The Northeast Anatolia Career Fair (KUDAKAF'23), organised under the coordination of the Presidential Human Resources Office (CBİKO), hosted by Atatürk University and with the stakeholders of regional universities, started with an intense participation.

In addition to Atatürk University Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı, Presidential Human Resources Office (CBİKO) President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Salim Atay, Turkish Chief Public Auditor Şeref Malkoç, Erzurum Deputy Governor Ahmet Özdemir, Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Sekmen, 9. Corps and Garrison Commander Major General Tevfik Algan, Chief Public Prosecutor Hüseyin Tuncel, rectors of stakeholder universities, mayors, heads of political parties, public institution administrators, representatives of non-governmental organisations, military, judicial and bureaucratic officials, and many academicians, students and citizens attended the event.

379 Sector Representatives Meet with Students

Speaking at the opening of the programme, Atatürk University Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı stated that they are proud to host the fourth Regional Career Fair in Erzurum with the stakeholder universities in the region under the coordination of the Presidential Human Resources Office for the third time as Atatürk University. Since 2019, regional career fairs, which were initiated in order to familiarise students with business life and increase their employability; Rector Çomaklı pointed out that it plays a major role in activating career centres, strengthening bilateral relations with sector representatives and recruiting qualified graduates of universities to public institutions: ‘In addition, it is also important in terms of increasing the awareness and capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises. In this context, we sincerely believe that KUDAKAF23, which we will organise today and tomorrow with our stakeholder universities and 379 valuable participants, 120 of which are public and 259 private, will provide both our students and graduates and public and private sector representatives with the opportunity to experience a productive fair.’

Rector Çomaklı: ‘Such Experiences cannot be Purchased with Money’

Rector Çomaklı pointed out that this event hosted by Atatürk University is a great chance for students: ‘No success is accidental. You will work, we will bring you together with the opportunities and opportunities you need. The valuable representatives of our business world, which is our external stakeholder, will be here with you for two days. Such experiences cannot be bought with money. As academics, we also want to benefit from the experiences of sector representatives. We have to work and produce together in order to walk to our national goals in Turkey's new century journey. With these feelings; I would like to express my gratitude to our companies and institutions in the public and private sectors for their support to this important organisation on behalf of myself, my stakeholder university rector friends and my team, and I hope that KUDAKAF will be instrumental for good.’

President Sekmen: ‘This Organisation Leads Our Young People to Discover Their Potential’

Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Sekmen, who started his speech by expressing his pleasure to be among the main stakeholders of such an important event, stated that they care about these and similar organisations and support them to the end in terms of drawing a direction for the future of students and graduates.

Stating that thanks to such beautiful events, serious contributions are made to students in terms of internship, job opportunities and permanent communication, Mayor Sekmen said: ‘Our state is working with all its strength under the leadership of our President for our dear young people to get a good education that offers them various opportunities by guiding the process of building their future. Hosted by Atatürk University, which is the brand value of our city, this organisation, where we bring our students together with public institutions and private sector representatives together with our stakeholder universities, offers a great opportunity for our young people to make a strong career by evaluating their potential, knowledge and experience correctly. We are in the excitement and happiness of embracing new horizons on behalf of our young people here today. You, our precious young people, will be our development dynamics by researching, learning and producing new projects in every field that our country needs. With these feelings and thoughts, I wish our precious young people success in their career and life journeys, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to bringing these projects together with us today.’

Deputy Governor Özdemir: ‘We should raise generations that do not turn a blind eye to humanitarian issues and can produce science’
Delivering a speech on the meaning and importance of the event, Erzurum Deputy Governor Ahmet Özdemir said that the fourth Career Fair, which is of great importance for Erzurum and its region and organised for the fourth time with the cooperation of public-private sector institutions and professional chambers in order to enable students to get to know business life and to increase qualified employment, has a critical importance in terms of providing a successful future for students and graduates.

Stating that the recent events in oppressed geographies have once again shown that the state must be strong in every field, Deputy Governor Özdemir said: ‘In order to contribute to the provision of peace, security, stability and prosperity in geographies that are our geographical and historical hinterland, we must raise generations that do not turn a blind eye to the issues and can produce science. In this direction, I would like to thank the valuable rectors and academicians of the universities in our region who contributed to the preparation of the Northeast Anatolia Career Fair, which is an important step in terms of realising the dreams of our young people, our Presidential Human Resources President and his team who undertake the coordination of such useful fairs in every region of Turkey with their valuable work, and our institutions that add value and strength to us by participating in the fair.’

Chief Inspector Şeref Malkoç: ‘The Turkey of the Future will be the work of you’

Şeref Malkoç, Chief Public Inspector of Turkey, started his speech by stating that the offices established under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey are working very actively and implementing important projects, so their establishment is a proper step. Malkoç congratulated everyone who contributed to the organisation of such an important event for students and sector representatives in a very comprehensive way, especially Atatürk University Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı and said: ‘Nowadays, students have easy access to information and I believe that you use it very well and evaluate it very well because if you educate yourself well, you will be more successful in shaping your own career.’

Şeref Malkoç stated that young people, especially in the 2nd century of our Republic, which is the century of Turkey, have great problems and that they can overcome this by working hard and educating themselves in the best way and said: ‘Improve yourself, yes, do it first for yourself and your family, but also do it for Turkey. The next century will be your century. We trust you. The power to stop the atrocities in oppressed geographies exists in the great Turkish nation and will continue to exist with you. With these thoughts; 21st century Turkey, which will be built on justice, equity and human rights, will be your work. I wish you all a successful education life and hope that the fair will make maximum contribution.’

President Atay: ‘We Bring Supply and Demand Together with KUDAKAF’

Starting his speech by bringing the greetings of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Presidential Human Resources Office (CBİKO) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Salim Atay, President Atay, who continued his speech with the wish that the persecution experienced in these days, when humanity is faced with a situation that damages the conscience of humanity, will end as soon as possible and peace will be established in Gaza immediately, stated that Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's arrival in Erzurum immediately after his departure to Samsun was to meet this honourable and patriotic people and to start defence with the power he received from here, and for this reason, Erzurum, the land of Dadaşlar, has an exceptional place for them.

President Atay thanked the main contractor Atatürk University Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı, who organised this organisation, and the rectors of the shared universities, Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mehmet Sekmen and Erzurum Governor Mustafa Çiftçi, and stated that they are managing an important career operation and that the students will not have any job problems after graduation.

‘We Expect 50 Thousand Students to Visit KUDAKAF’
President Atay emphasised that as a result of the steps taken, the number of unemployed young people in the country has decreased by 8 points in the last three years and that career fairs have a great effect on this decrease: ‘91 thousand 270 students have registered to the career fairs held within Atatürk University so far. These young people are constantly receiving information messages about job opportunities and they choose among the offers that suit them. In this process, a total of nearly 2 thousand companies came together with students and graduates. Today, 35 thousand 300 students and graduates registered and entered the event area. We anticipate that 50 thousand students will meet with 379 companies at the end of the event. In the light of this information, a very productive fair awaits us again. I would like to thank everyone who contributed once again and wish our students and sector representatives a good fair.’

The fair will continue for 2 days

Within the scope of the 2-day fair, companies, institutions and organisations will have the opportunity to introduce themselves by opening stands, receive job and internship applications and conduct interviews, while students and graduates will receive first-hand information about job and internship opportunities, career opportunities with the human resources representatives of the companies, and will be able to participate in various personal and professional development activities, panels, interview simulations and interviews with the human resources representatives of the companies.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE - 18.12.2023