ISTANBUL

The International Student Summit ISTSUM’25 was held on Saturday in Istanbul where experts discussed the impact of digital transformation on people, society, and working life.

With Anadolu serving as the global communications partner, the event was hosted by the Bab-i Alem International Student Association at the Neslisah Sultan Cultural Center under the theme “Focus."

The association's president, Ercan Akcan, said that "with about 350,000 international students today, Türkiye has become not only an educational center but also a safe haven."

"However, for us, these numbers are not just statistics. Each student is an honorary ambassador of Türkiye in the world of tomorrow, a guarantee of peace and brotherhood," Akcan said.

While Turkish Red Crescent Istanbul head Burcu Kosem advised students to receive education related to their interests, not what is imposed on them; Prof. Sefik Suayb Arslan, director of the Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Bogazici University, said learning process never ends.

ISTSUM General Coordinator Yasir Alkan said people are either experiencing past regrets or harboring anxieties about the future. "'Are you in academia? Focus on your work. Are you in the business world? Focus,'" Alkan explained about the motto of the event.

The summit was supported by the Federation of International Student Associations (UDEF), Fatih Municipality and Turkish Airlines, and organized with the support of the Turkish National Agency and the European Union.