoğlu to the enrolled students. The project requirement is to conduct research about a selected current managerial accounting topic and prepare a report and a video presentation at the end of the Spring term, 2021. The winners are:

We congratulate all of the teams!

Graduation Project Presentations (Spring 2020/2021)

MAN senior students presented their projects conducted for MAN 495, Business Capstone Project Course, on 31 May – June 1, 2021. In the first part of the course, the teams conducted a field study at a company of their choice and identified a business problem that the company had faced or was facing. Each team is required to write a description and a clear articulation of the business problem in a report format. For the second part of the course, teams analyze the problem in the report they have written, add complementary and relevant information if needed, and develop their proposed solutions. On May 31 – June 1, the teams presented their problem solutions to their classmates as well as to the company representatives and the faculty members in an online platform, followed by a short discussion and Q/A session.

The groups with the highest marks in each section are rewarded with mentorship by FBA graduates with vast business experience. The winner groups are as follows:

• Section 1: Ziyagils – Güven Hastanesi
  Team Members: Tuğçe Işık, Ayben Metin, Aybike Işık Müftüoğlu, Elif Serim, Atahan Yaşar Tiryaki
• Section 2: The Last Dance – Karadeniz Ereğli Bahçeşehir Koleji
  Team Members: Sena Akcan, Damla Karahan, Veli Enes Karataşcıoğlu, Seda Ongan, Begüm Taşçıoğlu
• Section 3: Giysi Giyim – Başaran Büyük Mağazacılık A.Ş
  Team Members: Duru Bayındır, Satenay Cantürk, Ekin Berkay Gün, Ammar Khan, Ibrahim Ahmad Kiyani, Anıl Batu Yıldırım

Pitch Game at ‘MAN 484 Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital’ course

In the MAN484 course at the Faculty of Business Administration, teams of students take part in a “Pitch Game” to prepare an investor pitch on a business venture of their creation or imagination. Last week, all teams presented their business ideas to an investor group including Giray Boran from BLG Capital, Alpaslan Canli from Revo Capital and course instructor Tolga Demir. The winning team of Spring Semester’s Pitch Game was “Self Garage.” Ömer Yurtseven, Oğulcan Günaydın and Ali Bora Özbulak came up with the business idea behind Self Garage. Self Garage serves as an appropriate meeting point for the car enthusiasts and car clubs where they can both repair their cars and have some fun. For more detail, you can check the pitch deck.

We would like to thank all the teams for their well-prepared pitches. On behalf of Bilkent University students, we thank Giray Boran and Alpaslan Canli for accepting our invitation and sharing their valuable comments with us. Their feedback was highly appreciated.

Guest Speaker at ‘MAN 484 – Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital’ course

In the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital course taught by Dr. Tolga Demir at the Faculty of Business Administration, we had Numan Numan, managing partner of 212 Ventures, as a guest speaker. The instructor and students discussed the case of Iyzico payment systems with Mr. Numan. Iyzico is a payment receipt system management platform that offers e-payment solutions to online merchants. Iyzico showed tremendous growth in the e-payment solutions market in Turkey during the 6 years following its foundation in 2013. In 2019, Iyzico was acquired by PayU, a global payment services provider, for $165 million. 212 Ventures was one of the earliest investors in Iyzico and kept investing in the startup through several rounds. Mr. Numan had a close relationship with the founders of the startup and has deep knowledge about the evolution of the startup from a small firm to a market leader in Turkey. On behalf of Bilkent FBA, we thank Mr. Numan for kindly accepting our invitation and sharing his knowledge and experience with us.

Bilkent FBA Mentoring Program is getting started!

Mentoring is a process where experienced people guide students and share their expertise and knowledge to contribute to students’ development. Based on trust, respect, and confidentiality, it encourages mutual learning and increases communication between mentors and mentees.

Bilkent FBA is launching a new Mentoring Program  to help our students to get prepared for business life, and facilitate their transition from school to business life. We got very positive feedbacks from our alumni who volunteered to act as mentors for our students. We thank all of them 🙂

Our Dean Ülkü Gürler, Associate Dean Lale Gümüşlüoğlu and FBA Mentoring Coordinator Zahide Karakitapoğlu-Aygün introduced the program to our 3rd and 4th year students on February 16th, 2021.

Selected Student Projects – MAN 484 Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital

In Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital course at the Faculty of Business Administration, teams of students take part in a “PitchGame” where they prepare an investor pitch on a business venture of their imagination. Then, they present their idea to an investor group consisting of an angel investor, a venture capitalist, and the course instructor in order to convince them to invest in their business.

One of the teams by Aybala Deniz, M. Ali Deniz, and Ekin Bayram presented ‘Gramil’ to Erman Turan and Ayşe İnal as angel investors, and to the course instructor, Dr. Tolga Demir. The team came up with an idea of an online marketplace ecosystem exclusively for handcraft lovers to produce, meet, and sell…

Graduation Project Presentations (Fall 2020/2021)

MAN senior students presented their projects conducted for MAN 495, Business Capstone Project Course, on 13 January 2021.  In the first part of the course, the teams conducted a field study at a company of their choice and identified a business problem that the company had faced or was facing. For the second part of the course, teams analyzed the case they have written and offered solutions to the problems/issues of the company stated in the case. The winner of the case video presentation was also announced after the teams have presented their solutions:

• Group Last Dance – Arçelik
  Kaan İnanç, İrem Kebap, Egemen Deniz Kırıcı, Alara Özütok, Berra Türk

For further details, please visit our Business Capstone Project page.

Previous Years:

Dr. Ahmet Şensoy is awarded with TÜBA – GEBİP (Turkish Academy of Sciences – The Young Scientists) Award in Social Sciences

Dr. Ahmet Şensoy, Assistant Professor of Finance at Bilkent FBA, wins the Turkish Academy of Sciences – Young Scientist (TÜBA-GEBİP) Award in Social Sciences. With this award, his project entitled ‘Big Data and Data Analytics in Financial Markets’ will be supported by TÜBA in the next three years.

The TÜBA-GEBİP programme aims to set up a kind of Young Academy of scientists under the age of 40. Launched in 2001, this award programme fosters young, outstanding scientists who are at the stage of establishing their own research agendas in Turkey after finishing their post-doctoral research activities. TÜBA supports these scientists for a period of three years and helps them set up their own research groups at a stage when they are in need for incentives. Aside from a grant provided for a period of three years, a member of the Academy is assigned as the mentor, and an environment of solidarity and interaction is created through joint meetings held with Academy members. After completing the GEBİP programme, the young scientists maintain their ties with the Academy as senior members of the GEBİP community. From among such senior GEBİP Members, the most outstanding ones may be elected to Associate Membership, with continuous assessment of their scientific performance as possible candidates for Principal Membership of the Academy.

Dr. Tanrısever’s research is published in Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Journal

Dr. Tanrisever’s research on day-ahead electricity markets have contributed to the development of clearing mechanisms for the Turkish day-ahead electricity market. His work is published in Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Journal. Details of his practical contribution can be found in: Derinkuyu, K., Tanrisever, F., Kurt, N., & Ceyhan, G. (2020). Optimizing day-ahead electricity market prices: Increasing the total surplus for energy exchange istanbul. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management.

Next Generation Skills: Reflections Towards 2025

Improving employee skills has been one of the most important challenges that is emphasized by both universities and businesses. Technological changes, economic conditions and Covid-19 result in rapid changes in the job skills. Then, what skills will be needed in 2025? To this end, on Dec 9, 2020 Zahide Karakitapoğlu-Aygün and Başak Tanyeri from FBA Mentoring Committee delivered a talk on “Next Generation Skills: Reflections Towards 2025” to help our students gain insight on changing skills needed by 2025. More than 120 students attended the event.

CV Writing Seminar

On Dec 3 2020, Aydan Öktem, Career and Alumni Office Director of Bilkent University gave a CV writing seminar to FBA students. More than 165 students attended the seminar. They had the opportunity to learn how to write great CVs and showcase their skills and competencies to stand out from the crowd.

FBA November Online Seminars

FBA online seminars are in progress within a busy schedule. During November, we had 7 online seminars from all around the world. You can reach the details of our past and forthcoming seminars from here.

November 25 – General Faculty Advisory Board Online Meeting

On November 25, Dean Ülkü Gürler hosted an online meeting with the Faculty Advisory Board of the Faculty of Business Administration and Rector Abdullah Atalar. The meeting was also attended by   Vice Rectors Professor Adnan Akay and Professor Kürşat Aydoğan and the Associate Deans Associate Professor Lale Gümüşlüoğlu and Associate Professor Emre Berk. The board members shared their invaluable views and stated their willingness and intentions to collaborate with our Faculty to increase Bilkent FBA’s impact on the business world as well as the society at large.

November 19 – MBA/Executive MBA Programs Advisory Board Online Meeting

On November 19, Dean Ülkü Gürler hosted an online meeting with the MBA and Executive MBA Programs Advisory Board members of the Faculty of Business Administration. Associate Deans Associate Professor Lale Gümüşlüoğlu and Associate Professor Emre Berk and the Administrative Assistant of the program also participated. The board members shared their valuable views about the trends in the business world.  Collaboration opportunities for boosting our Faculty’s societal impact were discussed with several innovative ideas and intiatives.

November 18 – Undergraduate Program Advisory Board Online Meeting

On November 18, Dean Ülkü Gürler hosted an online meeting with the Undergraduate Program Advisory Board members of the Faculty of Business Administration with the participation of  Associate Deans Associate Professor Lale Gümüşlüoğlu, Associate Professor Emre Berk and the Administrative Assistant of the program. The main theme of the program was the impact and engagement of the FBA with society at large. All of the board members have contributed with their valuable experiences and indicated their willingness to collaborate with the FBA in the career planning and mentoring of our students.

 

NIBES Annual Meeting

NIBES (Network of International Business and Economics Schools), of which Bilkent FBA is among the nineteen member schools from eighteen countries held its annual meeting virtually during 13-15 July 2020. Participants from all around the world have shared their Covid-19 experiences, recent changes in their schools, results of the research initiatives started two years ago in Krakow meeting and discussed ideas to develop closer collaborations among member schools.

Graduation Project Presentations (Spring 2019/2020)

Faculty of Business Administration senior students presented their projects conducted for MAN 495 Business Capstone Project course, on 15-16 June 2020.

In the first part of the course, the teams conducted a field study at a company of their choice and identified a business problem faced by the company. Each team is required to write a description and a clear articulation of the business problem in a case format and to record short videos for the presentation of their cases. A group of faculty members of FBA watched and evaluated these video recordings and one team from each section was chosen for the best performance of their video presentation. The selected teams were awarded with mentorship by FBA graduates with vast business experience.

For the second part of the course, the cases written in the first part are assigned to different teams to offer solutions to the problems/issues of the company stated in the case undertaken. On June 15-16, the teams presented their case solutions to their classmates as well as to the faculty members in an online platform, followed by a short discussion and Q/A session among the case writer teams, solution provider teams, and the faculty members. The winners of the case video presentations are:

• Section 1: Group Capstoners – Getir Perakende Lojistik A.Ş
  Nausherwan Aziz – Yiğit Bacanlı – Oğuz Bayar – Hakan Yenel – Özüm Yenen
• Section 2: Group Kapkaramehmetler – Karamehmetler Gıda A.Ş
  Ali Akdeniz – Merve Tuğçe Aysan – Mustafa Berk – Alkın Kerimoğlu – Atamert Mıhcı – Furkan Yiğiter
• Section 3: Group Exclusive – Sinpaş G.Y.O.
  Erol Berkay Atasoy – Asil Doğaner – Hasibe Kurnaz – Merve Okut – Salih Cem Uysal – Abdullah Kaan Yemişçiler

Executive MBA & MBA Programs Advisory Board met in an online platform

On May 1, Dean Ülkü Gürler hosted an online meeting with the MBA and Executive EMBA Advisory Board members of the Faculty of Business Administration and the Associate Deans Zeynep Önder and Emre Berk. The board members shared their valuable views distilled from their vast business experiences, about the trends in the business world and their perspectives about the executive programs. The meeting inspired all the participants to work closely together in order to make impact for the business world as well as for the Faculty of Business Administration.

First Meeting of Undergraduate Program Advisory Board

Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) Undergraduate Advisory Board (UGAB) has held its first meeting in an on-line platform on April 24, 2020 with the participation of Advisory Board members both from Turkey and abroad, together with Dean Ülkü Gürler and Associate Deans Zeynep Önder and Emre Berk.

It was very fulfilling to observe that all the members of the UGAB were highly enthusiastic and motivated about the collaboration opportunities with Bilkent FBA. The proposed ideas and actions shed light on the vast number of possible actions that can be taken to energize both the faculty, alumnae and the students to walk together toward better heights.

Guest Speaker at ‘MBA 532 – Marketing Management’ Course

On May 4, Selen Kuruş who is the Marketing Manager of Hakman Elektronik and a former MBA graduate attended Professor Güliz Ger‘s class via Zoom.

Interview Techniques Seminar by Begüm Gül (METEKSAN)

On February 18, 2020, Begüm Gül, a senior HR specialist from METEKSAN delivered a seminar on “interview techniques”. Our 3rd and 4th year students had the opportunity to learn about the importance of pre-interview preparation, possible questions that are asked in the job interviews and the strategies that follow through on this process. It was a very helpful activity to improve interview skills of our students which can help them get their feet in the door.

ESIAD Mentorship program was started for the second time!

The mentorship program (for undergraduate students) was started for the second time within the collaboration of EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council), ESİAD (Ege Sanayici ve İşadamları Derneği) and our faculty on February 3, 2020 at KOÇ towers, Ankara. The major aim of the program is increasing the awareness of the students towards business life. The CEOs from various sectors and industries (from Aegean region) will act as a guide during nine months (at least once at each month) and enlighten our students based on the dynamics of business environment. The project’s scope is highly based on providing  help to our students in terms of  their career development. From the mentors point of view, they are expecting a reverse mentoring that will help them to cope with generation gap problems. For this purpose, the students will have a close relationship (one-to-one interaction) with upper level management and they will practice field trips as well.

FBA Marketing Research Day

Faculty of Business Administration held a “Marketing Research Day” on January 10, 2020. The morning sessions of the activity included three “work-in-progress” research presentations by Associate Professor Berna Tari Kasnakoğlu-TOBB University; Assistant Professor Forrest Watson-METU; and Visiting Assistant Professor Melis Ceylan-Bilkent University. The afternoon sessions included a seminar by Professor Tülin Erdem-New York University and a meeting between Dr. Erdem and the graduate students that came from various universities in Ankara. We would like to thank to our presenters and participants for their contributions and for making this event a success.

EMBA New Year Celebration Brunch

FBA organized a new year celebration event for the EMBA alumni and current students on Jan 12, Sunday. The organization was at BigChefs, One Tower. Our dean Ülkü Gürler, vice-dean Emre Berk, faculty members Lale Tomruk Gümüşlüoğlu, Rasim Serdar Kurdoğlu and EMBA coordinator Zeliha Baran hosted the event.

Welcome 2020!

The Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration organized a warm ‘Welcome 2020’ event on December 25 with the contribution of it’s academic staff, administrative staff and graduate students. Our Rector Prof. Abdullah Atalar and Provost Prof. Adnan Akay were also in attendance.

CV Writing Seminar by Aydan Öktem (Bilkent University)

On October 22, 2019, Aydan Öktem, Career and Alumni Office Director of Bilkent University delivered a CV writing seminar. CV is the first point of contact with an employer and is the only available information to assess one’s skills and suitability for a job. In this seminar, our students had the opportunity to learn about the tips and techniques to ensure their CV stand out from the crowd, and to make their CVs unique and attractive.

New Executive MBA 2019 Class Set Sail for New Horizons!

Between September 26 and 29, FBA (with collaboration of Ankara Sailing Club) organized a hearty welcome for it’s new participants in the Executive MBA program in Göcek, Fethiye. The three-day workshop, entitled “Leadership on the Sea and Team Spirit,” offered a unique approach to business leadership for the students who are beginning the program.

Designed as a sailing workshop, the orientation focused on the concept of team spirit using the medium of maritime language and culture. Participants had the experience of “being a team” by sharing responsibilities within a group. The workshop session provided them with an excellent opportunity to examine their time and risk management skills and leadership abilities.

Family Day 2019

The annual Family Day of the Faculty of Business Administration, which brought together student families and faculty members, was held on the 25th of September, 2019. During the meeting; our dean Ülkü Gürler and associate dean Zeynep Önder provided information about the current state of our faculty. Families had the opportunity of one to one interaction with faculty members. Please visit this link for more information and pictures! (Turkish)

“Dean’s Awards” for Graduate Students

On Friday, Sep. 20 Dean’s Awards were given to Graduate Students.

– Excellence in Research: This award is given to İdil Ayberk, Phd Student.
– Excellence in Academic Performance: This award is given to Orçun Turan, Ms Student.
– Excellence in Departmental Citizenship: This award is given to Murat Tiniç, PhD grad 2019.

8th European Supply Chain Finance Symposium

The 8^th European Supply Chain Finance Symposium is organized at Bilkent University, Faculty of Business Administration in Ankara, Turkey, between June 19-20, 2019. The annual symposium brings together leading Supply Chain Finance researchers to discuss the cutting edge research in this area. The symposium features a single track of academic presentations on latest research on operations management and finance interface. The agenda is organized over two days with seven 70-minute sessions. Each session has two 35-minute presentations, including time for Q&A. The proposed format aims to foster a productive interaction among speakers and other conference participants in order to meet the needs as well as the expectations for further research in supply chain and finance interface.

This series of international events offers an exclusive forum for the professional and academic exchange of knowledge related to the interrelationship between both supply chain and finance fields. Participants engage and learn from speakers via presentations that will foster the discussion on latest research, industry practices and approaches, business and engineering perspectives, latest trends, and new challenges on supply chain finance. This proactive learning process is accomplished by bringing in executives from world-class corporations and professors from top universities around the world.

Our undergraduate student Mustafa Yazar won an Innovation Award with his team!

A project designed by Bilkent alumni Zeynep Akın (PSYC ’17), Mustafa Yazar (MAN ’19) and Melike Yüksel (IAED ’18) won an Innovation Award at the recent Digital Transformation for Disabled and Elderly People Symposium organized by the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services. The award’s purpose is to promote practices that can facilitate the lives of disabled people and improve their quality of life in the digital world. The Bilkent graduates’ project, a website called PinGOin, helps disabled people participate more actively in social life. The details are here.

FBA Mourns the Loss of Jacques Couvas

On Tuesday, June 18 a memorial ceremony for Jacques N. Couvas who passed away on Thursday, June 13, 2019 was held. His sons Alexis and Cyriac, Rector Abdullah Atalar, Vice Rector Kürşat Aydoğan, Dean Ülkü Gürler, a large body of his friends and colleagues from Bilkent University and his students were in attendance. During the memorial, participants expressed their sorrow for the untimely and unexpected loss of Professor Couvas and  shared their good memories with him. Jacques will be greatly missed and remembered with the warmest feelings at the Bilkent University and particularly at the Faculty of Business Administration. We would like to express our profound condolences to his family, friends, students and the Bilkent community.

We have lost our beloved colleague Jacques Couvas

All members of Bilkent University – Faculty of Business Administration feel deeply sorry about the untimely loss of Jacques Couvas on June 13, 2019.

Jacques has served as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Business Administration of Bilkent University since 2006. He offered  several courses in the management area. Over the past years he taught more than 2000 students in more than 60 classes. Jacques was a member of several departmental committees including the Exchange Students committee through which he provided his wide international experiences. In all these capacities Jacques has worked hard, enthusiastically. We are grateful to him for his significant contributions to our faculty.

We will always remember Jacques with warm feelings, with his kind personality and as a respected colleague.

Condolence messages for Jacques Couvas can be written to the book kept in the Dean’s office (MA-214) during the office hours until July 1, 2019.

EMBA 2017 Class Participants Completed Global Strategy Program

Executive MBA 2017 class participants, successfully completed Global Competitive Strategy Program at the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business. They received their certificates from Prof. Puneet Manchanda. It was a memorable week for all of them in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Change Management course with Melanie Weaver, Chief Executive Education Officer, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.

BAGEP Award of Dr. Tanrısever

Our faculty member Dr. Fehmi Tanrısever has received the prestigious BAGEP award for young scientists, of Bilim Akademisi (Bilkent News). We congratulate and thank him for bringing this award to our faculty. During the ceremony, the award of Dr. Tanrısever was presented by our dean Ülkü Gürler. Below, you can find some pictures from the ceremony.

Information Session on AACSB

On January 30th, 2019 Bilkent FBA hosted Timothy S. Mescon (Executive Vice President and Chief Officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for AACSB International) and Ihsan Zakri (Accreditation and Member Services Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for AACSB International) to deliver an information session on AACSB membership and accreditation for higher education institutions in and around Ankara. The event attracted considerable interest and was attended by administrators from a number of different schools in the region as well as Bilkent FBA.

 Welcoming Event for 2019 Spring Exchange Students

On Feb 13, after having the introduction and information sessions that were presented by Dr. Ceren Aydoğmuş and Mr. Jacques Couvas, we had a lunch with our new exchange students. During the lunch, the students had a chance to find the answers of their questions related with Bilkent, FBA, Ankara and Turkey. Our dean Ülkü Gürler, Erasmus/Exchange coordinators Dr. Ceren Aydoğmuş, Tolga Baycan and Jacques Couvas, Exchange Administrative Assistant Buket Bıyıklı, Visiting Assistant Professor Doctor Rasim Serdar Kurdoğlu and Erkin Tarhan from Office of International Students were participated at that event.

EMBA New Year Celebration Brunch!

FBA organized a new year celebration event for the EMBA alumni and current students on Jan 13, Sunday. The organization was at BigChefs, One Tower. Our dean Ülkü Gürler, vice-dean Emre Berk and EMBA coordinator Zeliha Baran hosted the event and the participants indicated that they were very happy to have joined this brunch and are looking forward to getting together again.

FBA New Year Celebration Event!

With the contribution of it’s Academic / Administrative Staff and Graduate Students, Faculty of Business Administration organized a ‘Goodbye 2018’ event on December 20. Our Rector Prof. Abdullah Atalar and Provost Prof. Adnan Akay were also in attendance.

Intersectional Structuring of Consumption, 2018 (Curator: Güliz Ger)

Research Curations : Journal of Consumer Research (JCR) Curations are virtual collections of JCR articles selected to highlight an important consumer research topic. Articles are curated by domain experts who identify links between JCR articles and assemble subject-related collections. The goal of these curated collections is to allow readers to explore a particular issue in depth and garner a deeper understanding of key consumer research topics. Details…

Congratulations to Dr. Ahmet Şensoy!

Dr. Şensoy is awarded with 2018 TUBİTAK Bilim Teşvik Ödülü in Social Sciences, as announced in here. We would like to express our deepest congratulations to Dr. Şensoy for receiving this prestigious award!

ESIAD Mentorship program was started in October, 2018!

The collaboration of EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council), ESIAD (Ege Sanayici ve İşadamları Derneği) and our faculty started to provide a mentorship program to both our graduate and undergraduate students. The major aim of the program is increasing the awareness of the students towards business life. The CEOs from various sectors and industries (from Aegean region) will act as a guide during nine months (at least once at each month) and enlighten our students based on the dynamics of business environment. The project’s scope is highly based on providing  help to our students in terms of  their career development. From the mentors point of view, they are expecting a reverse mentoring that will help them to cope with generation gap problems. For this purpose, the students will have a close relationship (one-to-one interaction) with upper level management and they will practice field trips as well.

We met with this year’s Exchange Students on October 18!

After having an info session that was presented by Mr. Jacques Couvas, we had a lunch with our new exchange students. During the lunch, the students had a chance to find the answers of their questions related with Bilkent, FBA, Ankara and Turkey. Our dean Ülkü Gürler, Erasmus / Exchange coordinators Dr. Ceren Aydoğmuş, Tolga Baycan,  Jacques Couvas and Exchange Administrative Assistant Buket Bıyıklı, Dr. Levent Akdeniz and Yasemin Başar from Office of International Students were participated at that welcoming event.

This year’s sailing workshop of EMBA 2018 class was at Göcek, Fethiye!

At the end of September, FBA (with collaboration of Ankara Sailing Club) organized a hearty welcome for it’s new participants in the Executive MBA program in Göcek, Fethiye. The three-day workshop, entitled “Leadership on the Sea and Team Spirit,” offered a unique approach to business leadership for the students who are beginning the program.

Designed as a sailing workshop, the orientation focused on the concept of team spirit using the medium of maritime language and culture. Participants had the experience of “being a team” by sharing responsibilities within a group. The workshop session provided them with an excellent opportunity to examine their time and risk management skills and leadership abilities.

A hearty congratulations to our 2018 Graduates!

A total of 184 students from FBA’s all programs (Undergraduate, Ms/PhD, MBA and Executive MBA) became alumni and headed for the new world.

Prof. Dr. Kürşat Aydoğan Receives Distinguished Teaching Award!

Prof. Dr. Kürşat Aydoğan has received one of the four Distinguished Teaching Awards presented by Bilkent University in 2018. We congratulate Prof. Aydoğan for his remarkable achievement.

Family Day 2018

The annual Family Day of the Faculty of Business Administration, which brought together student families and faculty members, was held on the 7th of June, 2018. During the meeting; our dean Professor Ülkü Gürler and Vice Dean Asst Prof. Örsan Örge provided information about the current state of our faculty. The event started with a mini concert and ended with a cocktail set up for the families and faculty. During the cocktail, families had the opportunity of one to one interaction with faculty members. Please visit this link for more information and pictures! (Turkish)

Poster Presentations of ‘MAN307 Financial Management’ Course

On May 14, students enrolled in “MAN 307 Financial Management” course, that is taught by Asst. Prof. Ayşe Başak Tanyeri, forecast which stocks to buy and which to sell at a poster presentation!

Faculty of Business Administration students capped of the semester in MAN 307 Financial Management course with a poster presentation on whether to Buy or Sell stocks (such as Aselsan or Disney) quoted on Borsa Istanbul and NYSE. İlke Homriş from CFA Institute provided feedback and graded the posters.

İlke Homriş (CFA İstanbul) visited our faculty!

İlke Homriş from CFA Institute İstanbul met with Faculty of Business Administration students on 14 May 2018 and raised awareness about the CFA Institute and its importance in the finance profession. Later, she provided feedback and graded the posters of MAN307 – Financial Management students

Goodbye 2017!

The Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration organized a warm ‘Welcome 2018’ event on December 21 with the contribution of both it’s academic and administrative staff. Our Rector Prof. Abdullah Atalar and Provost Prof. Adnan Akay were also in attendance.

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Poster Presentations of ‘MAN421 Capital Markets and Institutions’ Course

On Dec 22, students enrolled in “MAN 421 Capital Markets and Institutions” course, that is taught by Asst. Prof. Ayşe Başak Tanyeri, highlight their findings at poster presentation!

Faculty of Business Administration students presented their findings on bankruptcies and mergers in the financial services industry. In MAN 421 Capital Markets and Institutions course, teams of students investigated why Turkish banks such as Pamukbank or Demirbank failed in the 2001 crisis. The course finished with a poster presentation where students communicated their findings to the FBA community.

Bilkent FBA Management Research Day

Prof. Niels Noorderhaven of Tilburg School of Economics and Management visited our faculty for Bilkent FBA Management Research Day on December 8, 2017.

Niels served as a discussant to our faculty’s working papers, gave a research seminar and delivered a talk about publishing in top tier academic journals. We enjoyed the participation of scholars and graduate students from METU and Hacettepe to the event.

Cüneyt Yavuz (CEO – Mavi Jeans) visited our faculty!

On the first day of December, we hosted Mr. Cüneyt Yavuz, CEO of Mavi Jeans at our Faculty. As part of his visit, Mr. Yavuz delivered a talk on “Mavi’s journey to become a global brand” both for our students and faculty members. He also talked about his career at P&G and told the story on how he became the CEO of Mavi. Moreover, during the questions & answers session, our students had the opportunity to satisfy the curiosity about their future careers.

Sibel Bostancı Çelebi (General Electric) conducted a seminar on Interview Technics!

As a result of our October Alumni Meeting, we organized a seminar on “Job/Internship Interview Tips”  for our students on November 29. Our guest was Bilkent MBA alumni (1995) Ms. Sibel Bostancı Çelebi, who currently works for GE and serves as the multinational’s “Learning and Talent Development Leader for the MENA Region and Turkey”. Drawing on her vast experience in this critical HR role, Ms. Bostancı offered tangible guidelines and tips to improve our students interview performance in job and internship applications.

Congratulations Dr. Naime Usul!

Our 2017 PhD graduate Dr. Naime Usul received the 2017 Hakan Orbay Research Award for PhD students. The award is presented annually by the Sabancı University School of Management in memory of faculty member Hakan Orbay. Please follow this link for details.

Congratulations Gizem Yalçın!

Our 2015 graduate Gizem Yalçın received the Professor G. W. J. Bruins Prize, given annually by Erasmus University Rotterdam to recognize outstanding academic performance and research abilities. Please follow this link for details.

FBA Advisory Board Meeting

The Faculty of Business Administration Advisory Board met on Friday, November 10’th at Bilkent Hotel.

Advisory Board meetings are held on a regular basis at FBA to discuss the latest developments in the business world and their reflections on business faculty functions. The board members provide concrete input to the strategic direction of Bilkent FBA to ensure sustainable growth and success of the Faculty whilst maintaining that the school’s strategic moves are informed by best practices and takes into consideration the needs of all of its stakeholders.  In this last meeting, a majority of the members pointed out the need to incorporate technology based courses to the curriculum as well as the importance of short courses that would increase the readiness of students for current business issues.

At the meeting, Dean Ülkü Gürler presented the recent developments at the FBA to the audience.

Among the attendees were Kaan Başaran, managing director and senior country representative of Nomura Bank; Murad Bayar, board member at CCN Holding; Faruk Eczacıbaşı, vice chairman of Eczacıbaşı Holding; Mehmet Şakir Güvendi, chief strategy and synergy officer at Oger Telecom; Numan Numan, founding partner of 212 VC; Başak Vardar, partner at Deloitte Turkey who is also an FBA alumni, and Selçuk Yaşar, CEO and president of Roketsan. Bilkent Rector Abdullah Atalar, Vice Rector Kürşat Aydoğan and Vice Provost Özgür Ulusoy were also in attendance.

Condolences for Professor Hüseyin Leblebici

All members of Bilkent University Faculty of Business feel deeply sorry about the  untimely loss of Professor Hüseyin Leblebici on October 4, 2017.

Professor Leblebici was a Professor of Business Administration and Merle H. and Virginia Downs Boren Professor at Illinois  University at Urbana Champaign.  He was also an  honor member of the Turkish  Academy of Sciences.

Professor Leblebici had close links with our faculty. He  was a long time friend of Bilkent Faculty of Business Administration, first as a visiting professor during his sabbatical leave, then as a member of the  Advisory Board  to Executive MBA program which he helped to build. As a prominant scholar in his field, Professor Leblebici generously  provided collegial supports to our faculty  and he was an inspiration for many  at the Business school. We will always remember him with his caring personality, deep sense of humor and above all his solid scholarship.

We  extend our condolences to the members of his  family and colleagues.

New Executive MBA 2017 Class Set Sail for New Horizons!

The Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration organized a warm welcome for new participants in the Executive MBA program, with this year’s orientation taking place at the coast in Orhaniye, Marmaris at the end of September. Arranged in collaboration with the Ankara Sailing Club, the three-day workshop, entitled “Leadership on the Sea and Team Spirit,” offered a unique approach to business leadership for the 30 students beginning the program.

Designed as a sailing workshop, the orientation focused on the concept of team spirit using the medium of maritime language and culture. Participants had the experience of “being a team” by sharing responsibilities within a group. The workshop sessions provided them with an excellent opportunity to examine their time and risk management skills and leadership abilities.

Family Day 2017

The annual Family Day of the Faculty of Business Administration, which brought together student families and faculty members, was held on the 9th of June, 2017. The event ended with a cocktail set up for the families and faculty. Please visit this link for more.

2016

New Executive MBA 2016 Class Set Sail for New Horizons!

The Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration organized a welcome for new Executive MBA class, with this year’s orientation taking place at the coast in Orhaniye, Marmaris at  the end of September. Arranged in collaboration with the Ankara Sailing Club, the three-day workshop, entitled “Leadership on the Sea and Team Spirit,” offered a unique approach to business leadership for the 25 students beginning the program.

 

EMBA 2014 class participants received their certificates

Executive MBA 2014 class participants received their certificates for Competitive Strategy Program at University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Renewed AACSB Accreditation Affirms FBA’s Reputation for Global Quality

The Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) has successfully completed the Continuous Improvement Review process and received a renewal of its accreditation from AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for schools offering undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business.
Currently, only 755 schools of business, or less than five percent worldwide, have earned AACSB accreditation. To renew accreditation, a business program is required to undergo a rigorous internal review every five years, at which time the program must demonstrate its continued commitment to 15 quality standards, as well as to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.
Bilkent FBA had received its initial accreditation in 2006 and became the first accredited business school not only in Turkey, but in the entire region. In February 2016, a peer review team visited Bilkent FBA for its second round of accreditation renewal . After reviewing the school’s five programs, the team recommended extension of accreditation for the next five years without any reservations. They commended the following strengths, unique features and effective practices of FBA: the process of continuous improvement and establishment as a national brand; the engagement with the society and business community; and the reputation of FBA from the perspectives of students, alumni and employers.

Management Students Win L’Oréal Brandstorm in İstanbul

A team of Department of Management senior students, Nemide Zeynep Işık, Yağmur Çınar and Zeynep Karaağaçlıoğlu, have taken first place in the national final of the 2016 L’Oréal Brandstorm marketing competition, held in İstanbul on April 15. Second place also went to a Bilkent team, made up of senior Management students Gizem Kaplan, Çağla Kuzu and Nehir Tuna. The details are here.

2015

Management Students Are Winners in Google Marketing Challenge

A team of students from the Department of Management, Akif Karaismailoğlu, Arda Akat, Nihal Tokluoğlu, Nur Betül Özdemir and Hansa Kaya, have received a top award in this year’s Google Online Marketing Challenge. The challenge is an opportunity for students to experience and create online marketing campaigns using Google AdWords and Google+. Over 100,000 students and professors from almost 100 countries have participated during the past eight years. The details are here.

EMBA 2013 class participants received their certificates

EMBA 2013 class participants received their certificates for Competitive Strategy Program at University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Faculty of Business Administration Advisory Board Meets

The Faculty of Business Administration Advisory Board met on Friday, January 16, 2015 at Bilkent Hotel.

The Board is tasked with providing input to ensure the continued growth and success of the Bilkent Business School, and helps to see that the school’s strategic direction is informed by best practice and reflects the needs of the people and organizations it serves. Dean Erdal Erel presented the strategic plan of FBA to the audience.

Among the attendees at the meeting were Erdem Başçı, Governer of Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey; Vahdettin Ertaş, chairman of Capital Markets Board of Turkey; Faruk Eczacıbaşı, vice chairman of Eczacıbaşı Holding ; Sani Şener, president and group CEO of TAV ; Selçuk Yaşar, president and CEO of Roketsan; Elif Çapçı, General Manager and CEO of Beymen ; Kaan Başaran, Managing Director and Senior Country Representative at Nomura Bank; Çiğdem Ertem, META regional director of Intel ; Murad Bayar, Head Advisor at Prime Ministry’s Office ; Mehmet Şakir Güvendi , Chief Strategy and Synergy Officer at Oger Telecom; Numan Numanbayraktaroğlu, founding partner of 212 VC.; Abdullah Orkun Kaya, Chairman of the Board of TÜYİD; Tuncer Alpata, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alp Aviation. Bilkent Rector Abdullah Atalar, Provost Adnan Akay and Vice Rector Kürşat Aydoğan were also in attendance.

Dr. Vahdettin Ertaş, Chairman of Capital Markets Board of Turkey (SPK)To Be Invited Speaker at Faculty of Business Administration

On October 24, The Faculty of Business Administration welcomed Capital Markets Board of Turkey (SPK) Chairman Dr. Vahdettin Ertaş in Executive MBA Class of 2016. In Dr. Banu Sultanoğlu’s “Foundations of Quantitative Methods and Financial Reporting” class Dr. Ertaş talked about Turkish economy as well as the developments of financial reporting system in Turkey. In the first part of his speech, he assessed the current and future structure of Turkish economy and capital markets. In the second part, he discussed the financial reporting system of Turkish public and private companies. Following his speech Dr. Ertaş responded to numerous questions from the EMBA participants.

Vahdettin Ertaş Biography:

Dr. Vahdettin Ertaş is the Chairman of the Capital Markets Board of Turkey (CMB). He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Investor Compensation Centre and the COMCEC Capital Markets Regulatory Forum. Most recently, he was appointed as a member of the Supervisory Board of Child and Youth Finance International. He graduated from the Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences in 1987 with a degree in Management. He holds a Master’s degree from both Hacettepe University and the Lancaster University. He received his PhD in Management from Hacettepe University in 2012.

2014

Faculty of Business Administration Holds Retreat in Abant.

The Faculty of Business Administration held a strategic development meeting and retreat on October 11-12 in Abant. The Meeting, which all FBA faculty members participated in, was facilitated by Bengi Korkmaz, an FBA alumni and a partner at McKinsey Company. During the retreat, various trends in global business education were discussed. The faculty also worked on developing a ten-year strategic plan.

 

New Executive MBA Students Set Sail for New Horizons!

The Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration organized a hearty welcome for new participants in the Executive MBA program, with this year’s orientation taking place at the coast in Bodrum September 18-21, 2014. Arranged in collaboration with the Ankara Sailing Club, the three-day workshop, entitled “Leadership on the Sea and Team Spirit,” offered a unique approach to business leadership for the 36 students beginning the program.

Designed as a sailing workshop, the orientation focused on the concept of team spirit using the medium of maritime language and culture. Participants had the experience of “being a team” by sharing responsibilities within a group. The workshop sessions provided them with an excellent opportunity to examine their time management skills and leadership abilities. Windy and harsh weather conditions during the workshop enabled the participants to test their risk taking skills and coping with crisis as a team. The sailing competition on the last day of the workshop revealed that new Executive MBA students are very competitive and eager to face the challenges ahead in their organizations. We would like to send our Congrulations to the winning teams Jaws and their captain Hasan Basri Aslan, Vikingler and their captain Zafer Günel, Ocean’s 7 and their captain Adnan Özaslan.

Bilkent’s Executive MBA program is currently in its sixth academic year. The 39 members of the incoming class have an average business experience of 12 years. Up to this point, 133 students have graduated from the program, which is designed to assist participants in advancing their careers, in particular by honing strategic perspective, leadership skills and qualities necessary at the senior management level.

Management Student Named Top Google Student Ambassador in Europe

This year’s Google Ambassador (GSA) program in Europe brought together 57 students from 26 countries and 54 universities.

Akif Karaismailoğlu (Management/III) was one of them, serving as Bilkent’s Google Student Ambassador during 2013-2014.

Google Student Ambassadors have the unique opportunity to act as a direct link between Google and the students on their campuses, for whom they can hold workshops, training sessions and events exploring Google’s core products, programs and initiatives. At the end of their year of service, the most active ambassadors are awarded a trip to Google’s San Francisco office.
Among the GSAs to receive this recognition was Akif, who was selected as the top Google Student Ambassador of the year in Europe. Google flew him to Mountain View, Silicon Valley, in the US at the end of July to host him as the only non-American participant at this year’s GSA summit.

“It was an amazing experience for me to work for my childhood’s dream company, even though it was for only a year,” Akif commented in regard to his ambassadorship.

“After I was selected as a GSA last year, we worked hard and organized 14 events with more than a thousand attendees, thanks to my wonderful friends from the Google Student Events team on our campus. I have learned that sometimes even when it seems hardest to succeed, all you need to do is devote yourself to your work, and as you pursue excellence, success will follow.”

Two MBA students of Bilkent FBA have achieved a ranking that has vaulted them into the global Bloomberg Hall of Fame.

In April 2014, Burak Memis and Gokhan Tufan were the only Turkish students to be listed in the Bloomberg Hall of Fame onto Europe’s Top Five list.

http://about.bloomberginstitute.com/hall-of-fame/

The BAT is a standardized, two-hour online test designed by the Bloomberg Institute in collaboration with leading academics and business professionals to assess the finance knowledge and career aptitude of college and university students. Over 100,000 students have taken the BAT from over 1,000 universities around the world.

2013

The Committee for Prof. Dr. Orhan Karacadağ Awards for Scientific Achievement presented the 2013 Award to Dr. Nagihan Çömez-Dolgan and Dr. Başak Tanyeri.

Prof. Dr. Orhan Karacadağ Awards for Scientific Achievement have been established in March 2007 through a generous donation from Türkan Karacadağ and Şükran Karacadağ, loving sisters of Prof. Orhan Karacadağ, in his memory. Dr. Çömez Dolgan and Dr. Tanyeri received the award for their publications in the past two years that have appeared, respectively, in Production and Operations Management, and Manufacturing & Service Operations Management journals and in Journal of Corporate Finance and Journal of Financial & Quantitative Analysis.

FBA Team “Aces the Case” in İstanbul, Will Represent Turkey at International Competition

The “Bilkenters,” a team of fourth-year students in the Faculty of Business Administration, have won the 2013 KPMG “Ace the Case” business case analysis competition held in İstanbul February 14-15. The Bilkent students, who competed against teams from Boğaziçi, Middle East Technical, Koç, Sabancı and Dokuz Eylül universities, will now be representing Turkey in KPMG’s International Case Competition, to be held April 2-5 in Madrid, Spain.

Sponsored by the international professional services firm KPMG, “Ace the Case” is a two-day workshop, targeted primarily at junior- and senior-year students in economics, administrative sciences, or industrial and/or management engineering, as well as master’s students in economics or business administration, with a long-term interest in pursuing a career in auditing, tax consulting or similar business consulting services.

Students participating in the competition get the opportunity to collaborate and compete in a business environment where they can benchmark their business skills against other top students and make new friends and network with professionals and leaders.

During this year’s event, teams were given an international business scenario and three hours to work together on a business problem in real time. They were coached and guided throughout the day in order to ensure that they were on the right track. Their task was to come up with recommendations and present those recommendations to business leaders, represented by the jury for the competition. Jury members were KPMG Corporate Finance Partner Hande Şenova, Human Resources Director Seden Kundakçıoğlu, Transaction Services Director Ümit Bilirgen and Tax Director Hakan Güzeloğlu.

The Bilkenters were chosen from among the many talented teams participating in the event on the basis of their demonstration of an impressive array of skills as well as effort and teamwork. The team consisted of Alican Gül, Burak Akgül, Caner Şenol and Zeynep Gizem Akkaya.

MBA Student Earns 3rd Highest Score In The World On Bloomberg Aptitude Test

“Thanks to supports of my professors and colleagues, I managed to improve myself a lot and such a success once dreamed of was realized. I firmly believe that BAT was a great way to assess my capabilities and see my position throughout the world. Now with another valuable, globally accepted reference in my hand; I hope I can keep up the good work to live up to expectations of all Bilkent alumni.”

Bloomberg Institute launched the Bloomberg Aptitude Test (BAT) in 2011, a standardized online test that connects university students and graduates with employers in the business world. The BAT takes 2 hours and covers a wide range of topics such as business, finance and economics and skills such as analytical reasoning. It is designed to help students showcase their strength and abilities to potential employers by publishing their test results and resumes online. The Bloomberg Institute offers an option for student CVs to be included in the Bloomberg Talent Search as well as share their results on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Each student who takes the BAT is anonymously entered into the BAT Talent Search Database, which allows employers all over the world to contact you for internship and entry-level positions based solely on your test performance. The Talent Search Database offers exposure to over 20,000 international companies, top investment banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms including Fortune 500 companies.

Bilkent is one of the universities that launches Bloomberg Aptitude Test (BAT) on campus. Since 2012, undergraduate, MBA and MS students of Faculty of Business Administration from different backgrounds have been taking this test to prove their management knowledge. This year, Bilkent MBA education has reveaked its success thanks to Onur Şirikçi, our second year MBA student. Among class of 2014, Onur earned 3rd highest score in the World and Europe, placing him in the Bloomberg Hall of Fame for October’s test. He gained a score of 690 over 800 where the highest achieved score is 760. Onur graduated from Middle East Technical University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a minor degree in Economics. He works for T.Halk Bankası as a Credits Specialist for more than three years. After graduation from MBA, he plans to embark on a career in asset management, investment banking or consulting.

2012

Away they go!

127 Undergraduate, 33 Master and 21 Executive-MBA Business School students became alumni and headed for the real world.

Biannual Seminar on Consumption, Markets, and Culture

This year’s Bilkent Biannual Seminar on Consumption, Markets, and Culture welcomed 36 participants from all   over the world, including countries such as Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, UK, Mexico, USA and Canada.This has been the 4th time that our marketing group successfully organized and ran this international research seminar for doctoral students and junior faculty members. Now there is an established alumni network of the “Bilkent CMC seminar graduates” that would serve as a support group and a platform for research discussions and knowledge sharing ( http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_100927966335).

Product placement Team which is composed by the students of Bilkent University won L’Oréal Brandstorm National Final 2012

The students of Bilkent University, namely Onur Osmanoglu, Hazal Yuksel, and Ozge Tezcan won “Brandstrom National Final” which is organized by L’Oréal and regarded as one of the venerable worldwide marketing competition, among 4 strong components from METU, Bogazici University, and two groups from Koc University. Our students will compete in the International Final, which the winners of the national finals of 45 countries will be in the contest.
L’Oréal Brandstorm is a competition that appeals to successful students who would like to have a career in marketing field. The jury, which is composed of the high level managers in L’Oréal Turkey, and repected members of the mentioned universities have chosen the group “Product Placement”, the team which is representing Bilkent University in the National Final, which was held on May 11, 2012.

Joint Bilkent- The King’s College Conference

Last year Bilkent co-hosted joint activities on business and economic topics with students and faculty from The King’s College. This year TKC and Bilkent made “The Second Annual International Business Conference” come true. Several workshops were prepared and a number of presentations were shown by the students. The theme of 2012 was the future of US and Turkey Relations. Both students from TKC and Bilkent discussed about the issues and solutions on several subtopics such as branding, population and marketing trends, Euro crisis, judicial reforms for business and so on. This organization wided the students visions and helped them thinking internationally. Our hope is to grow these activities into a distinguished annual conference.

Family Day 2012

The annual Parents Day of the Faculty of Business Administration, which brought together parents and faculty members, was held on the 1th of June, 2012 in two parallel sessions. One was designed for parents of the Preparatory and 1st grade students and the other one was for 3rd and 4th grade students. The event ended with a cocktail set up for the parents and faculty.

2011

Congratulations!

Yet another teaching award for one of our esteemed faculty members. Congratulations, Örsan Örge!

Re-Accreditation

We are proud to inform you that Faculty of Business Administration has achieved re-accreditation from AACSB.  The five-year accreditation from AACSB is granted only to the very best business schools and we are extremely pleased with this re-accreditation.

Faculty of Business Administration has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools.

Only 607 schools of business, or less than 5% worldwide, have earned this distinguished hallmark of excellence in management education. Being the only AACSB-accredited business school in Turkey, FBA students continue to enjoy the privileges of obtaining a degree from a school accredited by the most prestigious accreditation-rewarding association.

We have lost our beloved colleague Prof. Ümit Berkman

FBA family has lost the founding chair, former Vice Rector, and beloved colleague Prof. Ümit Berkman on December 23, Friday. Ümit Hoca will be greatly missed by everyone at Bilkent. We would like to express our profound condolences to his family, friends, and students. His valuable contributions to the FBA as a faculty, an administrator, and a mentor will always be remembered by Bilkent community.

Bilkent University Ranks 32nd in the Times Higher Education World’s Best 100 Universities Under the Age of 50 Years

The THE 100 Under 50 complements the annual THE World University Rankings, which are published in the autumn. The THE 100 Under 50 lists the world’s best 100 universities under the age of 50 years.

Phil Baty, the editor of Times Higher Education Rankings, said: “The innovative Times Higher Education 100 Under 50 is not about the old institutions that dominate the traditional rankings: it is about a new breed of global universities – those that have managed to join the world’s top table in just decades rather than centuries, and others showing great promise for the future.”

For the full list of Times Higher Education 100 Under 50:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/Journals/THE/THE/31_May_2012/attachments/THE_100_Under_50_.pdf 

Bilkent is also the top rated Turkish University in the entire THE World University Rankings list published last autumn.

Fordham University and Bilkent University Master of Science in Global Finance degree program is launched.

Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business offers an MS in Global Finance (MSGF) to Bilkent students and alumni who are attending or have successfully completed the MBA or the Master in Finance degree. It allows students who have studied the master degrees at Bilkent to transfer up to 12 credits from the MBA towards the Fordham MSGF degree. Six additional courses are required to obtain the Fordham MSGF degree. Of those six courses, 1 will be delivered at Turkey at Bilkent and 5 will be taught at New York at Fordham.

The courses to be offered at Turkey will start prior to the study in New York. The courses in NY will take place in July/August, 6 weeks in all. They will be following a one-course-per-week agenda. Some company visits and social events will be integrated into the 6 weeks.

This summer for the first time, three of our MBA students, Serra, Gizem and Tolgahan went to Fordham’s School of Business Administration in New York, to participate in the program which will last for six weeks.

New Executive MBA Students Set Sail for New Horizons!

The Bilkent University Faculty of Business Administration organized a hearty welcome for new participants in the Executive MBA program, with this year’s orientation taking place at the coast in Bodrum September 28-30. Arranged in collaboration with the Ankara Sailing Club, the three-day workshop, entitled “Leadership on the Sea and Team Spirit,” offered a unique approach to business leadership for the 32 students beginning the program.

Designed as a sailing workshop, the orientation focused on the concept of team spirit using the medium of maritime language and culture. Participants had the experience of “being a team” by sharing responsibilities within a group. The workshop sessions provided them with an excellent opportunity to examine their time and risk management skills and leadership abilities. Even the weather cooperated: favorable temperatures and wind conditions allowed the workshop to proceed as planned. The entire experience enabled the new Executive MBA students to start off their program with high motivation.

Bilkent’s Executive MBA program is currently in its fifth academic year. The 32 members of the incoming class have an average business experience of 12 years. Up to this point, 101 students have graduated from the program, which is designed to assist participants in advancing their careers, in particular by honing the leadership skills and qualities necessary at the senior management level.

Faculty of Business Administration Advisory Board Meets

The Faculty of Business Administration Advisory Board met on Friday, November 23. The Board is tasked with providing input to ensure the continued growth and success of the Bilkent Business School, and helps to see that the school’s strategic direction is informed by best practice and reflects the needs of the people and organizations it serves. During the meeting, the expectations of the business world as held by Faculty of Business Administraiton graduates were discussed. Among the attendees at the meeting were Çiğdem Ertem, General Manager of Intel Turkey; Faruk Eczacıbaşı, Vice Chairman of Eczacıbaşı Holding; Kaan Başaran, Managing Director at Nomura International; Mehmet Şakir Güvendi, Board Member of Türk Telekom; Murad Bayar, Undersecretary for Defense Industries; Necmi Kavuşturan, Human Resources Coordinator of Zorlu Holding and Executive Committee Member of Vestel; and Tuncer Alpata, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alp Aviation. Bilkent Univeristy Rector Abdullah Atalar and Vice Rector Kürşat Aydoğan were also in attendance.