Conversations with Turkey's Career Pioneers - Cem Gülan

This week’s guest on our Career Pioneers Talk was Turkish Private Schools Association Chairman of the Board and owner of Doğan Private Primary and High School Cem Gülan. Mr. Gülan, who started his talk by introducing himself, stated that after graduating from Middle East Techinical University Mechanical Engineering Department, he looked for a job for a long time. As a result, he decided to get involved in the education sector to do charity work. He said that he got involved in this sector using a building provided to him by his family, and that he did a lot of research, read all the laws and investigated different schools in the process.

Mr. Gülan continued his talk by answering student questions and shared his views on the increasing number of private schools, all the private teaching institutions (dersane) turning into private schools, and TED’s announcement on the International Education Program.

Mr. Gülan said that he loved the job he does. Indicating that he does not earn a lot of money from it, he emphasized the joy he feels seeing his students succeed. He stated that a high peformance is expected of private schools, so they look for teachers with superior qualifications. Mr. Gülan also mentioned that there are institutions who have turned the education sector into commerce. He explained their own criteria for hiring teachers, and said that if students see the institution they work for as a place in which they can be happy and satisfy their curiosity, they will be happy. Mr. Gülan ended his talk by telling our students to choose an institutuion that they believe will make them happy after graduation.