ITU Students Named “University Innovation Fellows”

Four students from Istanbul Technical University (ITU) were accepted to the University Innovation Fellows program, which is run by Stanford University Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) and aims to train changemakers on a global scale. Students who successfully completed the 6-week online training process developed their leadership skills in innovation, entrepreneurship and design-oriented thinking and received the title of "Innovation Fellow".

ITU Innovation Fellows 2024 cohort consists of Tuğba Öztürk from the Department of Industrial Engineering, Ada Nehir Doğan from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Nefise Nur Yıldız from the Department of Chemistry, and Onat Budak from the Department of Computer Engineering. During the program, the students focused on understanding the needs of their peers by analyzing the campus ecosystem, creating new educational opportunities, and designing innovative projects. During this process, the fellows, who continue their work with the guidance of Res. Asst. Dr. Zeynep Erden Bayazıt from the ITU Faculty of Management, are preparing to bring their projects to life.

The University Innovation Fellows program, run by Stanford University’s d.school, has taught leadership skills to more than 3,300 students worldwide. This year, 164 students from 44 higher education institutions in 13 countries were accepted into the program to serve as innovation and entrepreneurship leaders. Innovation fellows work to spread creative thinking and entrepreneurial culture on their campuses, provide new learning opportunities for their peers, and create lasting change at their universities.

“These changemakers aren’t just dreaming about tomorrow — they’re building it.” said Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, co-Director of the University Innovation Fellows program. “While lifting up their campus communities, they’re mastering design and leadership skills that will serve them for years to come.”

ITU Innovation Fellows 2024 cohort will represent both ITU and Türkiye at an international level by carrying out innovation projects on campus for the next two years. The fellows will contribute to global change strategies by collaborating with fellows from other universities.

For more information about Stanford University's Innovation  Fellows Program, visit here.

Click for detailed information about the projects of the ITU Innovation Fellows 2024 cohort members.