Bayer - Young Enviromental Envoy

Sinem Erdogu, Turkey, BYEE 2007

Sinem Erdogdu took part in the BYEE 2007 which was when Turkey joined the program. Taking turned out to be inspirational for Sinem and a stepping stone to greater things as it matched her own preference for the practical over the theoretical.

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Training businesses about hazardous waste was an important part of the HaWaMan project.

Upon returning to Turkey she helped Bayer-Turkey promote BYEE to Turkish students. This has led to the creation of a thriving BYEE community in Turkey with members past and present keeping in touch and promoting environmental awareness throughout the country.

BYEE also had a direct impact on Sinem's studies. After being, in her own words, an unexceptional student, she was suddenly the winner of an important competition. Discussions with her professors led to an offer to join the „Improvement of Industrial Hazardous Waste Management in Turkey” project (LIFE-HaWaMan).

This EU-funded project was carried out by the Turkish Ministry of the Environment and Forestry and the prestigious German Society for Technical Co-operation (GTZ). The project can be considered a real milestone for Turkey providing a reliable system for monitoring hazardous waste throughout the country sensitizing businesses not only to the problems but also the opportunities in the field of waste management.

Sinem continued working on the project until graduation. After an internship in Germany she returned to Turkey and was given a full-time job as a project assistant on LIFE HaWaMan. The project ended on 30th April 2009, Sinem intends to take a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering before, hopefully, running her own hazardous waste management projects.

Looking back on the program Sinem says, “My professional experience on waste management facilities has shown me just how much I learnt on the BYEE program and field trip. Although it was only a few short days I can still remember every moment. While I was a student back then it was an informative and enjoyable field trip where I made a lot of friends. But when I look back on it now from a professional point of view I realize it was far more than just a student field trip and a once in a lifetime experience for anyone wanting to work in the environmental field.”

And things are looking bright for the future: Sinem is just about to start working for Derya Engineering and IP Consult on the "Hazardous Waste Management Study in Turkey" Project.