Our EşitBiz Conference, held in Istanbul on May 10, 2025, once again brought together teachers, education experts, and best practice holders under the theme of equality and inclusivity in social roles in education. Organized within the scope of the EşitBiz Project, a joint initiative by ÖRAV and Garanti BBVA, the conference welcomed around 150 participants with great interest.
This year’s conference program featured inspiring expert guests from the field. Following the opening speeches, the stage was taken by MANG JAM with their energetic rhythms. Afterwards, in our panel titled "The Perspective of Equality Through the Eyes of Leading Institutions", Arzu Atasoy (General Manager of ÖRAV), Öykü Kayaalp (Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Garanti BBVA), and Burcu Gündüz Maşalacı (General Coordinator of Suna’nın Kızları) discussed how equality and inclusivity can be strengthened from different perspectives.
Following the panel, Prof. Dr. Hasan Deniz, Director of Corporate Partnerships and Advocacy at AÇEV, delivered a thought-provoking keynote on Creating Equitable and Inclusive Learning Environments.
A Diversity of Good Practices!
In addition to successful practices developed through the EşitBiz mentoring program, this year’s conference also included applications received via an open call for the first time. The large number of high-quality submissions were evaluated using a double-blind peer review system by 12 volunteer jury members. The 10 selected best practices showcased the efforts of teachers from across Turkey and beyond (Antalya, Düzce, Bursa, Tekirdağ, Mersin/Portugal, Batman, İzmir, Istanbul, Sakarya, Zonguldak).
Six of the showcased best practices developed within the EşitBiz mentoring program came from the provinces of Diyarbakır (3), Erzurum (2), and Kırklareli (1). Each one drew significant interest for its creative and effective methods to enhance inclusivity in the classroom.
Learning Together for Equality in Education!
The EşitBiz Conference aims to equip teachers with practices that promote equality in social roles and inclusivity, while encouraging them to grow through mutual learning. The bonds formed among participants from different cities and the inspiring content shared once again highlighted a collective culture of solidarity on the path toward equality in education.
