The event was held at the Eyüboğlu Çamlıca Campus in Istanbul. This is where IB Day Türkiye took place. IB Day Türkiye was a chance for educators and school leaders and International Baccalaureate practitioners to get together. They spent the day learning from each other and working together. The International Baccalaureate organized the event.
The theme of the event was “Better Together: Balancing Academics and Wellbeing.” This theme is important because people are starting to realize how important it is to look at education in a complete way. The world is changing fast.
The event started with some talks from Cenk Eyüboğlu and Marco Dondi. They talked about how important it’s to work together and to think about the wellbeing of students. They also talked about how schools can get ready, for the future. Their talks set the tone for the day. The International Baccalaureate wants to help students do well in school. The International Baccalaureate also wants to help students develop as people and be able to deal with their emotions.
Wide-Ranging Sessions and Innovative Teaching Practices
During the conference, more than 270 presentations took place. They were split among four sessions and touched upon various themes, such as global citizenship, digital literacy, curriculum innovation, and the use of emerging technologies in the educational process. In this way, the diversity of presentations corresponded with the IB philosophy that aimed at preparing individuals for a successful integration into both the education sphere and the modern, globalized world.
One of the most interesting sessions was “Beyond the Grade: Rethinking Feedback for Sustainable Learning in the DP.” It discussed the problem of finding new approaches to providing feedback on students’ academic achievements as an alternative to the current grading system. As shown in the presentation, by changing feedback strategies, it becomes possible to promote self-reflection and encourage students to take more responsibility regarding their educational activities.
Another fascinating talk concerned the theme of global citizenship, which was the topic of the session “The Development of Global Citizenship Awareness in the Context of Türkiye in the 20th Century (TITC) Course.” By implementing ATL skills in teaching practice and encouraging students to reflect, it is possible to make them critical thinkers interested in the material and able to relate the concepts to real-life situations.
Alumni Insights and Growing IB Presence in Türkiye
One of the major highlights of the day was the panel discussion organized by the IB DP alumni. This panel discussion, led by Dr. Jale Onur, provided significant insight regarding the impact of an IB education on the life of students after graduation. The panel discussion was comprised of IB DP alumni who talked about how the IB education had made them competent professionals, and what they attributed to the IB learner profile.
For many participants, the most inspiring part of the day was listening to the IB DP alumni discuss their lives after completing an IB education. Ceylan Çalışkan, a teacher who is currently enrolled in the IBACLR program at her institution, said that she found listening to success stories of IB graduates in various renowned institutions of Türkiye extremely inspiring. She further mentioned that it highlighted the significance of certain skills such as communication and adaptability.
The event was also instrumental in fostering connections among educators and enabling reflection on their teaching methods. Hüda Ay Demirkaya expressed that the conference was not only unique but also incredibly useful. In particular, she stressed the importance of learning about what matters most for the IB at present, comparing theory and practice, and connecting with other educators throughout the country. She noted that this event gave her insight into her educational beliefs and allowed her to renew herself for her career in the field.
IB Day Türkiye was another way of illustrating the prominent presence of the IB in the country. The International Baccalaureate started its activities in Türkiye back in 1994, and presently, there are 127 IB World Schools operating across the country.Türkiye has made substantial contributions to the IB community, which even included organizing the first-ever IB Day in the history of the organization. Furthermore, the upcoming 2025 IB Day will further promote the IB mission to empower students to make contributions to a harmonious world.
The 2026 event followed this trend by emphasizing collaboration, wellbeing, and digital citizenship, three issues that play an increasingly important role in contemporary education. The growing significance of these topics is reflected in the ways learning has been impacted by technological changes in the recent decade. The IB Day Türkiye event provided a great opportunity to discuss current challenges and trends within the community of educational professionals.
In conclusion, IB Day Türkiye can be considered a perfect example of how important the sense of community is in today’s world. This event was organized successfully since it included all possible stakeholders, such as teachers, students, and graduates. Moreover, the emphasis was put on the idea of building a community of learners who will contribute positively to the world around them.