New Educational Investments in Kocaeli from Ford Otosan and Vehbi Koç Foundation

Ford Otosan, in collaboration with Vehbi Koç Foundation, will build a new primary school with 26 classrooms in Kocaeli and renovate Başiskele Atatürk Secondary School. The projects will be completed by the 2027–2028 and 2025–2026 academic years respectively and donated to the Ministry of National Education.

Ford Otosan, Turkey's leading automotive manufacturer and export champion, and Vehbi Koç Foundation (VKV), which operates in education, health and culture, are expanding their contributions to education in Kocaeli. A protocol was signed at Kocaeli Governor's Office for two new projects to be implemented with the support of Kocaeli Governor's Office and Provincial Directorate of National Education.

Under the protocol, a modern primary school with 26 classrooms will be built in Başiskele and Başiskele Atatürk Secondary School will be renovated. The new school is targeted for completion by the 2027–2028 academic year, while the renovated school is targeted for the 2025–2026 academic year. Upon completion, both schools will be donated to the Ministry of National Education together with furnishings and equipment.

The signing ceremony was attended by Kocaeli Governor İlhami Aktaş, Kocaeli Provincial Director of National Education Ömer Akmanşen, Ford Otosan General Manager Güven Özyurt, Vehbi Koç Foundation General Manager Oğuz Toprakoğlu and local administrators.

"Education investments are among the strongest building blocks of our sustainability approach"
Speaking at the ceremony, Ford Otosan General Manager Güven Özyurt said:

"Throughout our journey spanning more than 60 years, Ford Otosan has prioritised creating lasting value not only through manufacturing and exports, but also through social investments. Kocaeli is a centre where we grew and transformed into a global brand. These two projects, which we will implement in collaboration with Vehbi Koç Foundation, are a concrete reflection of this approach."

"We are increasing the number of our educational institutions to 24"
Vehbi Koç Foundation General Manager Oğuz Toprakoğlu emphasised in his remarks that education is the foundation's highest priority:

"Since 1969, we have strived to create equal opportunity through our educational scholarships and institutions. To date, we have transferred 22 schools to the Ministry of National Education, and this number rises to 24 with the agreement we are signing today. We are proud to bring our fifth school to life in Kocaeli."

Education-Focused Investments in Kocaeli
Among the investments Ford Otosan and Vehbi Koç Foundation have made in Kocaeli to date are:

• Ford Otosan Koç Secondary School, Gebze Koç Secondary School and Vehbi Koç Foundation Semahat Arsel Primary School (under construction),
• Ford Otosan İhsaniye Automotive Vocational School within Kocaeli University,
• Ford classes, workshops and laboratories established in vocational and technical high schools,
• Internship opportunities provided to over 1,200 students and apprenticeship training programmes for more than 1,000 employees.

Following the foundation-laying ceremony for Vehbi Koç Foundation Semahat Arsel Primary School in June, Ford Otosan also signed a protocol in July to establish a vocational high school integrated with the automotive sector within its Kocaeli plants. The school aims to have at least 30 per cent of its graduates directly employed.

Ford Otosan and Vehbi Koç Foundation have increased the number of schools they have brought to Kocaeli's education sector to five through the new investments.