Bachelor's Degree in Logistics Field in Turkey

Turks had not familiar with logistics terms during 90's unlike U.S. and Japan. Even Turkey's potential trade volume or geographic location did not help to build a definition on people' mind. While U.S. and Japan had focused on Total Quality and Supply Chain Management or Zero defects, lean manufacturing and just in time , Turkey had not aware of none of these terms. In early 2000s, Turkey had figured out  the importance of logistics. However , There were not qualified employees and experienced businessmen on the market. Therefore , employers gathered together to build up a new  department in universities to educate and train qualified people.

In accordance with this purpose, first transportation and logistics department was founded in 1999. The department had called Istanbul University Transportation and Logistics College. The college was the first bachelor's degree program in logistics field. The college's building was constructed and financed by private transportation companies.

Istanbul University is a public university which founded by Mehmed the conqueror in 1453. The university always offer an enormous success for students and sector with amazing education experience .However logistics was a new term for 546 years university. The businessmen thought probably one public university was not enough for a new field . From that moment, private universities came forward to compete with Istanbul University.

                                                                                   

Nowadays , logistics department has many varied names such as logistics management ,international trade and logistics, international logistics and transportation and so on. Many of these departments' education language is English in private universities unlike public one. Moreover , some universities, like Izmir University of Economics, offer second language for their students.

The competition has been raised between students and universities during this period and at the present, there are too many logistics department in Turkey and unfortunately many of them not the qualified one. According to leaders , education is not still sufficient and efficient in Turkey. Universities' lecturers blame the leaders for not cooperate with the universities. Leaders also blame the lecturers for not educating qualified students.

According to leaders opinion , a qualified student must know English language as a native one ,and also must know a second language. He or she must have at least 1 year experience and participate some competitions and events and of course he or she must has a letter of recommendation from lecturers or former job (as an intern).

Lastly , I want to give an advice for the students who want to improve himself/herself in logistics field. First of all, choose the department which offer English language as a lecture language. Care about your internship and be aware of the opportunities during the process. Finally attend some competitions which are familiar about your field.