Internship Experience Day at Abdullah Gül University (AGU)
The Department of Industrial Engineering at Abdullah Gül University (AGU) organized the “Internship Experience Day” event, where students shared their internship experiences. Industrial Engineering students who completed internships both domestically and abroad shared their experiences with other students.
The event, conducted entirely in English, was held at the Büyük Ambar Conference Hall on the Sümer Campus and was open to all departments.
Attended by Rector Prof. Dr. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu, the event featured second, third, and fourth-year Industrial Engineering students who shared their summer internship experiences.
In his opening speech, Rector Prof. Dr. Sabuncuoğlu talked about his own internship experiences and highlighted the mismatch between the expectations of the business world and the skills of graduates.
Prof. Dr. Sabuncuoğlu emphasized that AGU aims to train graduates who meet the needs of the business world through long-term internships, which are part of the university’s “learning by doing” philosophy. He pointed out that the Industrial Engineering Department’s internship program, which begins at the end of the first year and lasts about six months, is a good example of this approach.
He also noted that a large portion of university graduates do not work in the fields they studied or start work only after on-the-job training, stressing the importance of internships in gaining experience with real-life projects and the business world.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Akgün, Head of the Industrial Engineering Department, stated that students in the department are required to complete three summer internships totaling 22 weeks, starting at the end of their first year. He added that last summer, 22 students completed their first internship, 21 students their second, and 11 students their final internship.
Akgün reported that internships were completed in 15 different manufacturing and service sectors, including automotive, aviation, furniture, IT, and consulting. He also noted that all final internships and 50% of the first and second internships took place outside Kayseri.
He shared that last summer, 20% of students completed their internships in Spain, Sweden, Germany, and Romania. Akgün also underlined the importance of internships in job placement, stating that many students, including those doing their first internships, received job offers from the companies where they interned. Some students continued working for companies in Turkey and abroad during the academic year with paid positions, and two students signed contracts with two companies for software they developed.
During the event, students gave presentations sharing their internship experiences, providing information about their tasks and sharing advice based on their observations about what to do and what to avoid during internships.
After the presentations, Rector Sabuncuoğlu expressed his admiration for the work done and the fully English presentations, praising the students’ high level of English proficiency.
The event concluded with students answering questions from their peers about their internship experiences.