Mehmet Zorlu Foundation

In order to prepare young individuals for the rapidly changing and evolving world of today, characterized by accelerated change and transformation, it is essential for them to not only receive formal education but also to cultivate and enhance their skills and competencies.

The Mehmet Zorlu Foundation (MZV) endeavors to nurture future generations characterized by ambitious dreams, self-belief, and unwavering confidence, actively addressing the critical challenge of human resource development in the business world by providing comprehensive training programs that equip young individuals with 21st century competencies, enabling them to embark on their careers with a competitive edge.

Through its support of the “21st Century Competencies” training program since 2015, the Mehmet Zorlu Foundation (MZV) empowers young individuals by equipping them with essential life skills and adaptive competencies necessary for success in the 21st century, complementing their academic, technical, and professional knowledge.

MEF University Vice Rector, Prof. Erhan Erkut, leads the “21st Century Competencies Training Program” that effectively reaches a wide range of high school and university students through its accessible online content.

Within the scope of the program, high school and university students are provided with a diverse array of valuable skills and knowledge. These include presentation techniques, teamwork, written content preparation, self-development, active citizenship, leadership, technology literacy, 21st century literacies, introduction to algorithmic thinking, modeling with Excel, sustainability and social innovation, entrepreneurship, assertiveness, transition to the business world, career planning, psychological first aid and first aid, disaster literacy, legal literacy, and psychological resilience.

A first in Turkey, the program features in-class education, dissertations, summer internships and post-internship working experiences. Within the MZV-MEF YetGen 21st Century Competencies Training Program, young individuals receive guidance and mentorship from a dedicated team of “Leaders” who have previously completed the training successfully. The MZV-MEF YetGen Youth Summit, which serves as the closing event of the program, brings Turkey’s experts and leading figures with the young people. As such, it provides a platform for young people to draw inspiration from experts in their respective fields and to engage in dialog with each other as they progress on their career and future journey.