Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

In his speech, Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that TOBB ETÜ is the project he is most proud of in his professional life, stating, “Investing in education is the greatest service to the country. There is an East Asian proverb that I really like: If you are thinking about the next year, plant wheat; if you are thinking about the next 10 years, plant trees; if you are thinking about the next 100 years, educate your people. That is what we aim to do at TOBB ETÜ.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they have made significant progress in a short time, saying: “The TOBB ETÜ Technology Center we established is the only center in the world that brings together six different engineering disciplines. The TOBB ETÜ Hydro, which we launched at this center, has become the world’s largest water turbine design and testing center with a capacity of 2.5 MW. We also built Türkiye’s first quantum computer, QuanT, making Türkiye one of only 14 countries in the world with a quantum computer. All R&D and technology for our national car, Togg, the pride of our country, is being developed at our university.

Today, we are among the world’s best young universities. With our three-term education and joint education system, we stand out among Türkiye’s 208 universities. These features of TOBB ETÜ have been included in the election manifestos of two political parties, setting an example for all of Türkiye. The achievements of our TOBB ETÜ students, graduates, and faculty members fill us with pride. I am proud of TOBB ETÜ and our faculty members.

Entrepreneurs make up 2% of the population in Türkiye. Entrepreneurs make up 11% of TOBB ETÜ graduates. That is why we say TOBB ETÜ is Türkiye’s entrepreneurial university.

- The secrets of entrepreneurship and leadership

TOBB President and TOBB ETÜ Board of Trustees Chairman M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu shared his views on entrepreneurship and leadership with students, emphasizing that entrepreneurship requires not money, but a good idea and hard work. Hisarcıklıoğlu explained that to be an entrepreneur in the new world, one must dream, set goals, work hard, be innovative, bring change, value a culture of partnership, build a good team, and never give up when faced with failure. He advised everyone to have principles when setting out on their journey. His own principles are:  “Overwork doesn’t pay off, saving does,” “Honesty is the trick to business,” “Check first, trust later,” “Those who trust their memory are always wrong,” and “There is no making do in business.” Hisarcıklıoğlu said: “Be conscientious in everything you do, in every environment you find yourself in. Be fair. Work for a world where the righteous are powerful, not the powerful are righteous. And be honest! Because honesty is the key to success. Do not marginalize anyone because of their language, religion, identity, opinion, or sect. Of course, don’t miss out on life. Travel, learn new cultures, never give up reading and researching.

Don’t get stuck in your comfort zone. Don’t rent out your mind to anyone. Be the hero of your own story, not someone else’s.The greatest legacy left to us by the Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is a youth that is free in thought, free in conscience, and free in knowledge. The hope and future of this country lies with its youth.”