The “From Hatay to a Digital Future: Empowering Women through ELEVATE” Launch and Certificate Ceremony was held as part of the ELEVATE Project, led by our University and the University of Wolverhampton, with contributions from our Social and Strategic Studies Application and Research Center.
The ceremony, held at the Atatürk Conference Hall of Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, celebrated the achievements of 60 women entrepreneurs who successfully completed a nine-month training program. Conducted between October 2025 and June 2026, the training focused on digital transformation, the integration of artificial intelligence technologies into business processes, and improving business performance.
Implemented through collaboration between our University and various partner institutions, the ELEVATE Project aims to strengthen the economic participation of women entrepreneurs affected by the February 6 earthquakes in Hatay, enhance their digital competencies, and increase the visibility of their products and businesses. The project also supports participants in applying their newly acquired knowledge and skills to their own production processes and business models.
The ceremony was attended by Prof. Dr. Veysel Eren, Rector of Hatay Mustafa Kemal University; Prof. Dr. Roya Rahimi from the University of Wolverhampton; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Halil Burak Sakal and Lecturer Cansu Zontur from our University; as well as academics, students, and invited guests. The program emphasized the importance of supporting women’s entrepreneurship in post-earthquake economic recovery and highlighted the potential contributions of inter-university collaboration to regional development.
The ELEVATE Project, to which our Center also contributes, will officially conclude with a series of gatherings in Ürgüp and Nevşehir on November 9–11, 2026. These events will bring together project partners and participants to share experiences, achievements, and outcomes from the project.
Although the project schedule will conclude with the gatherings in Cappadocia, the communication and collaboration established through ELEVATE are intended to continue. Sustaining relationships with women entrepreneurs, encouraging ongoing knowledge exchange, and maintaining the collaborative network developed throughout the project remain important objectives.
As a significant example of our University’s and Center’s commitment to social impact and sustainable development, the ELEVATE Project has strengthened the connection between women entrepreneurs in Hatay and the digital world. Beyond providing new skills, the project has created a collaborative environment where participants can increase the visibility of their products, develop their businesses, and share their experiences.
