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TÜSİAD-IBM CSC Team |
When our team examined the volume of work we produced over four weeks, we surprised even ourselves – but the team effort made it happen, and the co-operation of our most hospitable host organization team Ebru, Yasemin, Deniz, İpek and Ezgi. They even created a wonderful parting video for us. Thank you Team TÜSİAD!
Drawing on the strengths of each team member we produced four key recommendations (that are confidential until the board has decided on which ones they want to implement), 18 best practices from 9 countries, a multitude of resource documents, and a list of over 50 possible activities and initiatives to promote STEM education and workforce training gleaned from interviews and best practice research.
Best practice observations
Some of those best practices
surfaced some general findings:
- STEM identified as a common issue globally in the quest for innovation and global competitiveness
- Common themes of public-private partnerships and collaboration across business, NGOs, government and communities
- Businesses are engaged in STEM as they recognize its importance to research and development
- Government plays a key role in all best practice STEM programs
- Multiple stakeholders are consulted to ascertain their specific STEM needs
- Student and teacher engagement universally present in best practices
- Real-life application of STEM is paramount in addition to theory
- Examples of best practice projects are occurring in pockets around Turkey
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Deniz and Yasemin reading coffee fortunes |
This week hasn’t been without some cultural activities. The ever-gracious TÜSİAD team took us to a restaurant where we heard traditional Turkish music. Beautiful melodies sung with a unique modulating vibrato, and when translated, seems there are a lot of stories of unrequited love, lost love, bitter love – melodic nonetheless. What was best was hearing our Turkish colleagues and surrounding tables joining in. Turkish hearts are full of passion and pride for their country and culture.
Football frenzy
We also took in Turkey’s football
frenzy when we went to see a game between Turkey and Brazil at the Fenerbahçe
Stadium that holds 50,000 people. Even though Turkey lost 0-4, we saw the
patriotism of the crowd when the anthem was played, and the unreserved passion
they have for football. We also experienced the crowds piling onto buses after
the game – fortunately it was all a good natured scramble.
Tonight we said our good-byes as we’re
all going in different directions tomorrow. We’re all a little apprehensive
about returning to our regular routines after such an exciting assignment in
such an exotic venue. Adjustment may be challenging but we’ll all have the
memories of our experience in Istanbul to think about as we carry on with our
lives in India, U.S.A., Australia, China, Singapore, Canada and Turkey. It has
been an adventure and a one-of-a-kind learning experience of a lifetime. I’d
highly recommend it!
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