Netaş-BAU Techno-Academy Gives Its First Graduates

The "Netaş-BAU Techno Academy Computer Engineering Master's with Thesis and Doctoral Program," launched in 2014 by Netaş, Türkiye's leading digital transformation company, in cooperation with Bahçeşehir University (BAU), has given its first graduates.

The "Netaş-BAU Techno Academy Computer Engineering Master's with Thesis and Doctoral Program," run jointly by Netaş and Bahçeşehir University (BAU), has given its first graduates. Netaş R&D engineers aiming to work in the fields of multimedia technologies and security benefit from the program, prepared by BAU academics and Netaş engineers. A total of 46 Netaş employees enrolled in the program, 39 in the master's and 7 in the doctoral program.

"WE VALUE UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COOPERATION"

The first to speak at the graduation ceremony, Prof. Dr. Nafiz Arıca, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, stated that to date 298 BAU electronics, computer and software engineering students have received hands-on training at Netaş's facilities and taken part in internship and project development activities. Noting that as Bahçeşehir University (BAU) they value university-industry cooperation, Nafiz Arıca said, "We believe we set an example for other universities in this regard. We have signed agreements of different scales and scopes with around 1,300 companies so that our students receive education in line with the needs of the sector and are ready for professional life as soon as possible after graduation."

"THE SOURCE OF OUR R&D LABORATORY IS BAU"

Next to take the floor, Netaş CEO Müjdat Altay stated that they had planned this project in 2008 and thanked Bahçeşehir University (BAU) for such an important program and cooperation. Noting that he receives a warm welcome every time he comes to the university, Müjdat Altay said, "We feel at home at Bahçeşehir University. We need innovative universities. Because innovation does not only happen in companies, only in our R&D laboratories. The only source of our R&D laboratory is wonderful universities like BAU."

The last to take the floor, Bahçeşehir University (BAU) President Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın, drew attention to how, alongside the dizzying developments and changes in today's world, boundaries are rapidly disappearing in academia, science and business and an almost new world order is emerging, saying: "It should not be forgotten that those who closely follow these changes and developments, and who take part in and steer this change rather than merely keeping up with it, will survive. In this context, two institutions, each with half a century of experience, one in technology and the other in industry, came together to create a true university-industry partnership. Under this agreement, the computer engineering thesis and doctoral program was launched within BAU-NETAŞ."

Stating that creating a dynamic structure that meets the needs of society has become not just a need but a necessity, Bahçeşehir University (BAU) President Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın said, "For this reason, Bahçeşehir University continues in cooperation by renewing its research staff in the sector. With the free practices our university implements, its mission of playing an active role in our country's higher education continues on a steadily rising line of success. Our Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, which leads this project on behalf of BAU, aims to complement high-quality theoretical education with practice and to train versatile individuals who are researchers and questioners, equipped not only to meet local needs but to successfully represent our country in their fields anywhere in the world." Thanks to the course structure of our programs, our students can choose courses in other areas of interest in addition to their own fields, which also helps their career plans.

THE AIM IS TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER R&D CENTERS

Creating a sustainable example of university-industry cooperation by opening the knowledge and experience of industry to universities, "Netaş-BAU Techno Academy" is a communication network in which the university gains applied knowledge from industry and industry learns current technologies from the university. The program aims to increase university-industry cooperation, carry out joint projects and create a model that sets an example for other R&D centers. It also increases both the number of Netaş students and employees with master's and doctoral degrees and its ability to produce technological value-added products in new technologies that can be sold worldwide. The program also contributes to raising Türkiye's qualified human resources.

The "Netaş-BAU Techno-Academy" program was also among the best practices to be presented in the "Public-University-Industry Good Practices" category at the "R&D Centers Good Practice Examples Summit" organized by the General Directorate of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology in Kahramanmaraş on 13-14 April 2017.