What Our Alumni Say About the Bilkent MBA
Hao Li – Community Content Management Country Team Leader, ByteDance
“Choosing to study in the MBA program in Bilkent University is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. The top-notch faculty with their considerable experiences in local and global business world, the student body with different backgrounds, as well as the supportive administration team, make my two years at Bilkent a really enjoyable and rewarding journey. Upon graduation in the summer of 2017, I took an offer from ZTE Corporation, one of the largest communications equipment manufacturers in the world, as Human Resources Manager in Turkey, when the company was in the process of integrating its local operations with its recently acquired local subsidiary. In 2019, I decided to move to ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, as the country leader for its newly established community content management department. Within one year, we have quadrupled the size of local team to serve our fast-growing number of users in Turkey. The decision to continue my career in Turkey and the courage to explore the uncharted path, should be largely attributed to my education in Bilkent. Because the MBA program imparts me with necessary knowledge and skills to develop my sensitivity to business governance, culture and people management in the local market, whereby prepares me for working in different sectors and different roles.”
Ilgım Özdemir Yazgan – Founder of Accouchee, CBFW Mentee
“In the new world of big data and open sources for all, you can easily learn anything even from various distant-learning programs. Yet, none of them can provide you with the solid network of distinguished professors and more important than all a solid network of classmates each of whom will thrive in the near future. Bilkent MBA surely provides you with the essentials of being successful at work, you can even arrange your courses in such a way that you may choose to get experienced in a certain field. In my case, Bilkent MBA not only provided me with a degree but also with awareness on what I like the most in life, branding and marketing! I was a scholarship student so I was trying to do my best in each and every course; yet my grades were clearly showing what my core competence was and what I like spending time on. I was so lucky to have a marketing professor who taught me to think out of the box, how to be one of a kind and how to stand against the norms. If I have my own brand today, I should owe a thank you to my marketing professors at Bilkent. My last but not least suggestion would be to find what you would wholeheartedly work on to spend all your days enjoying your work. In that case, success and money would be natural consequences rather than goals. Put your heart in all your decisions as well as choosing your university.”
Gökhan Tufan – Account Technology Strategist, Microsoft
“Bilkent MBA education is once in a lifetime experience where you start to unleash your potential, grow with real life business cases, learn from world-class academicians, and discuss with professionals from diverse background and industries. This is the place you will be empowered with management, finance, marketing, sales and strategy skills. Bilkent MBA will open doors to the world.”
Çağatay Günay – Asset Management, London Business School
“Although it may sound cliché, MBA program of Bilkent University has truly changed my life. When I began to study here, I did not know almost anything about how businesses and overall economy work and had much narrower vision for my further career. In the course of the program, I have decided on where my future career is; learnt a great deal about it and eventually changed my work. My city and my future, met my mentor who inspired, influenced and helped me a lot along my way and found courage and inspiration to found a start-up in the very beginning. I was working for a slow and heavily bureaucratic company offering mothing for development of my skills. Right now I am based in one of the global money management centers and confidently moving further in my career. All has begun in Bilkent MBA.”
İsmail Kök – Chief Researcher TUBITAK BILGEM
“I knew I wanted to start my own business and become a better leader. Here’s how Bilkent MBA hleped me do it. I remember the interview with the MBA committee like it was yesterday. I stated that I would resign from the biggest defense company in Turkey. Then I questioned how Bilkent MBA would help me. The committee stated that I would see it myself after graduation. They were right. Bilkent MBA experience made me a much more confident person on what I really want to do and develop my own business to take a broader perspective. Learning and growth opportunities were unlimited. Ultimately, I founded my own company two months after graduation and feel that I am equipped with necessary mental and solid tools to overcome the challenges of the business world.”
MBA Beyond Classroom: What Do Our Former Students Say About the Exchange Experience
Fall Semester of the second year in the MBA program is the recommended time to go on an exchange program. The international exchange is exciting way to enhance your qualifications and broaden your vision by taking courses in different study environments, enhancing language skills, learning about different cultures, making new friends, and traveling.
Koray Argun
“Though being apart from home and your loved ones, exchange is the most wonderful journey a student can take to see the big picture. By studying a semester in University of Alberta, I have had opportunity to meet exceptional people from all around the world. With the people I met, I traveled to amazingly beautiful spots of Northern America and collected lifetime memories. Experiences that I had, deepened my understanding and perceptions of how things work on a global scale. Additionally, courses that I took related to global business environment helped me to link those experiences with business decisions made by international firms. Overall, I believe I widened my perspective and enhanced my competences in terms of global thinking. ”
Gizem Gümüş
“My exchange semester at WU Wien in Austria turned out to be one of the greatest experiences in my life. I had the chance to meet with so many students from all over the world and had trips around Europe full of amazing memories. Also living in one of the most beautiful and historical cities in Europe, Vienna, and taking courses in an Austrian university were the great plusses of my exchange semester. Spending one semester abroad as an exchange student has definitely changed my point of view about other cultures, countries and above all about myself.”
What Do Our Business Partners Say About the Business Practice Experience
Our students work on a management consulting project side by side with managers from such companies as Havelsan, Beymen, Eczacıbaşı, THY, Türk Telekom, IBM, Turkcell, and TTNet,AVIAGEN,INFINIA, METUnic, Nüve, Pisano, Mikrogroup, Sekom, BEAM and Flexvision.
Ali Korkmaz – Board Member – Sekom
“Within the scope of the Business Practice Project, Bilkent MBA students worked with us on a strategy-focused assignment related to our OEM and Service Gateway (SG) offerings in a highly competitive and regulated market. The team demonstrated a strong understanding of industry dynamics, competitive positioning, and compliance-related challenges. Guided by experienced faculty, they delivered a well-structured report that supported our strategic thinking and provided valuable external perspective.”
Cem Şatana – Country Sales Director – Pisano
“As part of the Business Practice Project, Bilkent MBA students developed a comprehensive digital marketing and growth strategy for Pisano, with a particular focus on our Employee Experience platform and international expansion goals. The team combined solid marketing frameworks with a clear understanding of our business model and competitive landscape. Their work resulted in a structured and actionable roadmap, enriched by thoughtful insights and creative ideas. The close involvement of the faculty ensured depth and consistency throughout the project.”
Umut Türeli – Business Unit Director – INFINIA
“Through the Business Practice Project, we collaborated with a Bilkent MBA student team on a consulting assignment addressing XPZone’s strategic positioning and future growth initiatives. The students approached the project with a clear consulting mindset, carefully analyzing our current situation and translating their findings into realistic recommendations. Their ability to connect analysis with implementation considerations made the final outcome particularly useful for our management team.”
Tolga Vural – Marketing & Business Development Manager – Nüve A.Ş.
“Working with Bilkent MBA students on the Business Practice Project was a genuinely productive experience. The team displayed particular strength in data analysis and quantitative modeling, approaching the problem with precision and clarity. Beyond the technical work, they were able to communicate insights in a way that was accessible to decision-makers. The outcome was not only a solid final report but also practical tools we can continue to use going forward.”
Sibel Bostancı – Human Resources Director – Aviagen
“As part of the Business Practice Project, we collaborated with Bilkent MBA students on a study focused on increasing Aviagen’s domestic production capacity and enhancing the efficiency of our supply and investment decisions in Turkey. The team addressed a highly complex operational challenge involving data analysis, cost modeling, and long-term planning with impressive discipline and rigor. Supported by strong academic guidance, the students delivered practical, data-driven recommendations that were directly relevant to our strategic decision-making. Overall, the experience was highly professional and delivered meaningful value to our organization.”