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Facilitating an understanding of business and society in Turkey and the surrounding region
As executive director of HBS’s Istanbul Research Center, Esel Çekin (AMP 184, 2013) serves as a bridge between the business world in Turkey and, more frequently, the broader Middle East with HBS faculty, alumni, and students. The Istanbul native’s deep knowledge of her own country is complemented by an appreciation of the West, having studied and worked in the United States.
“I constantly talk to business people in Turkey and try to understand their challenges—what is different for them than for the rest of the world? I then bring all of those ideas to the faculty,” says Çekin, who has helped to write several HBS cases, including one on the mobile operator Turkcell.
In June 2014, she coordinated an eight-day immersion experience in Turkey for HBS faculty to gain insight into how the country has become one of the fastest-growing emerging markets. The group met with the president of Turkey, government officials, and prominent business leaders, laying the foundation for future research.
Çekin also develops connections between companies in Turkey and HBS’s FIELD (Field Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development) program, through which first-year MBA students gain hands-on knowledge about Turkish business and society. “What are the cultural differences? What are the challenges that a Turkish CEO is facing?” says Çekin. “Understanding that is important for the HBS community.”
(Published December 2014)
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