Academics at Bursa Technical University (BTU) have launched a new project to make the internship processes of engineering students more efficient. Within the scope of the Erasmus+ KA220 VET–funded project, all skills acquired by students during their internships will be recorded on a specially designed digital platform. Through this platform, students’ development will be monitored in real time by both academics and industry stakeholders.
BTU’s project titled “EngineerTrack: A Gamified Internship Tracking and Skills Development Application for Future Engineers” has been awarded support under the Erasmus+ KA220 VET program. Coordinated by BTU, the project includes international partners from Romania, Italy, Germany, Serbia, and Greece.
From BTU, the project team consists of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cihan Kaboğlu from the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, as project coordinator; Lecturer Elif Atalı from the School of Foreign Languages and Lecturer Ali Kılıç from the Erasmus Office as researchers; and alumnus Dr. Şükran Güney Yılmaz.
Intern development to be monitored in real time
The project aims to support engineering students’ internship experiences through a gamification-based digital platform, making them more efficient, traceable, and motivating. With a duration of 24 months, the EngineerTrack project seeks to transform internships from temporary experiences into a sustainable learning and skills development journey, supported by strong interaction among academics, industry professionals, and students. Thanks to the digital platform to be developed, interns’ progress will be monitored in real time by both academic and sectoral stakeholders.
Project kick-off to be held in Bursa
Stating that the project’s kick-off meeting will take place in Bursa, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cihan Kaboğlu noted that subsequent mobilities will be organized in Italy and Germany.
He stated:
“With the EngineerTrack project, we aim to transform engineering internships into a more efficient, measurable, and sustainable learning experience, empowering future engineers through the TRACK infrastructure. Through the application to be designed, the core skills acquired by students during their internship period, as well as the software and tools they use, will be monitored. By ensuring that skills are measurable through a controllable and gamification-based structure, internships for engineering students will be made more effective.”
Rector Çağlar: We are combining quality and innovation in engineering education
Expressing his satisfaction with the acceptance of the project, BTU Rector Prof. Dr. Naci Çağlar stated:
“The EngineerTrack project is a strategic step that brings together our university’s internationalization vision with quality and innovation in engineering education. BTU’s role as the coordinator of this project, which will be carried out with partners from various European countries, and being the only university in Bursa to receive support under Erasmus+ KA220 VET, are indicators of our institutional capacity and academic expertise. By enabling our students to develop their professional skills in real-world settings while allowing their progress to be monitored by both academic and industry stakeholders, this project will further enhance the quality of our education. I congratulate all our academics and partners involved in the project.”
