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Cisco and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey Establish Cisco Institute of Entrepreneurship in Turkey


WEBWIRE

First workshops scheduled to start in October 2007

ANKARA, Turkey,- The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and Cisco® today announced that they will establish a Cisco Institute of Entrepreneurship at TOBB University of Economics and Technology.

The objective of the institute is to teach local entrepreneurs the skills needed for running a small or medium-sized business (SMB) successfully. The curriculum, based on Cisco’s iExecutive Education Program (iExec), includes strategic and business planning, financing, the development of venture capital relationships, and the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) to achieve better business results. The first classes are planned to start in October 2007.

“The success of the Turkish economy depends to a great extent on the success of local SMBs. For these companies, ICT can be a driving force for efficiency and productivity. We found, however, that there is a lack of state-of-the-art, practice-oriented business and entrepreneurial courses that incorporate an understanding of how ICT can help a company succeed. Cisco has a long track record in education with Cisco Networking Academy. Whilst networking academies are providing technology skills, the Cisco Institute of Entrepreneurship will be focusing on entrepreneurial skills and promote SMB development through the strategic use of ICT,” said Kaan Terzioglu, Cisco’s vice president for Central and Eastern Europe. “The institute in Ankara is the first, but we plan to establish several other Institutes of Entrepreneurship across the Central and Eastern European region,” - he added.

“We see the Cisco Institute of Entrepreneurship as an example of cooperation between an organization like TOBB and a leading international company. TOBB University’s business administration and computer science departments will be working together with Cisco on localizing and delivering the course content and developing local case studies. Following the first courses in Ankara, TOBB is planning to extend the program to other Turkish cities and even internationally, offering courses to SMBs in neighbouring countries,” said TOBB President Rifat Hisarciklioglu.

Building on the technology-enabled human network, participants of the Cisco Institute of Entrepreneurship will not only interact with their workshop facilitators during in-person sessions, but will also be introduced to media-rich online content, including online learning and video materials from leading entrepreneur educators. The institute will also establish a network of guest speakers who will guide participants in online discussion forums and chat sessions throughout the course. Also, participants will gain feedback on their business plans, growth strategies and technology business cases from experienced entrepreneurs and business coaches.

The Cisco Institute of Entrepreneurship will provide graduates with ongoing access to valuable resources and a network of their peers. Participants will be able to share their challenges and successes and exchange ideas about how to approach different business issues.

In September 2006, Cisco announced a significant investment initiative in Turkey totaling up to $275 million (Turkey New Lira 400 million) over five years, focused primarily on enabling Turkey to better compete globally through improved education and the adoption of ICT. The establishment of the Cisco Institute of Entrepreneurship is an important milestone in this process.



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