The Idea Roundtable organized by SUBÜ was held under the theme “The Future of the Technician Profession and Digital Transformation.” The event covered topics such as workplace practice within the +1 Education Model, career management, artificial intelligence, the relationship between vocational schools and industry, and the skills sought by employers.

Hosted by Sakarya University of Applied Sciences (SUBÜ), the roundtable took place in the Senate Meeting Hall. Participants included: SUBÜ Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Oğuz Türkay; Optimak STU Owner Tansel Cavit Kulak; Erdal Deniz from EDS Global; Hatice Sarıkaya from FGİ Door and Loading Technologies; Dr. Metin Çengel from Aris 888; Murat Demirezer and Bahar Özyılmaz Yolcu from Kromel Group; Fatih Kar from Kar Metal; Serkan Karaalp from YILGENCİ; Coşkun Koçak from E.M.S.; Nuri Türk and Fikri Yılmaz from Yılka Automotive and Rail Vehicle Technologies; Dean of SUBÜ Faculty of Technology Prof. Dr. Zafer Tatlı; Dean of SUBÜ Faculty of Applied Sciences Prof. Dr. Sinan Esen; Director of SUBÜ Sakarya Vocational School Assoc. Prof. Dr. Recep Kılıç; Director of SUBÜ Vocational and Technical Education Center Prof. Dr. Sezgin Kaçar; Director of SUBÜ Career Center Dr. Seda Gökdemir Ekici; and Deputy Director of SUBÜ AI and Data Science Center Dr. Cem Özkurt.

Event Details
Opening the event, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Oğuz Türkay emphasized that the Idea Roundtable is a consultation mechanism originating from SUBÜ and serves as a role model for university–industry collaboration. Career Center Director Dr. Seda Gökdemir Ekici provided information about the center’s activities, while Dr. Cem Özkurt gave a presentation on artificial intelligence technologies.

The roundtable, conducted in two sessions with active participation from industry representatives, highlighted the significant contributions of SUBÜ’s +1 Education Model to the technician profession, noting that students can develop their professional skills through this model. It was emphasized that students should have more frequent contact with the companies where they will undertake workplace practice within the +1 Education Model. Additionally, it was decided that visits to vocational schools would include industry representatives and provide guidance on the qualifications sought in mid-level personnel that the sector intends to employ.