Industrial Engineering students Eda Türker and Melissa Ünlü came out in the case analysis competition organized by Yıldız Technical University’s Quality Efficiency Club.
You can find below the interviews with Eda Türker, who was placed third in the competition, and Melissa Ünlü, who was placed first.
Hello, and first of all, congratulations.Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?Could you tell us about the process of choosing the Industrial Engineering Program at Sabancı University?
E.T: Hi, I'm Eda Türker. I’m a junior student at the Industrial Engineering Department with a minor in finance. Sabancı University was my favorite university and my goal throughout high school. Additionally, the opportunity to choose your program later enabled me to understand and choose which engineering program fits me better when I started the university. The reason I chose industrial engineering was that we had a small knowledge of every subject, and we had a chance to gain complete competence in the field of our choosing. Another reason I chose this program is because it gives me the opportunity to work in a very wide range of industries after graduation.
M.Ü: Hi, I’m Melissa. I'm studying Industrial Engineering at Sabancı University. I'm a junior student. One of the most important reasons I chose Sabancı University was that I had the freedom to decide which program to choose after my first year thanks to the pool program, and that I had the opportunity to consciously find out which program I felt I belonged in. I was very impressed that industrial engineers had competence in many subjects, and I chose industrial engineering because I wanted to improve myself in this field.
Could you tell us about your participation in the case competition and the competition process?
E.T: I learned about and applied to the competition thanks to the e-mail sent by Professor Burak. After the CV qualifier, they asked us to solve a mini case and upload a one-page report to be selected for the competition organized by Yıldız Technical University’s Quality and Efficiency Club. The competition lasted 2 days and we solved 4 cases. Each case group was different, and after the case presentations, company officials gave the groups points. During these four cases, the scores we received in all the groups we were in were collected and our personal score was found. In all of the case solutions on the second day, the groups I was in came first and were given various awards. With all the points calculated, I finished third in the competition with 331.3 points and won a 50% master's scholarship from Koç University.
M.Ü: I learned about the case competition thanks to the information e-mail sent by Professor Burak to the students. It was a case study competition organized by Yıldız Technical University, in which 24 people participated, passing the pre-selection process after solving a mini case first. It lasted 2 days and was a competition in which we solved the cases of a total of 4 companies (BSH - Otokoç - Yapı Kredi - Abdi Ibrahim) in groups of 4. In each case study, groups were assigned randomly, and the score obtained in that case was added to the individual score of everyone in that group. During the case, we had 5-10 minutes for the total presentation and 40-50 minutes for the preparation stage, and because of this limited timing, group work was very important when solving the case. After these 4 case analyses that I conducted with each different group, I was first among 24 participants thanks to the individual scores I received and I was entitled to receive a full scholarship from Koç University's Master’s Program CEMS.
What would you recommend to students who want to study Industrial Engineering at Sabancı University?
E.T: I think it is a great privilege to study industrial engineering at Sabancı University. In particular, the fact that we can choose the courses we want allows us to take courses in whatever field we want to focus on. In short, I and a person I am in the same semester with can graduate without taking any courses together other than mandatory courses. I think that's a big advantage. We can classify industrial engineering as a type of social engineering, so you have to be active in club activities and events. It will also be useful for you to try to participate in competitions such as this case competition, to all events open to everyone. I entered this competition without any expectations of a win or rank. My only goal was to see more cases, get used to solving cases, and gain experience for cases that need to be solved in business life in the future. In conclusion, I suggest you gain experience by participating in as many events and competitions as possible.
M.Ü: Sabancı University not only aims to be successful in courses, but also helps us improve ourselves in different areas. In industrial engineering, improving ourselves in different areas and making a difference is a very important element. Sabancı University offers us these opportunities; the important thing is that we, the students should be able to take advantage of these opportunities and not hesitate to participate in such activities.
We wish them continued success.