Bilim İlaç Participates in Borsa Istanbul’s Gong Ceremony for Equality between Men and Women / 17.03.2015
The Gong Ceremony, hosted by Borsa Istanbul, was organized on 6 March with the cooperation between UN Women, the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative to raise awareness about equality between men and women, and to promote the empowerment of women in economic life. The “Ring the Bell for Equality” events were organized in opening/closing gong ceremonies of worldwide stock exchanges to raise awareness of gender mainstreaming and to contribute to women’s empowerment in the economic arena ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March.
The gong ceremony, hosted by Borsa Istanbul, was organized in the Borsa Istanbul foyer on 6 March at 9.15 am, the time of the opening of the market, with the cooperation of UN Women, the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative.
The event was organized as part of the 20th anniversary activities of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action which was approved by 189 countries in 1995 and which determines a road map for gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment.
Hüseyin Zafer - The Deputy General Manager of Borsa İstanbul, Ingibjörg Gísladóttir – the UN Women Europe and Central Asia Director and Representative in Turkey, James Zhan – Director of Investment and Enterprise of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Chief Editor of UNCTAD World Investment Report, Güler Sabancı – Chairman and Managing Director of Sabancı Holding and Member in Board of Directors of UN Global Compact, Dr. Yılmaz Argüden-Chairman of the UN Global Compact Turkey and a Member of the Board of Directors of the UN Global Compact all spoke in the ceremony.
Hüseyin Zafer - Deputy General Manager of Borsa İstanbul, said in speech that “While the state offers the infrastructure required for economic growth and development with its policies on education, laws for work life and similar steps, our companies should take the steps that advance gender equality in economic life in Turkey.
Ingibjörg Gísladóttir - UN Women Europe and Central Asia Director and Representative in Turkey, mentioned the importance of women’s empowerment in economic life: “Women are disproportionately affected by abuse and discrimination in their offices. Turkey ranks at the bottom among European countries with respect to the participation of women in the labour force. Today, while we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, which sets out an important road map for promoting women’s rights, we would like to highlighting that the more women who work, the higher the growth rates economies record”. Ingibjörg Gísladóttir also added in the speech that UN Women called on all UN member states to work towards “Aiming for Gender Equality by 2030: Take Action” with the purpose of stepping up their efforts for gender mainstreaming, improving the human rights of women and girls and establishing full equality between men and women in the World by 2030.
James Zhan - Director of Investment and Enterprise of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Chief Editor of the UNCTAD World Investment Report said in the speech: “As UNCTAD, we are focusing on determining methods to empower women in developing countries. Women face a long list of difficulties including economic fragility, the high number of women working in low-paid sectors and jobs, and inadequacies in women’s access to education.”
Güler Sabancı - the Chairman and Managing Director of Sabancı Holding and Member in Board of Directors of the UN Global Compact, mentioned that gender mainstreaming should be applied in all areas of life. Ms. Sabancı commented that “Female participation in the labour force is not only an issue of human rights but is also economically appropriate. All research studies show that organizations that offer women roles in decision making processes are more successful. The employment of women is not only an issue concerning the conferring of rights to women. It is also something which contributes significantly to economic growth. A higher number of women in employment means a stronger Turkey.”
Dr. Yılmaz Argüden - Chairman of UN Global Compact Turkey and a Member of the Board of Directors of UN Global Compact said: “Nations that fail to provide women with the opportunities to work in equal conditions cannot develop. Therefore, increasing the participation of women in the labour force is one of Turkey’s 5 most prioritized sustainable development targets in the Global Compact & UNIDO’s consultation.
Bilim İlaç plays the roles of coach and mentor in Support Teams in Women’s Empowerment Working Group
Women’s Empowerment Principles - WEPs - are one of biggest global initiatives being undertaken by the private sector to support the empowerment of women to enable their participation in economic life. The WEPs platform was established in 2010 in a partnership between the UN Global Compact and UN Women. The WEPs platform presents important points for the private sector to take into consideration to ensure gender mainstreaming in the markets and society as a whole. WEPs requires business world leaders to make solid commitments to 7 principles to establish company policies which will carry gender mainstreaming forward. The WEPs has around 1,000 signatories around the world, while it has 42 signatories with 19 newly signed ones.
Seven different working groups were established in the Women’s Empowerment working group, in which Bilim İlaç played a role in during 2014. Different companies operate in each working group.
These groups were determined with following order: Technical Group, Communication Group, Educational Materials Group, Creating Materials Group, Mentorship/Coaching Group, Support Group, and Preparation Group for WEPs Application Guide.
Bilim İlaç will also carry out activities in a spreading the initiative, which is one of the working group’s crucial roles. Accordingly, the Company will play the role of a mentor for institutions seeking consultancy, as well as SMEs, by transferring information and experience to institutions that wish to be a signatory.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals – The First Pharmaceutical Company to Sign the UN ‘Business for Peace’ Declaration / 08.10.2014
While the importance of sustainability and social responsibility efforts has gradually increased and companies are undertaking an increasing number of investments in this area, Bilim Pharmaceuticals has become the first pharmaceutical company in Turkey to sign the declaration, ‘Business for Peace – B4P’, which is one of the top priority issues set out in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC).
The ‘Business for Peace’ declaration of the UN Global Compact, which is one of the world’s most comprehensive platforms of sustainability, was signed by Dr. Erhan Baş, the CEO of Bilim Pharmaceuticals.
As one of Turkey’s top three pharmaceutical companies, Bilim Pharmaceuticals has representative offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Moldova, and exports an increasing quantity of its products to more than 50 countries. While Bilim Pharmaceuticals already has a proven track record of ensuring a peaceful life as well as sustaining business life in peaceful environments, it has also taken on the same responsibility in regions of operation that are affected by war.
Having placed its sustainability approach at the heart of its core business strategy, Bilim Pharmaceuticals approaches the issue from three fundamental points of view – economically, socially and environmentally – and is cited as benchmark of sustainability by the pharmaceutical industry and the Turkish business world. Having
committed itself to apply the 10 principles of the Global Compact, also in territories ravaged by war and in areas with combat risk, Bilim Pharmaceuticals meets expectations and shares related data with the public through its Corporate Sustainability (CS) report every year.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals has carried out sustainability projects and broken new ground in a number of areas, for example by being the first pharmaceutical company to sign the UN Global Compact in 2010 and to publish the Corporate Social Responsibility Report, receiving achievement awards in four categories, including the EFQM Excellence Award in 2011, publishing the first GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) approved level A Corporate Responsibility Report in Turkey in 2011 and the first A+ report in Turkey in 2012, being the first company in the pharmaceutical industry to release the carbon footprint report, holding the ‘Green Building’ certificate for its Gebze Plant, being involved in the REC Turkey Leaders Group on Climate Change, and receiving Turkey’s first ‘Sustainability Brand Award’ in 2012.
Bilim’s involvement in a platform aimed at spreading peace and activity is considered to be of tremendous importance in areas which have been ravaged by conflict like Bosnia and Herzegovina. Having launched activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina through a local partner in 2013, the Company transformed its operations by opening a representative office there in 2010.
Business for Peace Conference
A total of 150 people from 35 different countries participated in the first conference dated: September 29th-30th of the ‘Business for Peace’ platform of the UN Global Compact which is signed by over 12,000 signatories. The following topics were discussed at the Business for Peace (B4P) Conference: advantages introduced by peace to business leaders in terms of business income; effects of the ongoing clashes, wars, and crises in the world on the business world; and how companies can contribute to global peace. Turkey lent its support to the conference with a total of 9 companies, including Bilim Pharmaceuticals.
In acknowledgement of Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ support at the conference, Dr. Erhan Baş – Bilim Pharmaceuticals CEO was praised by Sir Mark Moody-Stuart – President of the ‘Business World for Peace’ Platform and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Global Compact Foundation – and Dr. Yılmaz Argüden – President of Global Compact Turkey during the signing ceremony.
Bilim Published the First A+ Report of Turkey / 11.10.2012
With its Corporate Responsibility Report, published in 2011 and approved at level “A” by GRI, a globally recognized reporting standards institution, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS has raised its target this year. With this year’s Corporate Responsibility Report, approved at level A+, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS has become the first company in Turkey to be rated at this level.
The corporate responsibility report, published for the third time this year by BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS, was rated A+ by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a globally recognized reporting standards institution. With this result, the report has become the first and only report in Turkey to be approved at level A+ and took its part amongst the 158 reports rated A+ by GRI in 2012.
With its significant work on sustainability, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS prepared its third corporate responsibility report where it shared its sustainability-related efforts in 2011, as well as its future targets and the work fulfilled to realize its economic, social and environmental responsibilities.
The report mainly concerned the economic added value produced by the Company, as well as the environmental measures and investments made by the Company and the social impacts of these investments on people within the scope of the Company’s corporate management approach, sustainability management, sustainability-related targets and corporate responsibilities. People’s happiness, social development and environmental protection were material in the report, while the A+ success criterion was to pass the external audit performed by Deloitte.
A SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY MODEL
The corporate responsibility report prepared by BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS includes status on main sustainability targets, which are: the integration of the sustainability approach into the Company’s culture, raising sustainability-related awareness by strengthening dialogue between stakeholders, indicator-based improvement efforts, leadership in sustainability and monitoring-evaluation processes.
Providing information about the preparation process of the corporate responsibility report, Dr. Erhan Baş – General Manager of BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS –said, “We worked hard to improve ourselves by sharing more data and indicators every year in our corporate responsibility reports, the third of which was published this year. However, sharing data is not in itself sufficient. We believe that setting targets and undertaking efforts aimed at improvement in order to reach these targets will bring us much closer to our sustainability-related mission.”
Mentioning that the company undertakes sustainability efforts with the vision, “What is measurable is manageable”, Dr. Erhan Baş has stressed that the company’s human resources practices concerning sustainability-related work and its efforts to minimize the environmental impacts of its activities played a key role in the A+ rating for the report.
THE BEST, THE FASTEST AND THE MAJOR PREFERENCE OF DOCTORS!
With its corporate management approach and continuously rising performance indicators BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS was deemed worthy by EFQM (European Foundation For Quality Management) of the “EFQM Excellence Award”, which no company in Europe has received for the last three years. In addition to this award, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS has earned achievement awards in four categories, a first in the history of the EFQM.
According to IMS data, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS has been the fastest growing pharmaceutical company in the last five years. Having maintained its steady and balanced growth by being open to continuous development, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS ranked 3rd with a 5.1% market share in the Turkish pharmaceutical market that has reached a size of TL 15.2 billion in 2011. Having completed the year ranked 2nd in terms of doctors’ prescription preferences, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’products have been written in 7.1 out of every 100 prescriptions.
“A+” ACHIEVEMENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY LEADER BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS
Within the scope of BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ efforts in the field of sustainability, sustainability-related training was provided to 1,950 BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS employees.
Aiming to be one of the top two companies in the Turkish pharmaceutical market and the highest exporting domestic pharmaceutical manufacturer by the end of 2014, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ R&D centre, which employs 110 scientists, was established with an investment of US$ 15 million. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS allocates nearly 5% of its budget to R&D investments every year.
A total of 2,715 hours of ethics training was provided in 2011 by BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS, which has adopted the Ethical Management approach. A total of 82.2% of our employees had received ethics trainings by the end of 2011.
Because it prioritizes human satisfaction, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS performs comprehensive human resources practices. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS protects the satisfaction of its employees and their families by continuously designing new projects regarding human resources from talent management to trainings, from coaching support to the protection of employee rights.
With 1,051 of its employees actively involved in voluntary activities, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’Community Volunteers have touched the lives of 37,911 people through a total of 26,614 voluntary hours, thus making a difference.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS has been reformatting its processing facilities with a perspective of “taking responsibility for a sustainable future” and produces in accordance with green company practices. We, as BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS, do not only perform corporate responsibility work, but also continuously apply and improve environment-related standards in business. Within this scope, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS chooses organized industrial zones as its production locations, paying regard to whether these zones have infrastructure that complies with environmental standards. The fact that the Company has been performing its production activities at Çerkezköy Organized Industrial Zone since 1998 and Gebze Organized Industrial Zone since 2008 is an indication of this point of view.
The Bilim Gebze processing facility, which was deemed worthy of the Environmental Award given by the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry in the category of large enterprises in 2010 was built based on the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and the “green building” concept. Bilim Gebze processing facility is the most environment-friendly processing facility in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry, thanks to its environmentally friendly practices.
By cooperating with myclimate, a specialized agency on carbon offsetting, we offset our carbon emissions arising from the Business Partners Summit 2011. In order to perform carbon offset, we invested in Kores – a wind farm built in Izmir. The investment was equal to the carbon emissions caused by our activity.
After undertaking various investments in 2011, we have begun to generate renewable energy since November 2011.
Thanks to our efforts, some of the promotional materials frequently used in the pharmaceutical industry are manufactured from recyclable materials. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ Medical Representatives have used notebooks instead of brochures in their activities, thus reducing paper consumption.
Pharmacy bags are now manufactured from biodegradable materials.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS steps up its investments in information technology every year. In addition, the videoconference system is used to reduce unnecessary travel by our employees.
Thanks to the covalent bond diverging bushes that were installed in the natural gas feeding pipe at the Gebze processing facility in Q3/2010, we were able to reduce our natural gas consumption by 5% in 2011.
Our natural gas consumption in 2011 was 0.01319 m3 per box. Our natural gas consumption target for 2012 is 0.01222 m3 per box.
Despite the water consumption target of 0.99 litres per box, our water consumption in 2011 was 0.87 litres per box. Our water consumption target for 2012 is 0.82 litres per box.
IMPORTANT MILESTONES OF BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS ON ITS SUSTAINABILITY PATH
With its corporate responsibility report prepared in line with the Global Compact and GRI standards, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS has broken a great deal of new ground in sustainability.
In 2008, the sustainability concept has become a corporate value under the title, ‘respect for future generations’.
In 2009, the BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS Sustainability Board was established. The BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS sustainability policy was determined and published.
In 2010, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS has become the first company in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry to calculate its carbon footprint and to prepare an improvement plan accordingly based on its strategy of protecting the environment and reducing the use of natural resources.
In 2010, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS published the first corporate responsibility report in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry. Similarly, it became the first company in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry to sign the Global Compact. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS has also developed its comprehensive sustainability strategy within that year.
In 2011, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS became the first company in Turkey to publish the first Corporate Responsibility Report, approved at level A by GRI. The Company also provided all of its employees with sustainability training, organized sustainability-related activities and undertook necessary improvements. The Company has also organized various events on how to become carbon neutral.
In 2012, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS became the first company in Turkey to publish the first Corporate Responsibility Report, approved at level A+ by GRI.
Assuming the sharing of information about its sustainability-related efforts with all of its stakeholders in a transparent manner as one of its responsibilities, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ level A+ report can be accessed at the company's website.
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Schizophrenic Patients Speak Out With Their Paintings / 05.04.2012
The paintings of schizophrenic patients at the Manisa Mental Institution have become an exhibition.
Paintings by patients at the Manisa Mental Institution are being displayed under the title "Voices, Faces, and Stories From Where the Fire Drops." The exhibition opened at the Cetin Emec Art Gallery in Izmir on 4 November at 7pm. Income from the sale of paintings will be donated to the hospital's rehabilitation and social health unit.
Bilim Ilac is pursuing a campaign entitled "Don’t let the truth be masked" with the aim of encouraging schizophrenic patients to participate in society and to raise public awareness of the disease.
On Wednesday, 4 November an exhibition opened displaying the paintings of the schizophrenic patients at the Manisa Mental Institution, in the project's fourth year. Some 63 paintings will be displayed in the exhibition which will remain open until 11 November. The paintings selected for the exhibition were produced by patients admitted since 2008.
Serving a total population of 13 million people across 12 provinces, the Manisa Mental Institution not only aims to treat diseases, but also provide supplementary treatment with "Psychosocial Rehabilitation" in a bid to enable patients to recognise themselves as patients and to think as individuals.
The exhibition aims to underline the productivity of schizophrenic patients, to read their inner world off the canvas and, most importantly, to emphasise the significance and necessity of rehabilitation activities such as painting. The criteria of selection for exhibition display are artistic creativity as well as the formation of a common language via paintings portraying emotions.
There are 70,000 schizophrenic patients in Turkey
The majority of the 70,000 schizophrenic patients in Turkey are out on the streets, in our work environments and common areas whilst hiding and/or attempting to hide this problem of theirs. These patients, commonly labelled as "crazy" and "deranged" are not receiving their expected support from wider society. As such, many hide their disease. They want to have a place in society and certainly would like to work and become individuals through quality treatment without being looked down upon by society. The "Don’t let the truth be masked" project proves yet again that these patients are able to produce striking pieces of work displaying their skills, when given the opportunity. In light of this understanding, we call upon all to understand them and help prevent them from being stigmatised.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals signs the “2012 Declaration of Ethics” / 28.02.2012
Bilim Pharmaceuticals supported the Turkish Ethics and Reputation Society, which it is a founding corporate partner of, proving again that “Ethical Management” is one of its most important values.
48 companies including Bilim Pharmaceuticals, who are members of the Turkish Ethics and Reputation Society (TEID), signed the 2012 Declaration of Ethics. With this declaration, Turkey’s leading companies, who were present at the signing ceremony, aim to raise ‘awareness’ on the subject
At the signing ceremony held at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, senior executives of Turkey’s 48 leading companies signed the declaration prepared by TEID. The 2012 Declaration of Ethics contains the following important points:
"In all of our activities, we comply with all the legislations that we are subject to, including the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, as well as all international agreements and regulations that the Republic of Turkey is a party of. We shall take great care to make sure that our declarations and reports provide true information. We shall present information on related subjects in a precise, understandable and timely manner.
We declare our support to the 10 basic principles that comprise the essence of the United Nations Global Compact. We shall reflect our willingness to comply with these principles to our administrative structure and corporate policies.
We accept precision and transparency as our primary values in all of our business processes and relations. We shall show maximum efforts and care to make business ethics as the building block of our written corporate culture.
We shall equip our employees with the awareness, rules and practices, which would steer them clear of conflicts of interest, monitor them and prohibit them from deriving any personal benefit by abusing their current positions. We prohibit our employees from accepting and giving gifts, which would prevent them from undertaking objective decisions and which would affect their behaviour.
During the execution of our operations and activities, we shall be even handed with respect to all public organizations and institutions, administrative structures, NGOs and political parties and shall not expect any benefits from them. We shall not partake in or tolerate corruption in our transactions; we shall fight against corruption. We shall not be engaged in unfair competition; we shall protect fair competition and consumer rights and we shall design all our practices, accordingly.
We shall not carry out unregistered employment; we shall protect employee health and safety and we shall support equal employment of young people, women and the disabled. We shall support such efforts that contribute to economic and social development.
We shall develop such practices that would ensure the spread of all of these business ethics, as well as related principles, approaches and practices to all segments under our influence, including our business partners and suppliers. As a member of the Turkish Ethics and Reputation Society, we declare and guarantee our commitment to these principles and our target to improve them.”
At his speech in the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Metin Çakmakçı – Chairman of the Board of Directors of TEID – said that they had founded and made the association operational in 2010 and the association is actually a move of volunteerism and the declaration has no penal sanction. Expressing that they had received no negative reaction from any organizations and corporations, which were asked to be a member of the association and to sign the declaration, Mr. Çakmakçı spoke as follows: “I did not expect that such a high number of companies would join us in such a short time. We receive very positive reactions. This is a move of volunteerism. Legal arrangements have already been made. Our target is to raise awareness.”
They Said “Let Truths Not Be Masked” Against The Stigma Schizophrenic Patients Are Subject To! / 09.12.2011
The third of the story contest organized by the Federation of Schizophrenia Associations with the support of Bilim Pharmaceuticals within the framework of the project, entitled “Let truths not be masked”, was concluded. In the press conference where winners were announced, the General Secretary of the World Psychiatry Association (WPA), Levent Küey (the first Turkish person to hold this title) and Prof. Dr. Michaela Amering – an Academic from the Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Department of the Faculty of Medicine, Vienna University – shared their opinions. Organized with the aim of drawing attention to schizophrenia, that has a prevalence rate of 1% in Turkey, the third of the story contest entitled “From the Place where Ember Falls to: Voices, Faces, Stories” was concluded. The award ceremony was held at Pera Palace Hotel, attended by the authors of the winning stories.
In this contest, which is only open to schizophrenic patients, the winning award was given to Yasemin Şenyurt, who had previously participated in this organization with many stories, while Okay Uludokumacı and Hasan Emre Keskin (who competed in our contest for the first time) were ranked second and third, respectively. In the Sustainable Achievement Category, opened this year, Süveyda Ölüdeniz and Hüseyin Avni Cinozoğlu, winners of the two previous contests, were rewarded.
Ranked first in the contest, Yasemin Şenyurt, who is still studying for a doctorate in philosophy, said on behalf of all of her friends regarding her success story: “do not underestimate or exaggerate our little steps… Just trust us.” Ranked third, Hasan Emre Keskin influenced the audience including Mario Levi, with the following expression from his story: “We are illusions of each other”. Emotional moments were shared in the hall during contestants’ speeches. Mario Levi, a writer and the chairman of the jury, underlined the contribution of contestants’ stories to the world of literature by speaking as follows at the end of the conference: “I prefer all these writer candidates over Ernest Hemingway.”
Having participated in the conference to support the project, WPA General Secretary Assistant Prof. Dr. Levent Küey and Prof. Dr. Michaela Amering mentioned that more than 500 million around the world have psychological disorders and only 20 million are able to receive aid. In other words, while 1 out of 7 people face at least one psychological disorder every year, 1 out of 4 people face it throughout their whole lifetime.Highlighting schizophrenia, in particular, as a disorders leading to loss of ability, Mrs. Amering said that, besides proper medication, schizophrenic patients have to participate in rehabilitation programs and keep sharing with others in order to maintain the quality of patients’ daily lives at a maximum level. She also added that the most successful way of sharing was artistic creativity. Stating that they found the project very successful and that they were involved in order to support it, Mrs. Michaela Amering said, “I believe the stigma will disappear in a relation to be established by means of any art branch.”
All winning stories were collected into a book entitled “I Released the Threads of My Mind” by Doğan Kitap. 13 attractive stories are published in the book, which sheds light on the secret worlds of schizophrenic patients.
In the sustainable success stories category, which was evaluated for the first time this year, stories authored by Hüseyin Avni Cinozoğlu and Süveyda Ölüdeniz, winners of the two previous contests, were mentioned.
Stories which had been entered in previous contests were collected into two books entitled “Life Opens Its Heart to Me” and “We Are All Insane” by Doğan Kitap.
The jury of the contest comprised of the following people: Actor Tuncel Kurtiz, Writer Mario Level (chairman of the jury), Deniz Yüce Başarır – Doğan Kitap General Coordinator, İpek Altıner – Theater Kedi General Coordinator, and Assistant Prof. Dr. Haldun Soygür – President of the Federation of Schizophrenia Association, and Dr. Erhan Baş – Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ CEO.
The project aims to draw attention to schizophrenia, as well as to show what schizophrenic patients can do when they are given the chance. Held for the third time this year, the project has been organized since 2008 by the Federation of Schizophrenia Associations and Bilim Pharmaceuticals, who fight against the social exclusion of schizophrenic patients.
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Having Set Its Heart On “People”, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Received Awards From The Heart / 05.12.2011
Having hit the road “to become a part of the solution”, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers collected the “Awards from the Heart”… At the ‘Awards from the Heart 2011’ event, organized by the Corporate Volunteers Association for the fifth time, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers was deemed worthy of an award in the category of “Most Creative Voluntary Project” with its project entitled “My Career is in My Hands” and in the category of “Most Successful Volunteer” with the voluntary efforts of Kadir GÖKBAKAN.
“Awards from the Heart” is an event that has been organized by the Corporate Volunteers Association since 2007 in order to support and broaden voluntary efforts in the private sector, as well as to reward the best practices that make a difference within the community. This year’s awards were given to their winners at a ceremony held in Tekfen Tower. At the ceremony, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers was rewarded in the two categories it was a candidate for: in the category of “Most Creative Voluntary Project” with its project entitled “My Career is in MY Hands” and in the category of “Most Successful Volunteer” with the voluntary efforts of Kadir GÖKBAKAN – Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ Istanbul District Manager.
Mrs. Dilek METE – Head of Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Turkey – received the award from Agah UĞUR – Chairman of Corporate Volunteers Association – on behalf of Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers. Mrs. Dilek METE, in her speech at the ceremony, said the following: “Today, there is significant knowledge and experience created by private sector professionals in Turkey. We voluntarily transfer such valuable knowledge of the private sector to college students, who represent Turkey’s future. This is a diverse and creative project, because we organize such a personal development congress that we charitably present college students with a development opportunity, which each and every employee might want to receive through professional trainings. Consequently, we refer these students, who have benefited from the program at the maximum level, to Turkey’s 23 leading companies, and we meet their travelling costs, arrange accommodation for them and pay their wages. Moreover, instructors and companies also volunteer to support the project. I invite all of those professionals who would like to support young people to join us in building our future, and to be ready to assume the responsibilities of their own progress, to become volunteers in this project in order to reach more universities at the same time and to offer internship and business opportunities for a larger number of young people.”
Deemed worthy of the “Most Successful Volunteer” with his self-sacrificing efforts in voluntary projects, Mr. Kadir GÖKBAKAN said, “Volunteering refers to an individual sharing their efforts, time, knowledge and talents in order to leave a sustainable world to our children, who are the architects of or future. In my projects, my aim is to bring hope to the future of the community and most importantly, our children, with the added value I create. It makes me happy to witness that the volunteers, who are involved in our projects, have an increasing level of enthusiasm for social events. Moreover, their individual talents improve with increasing in-house motivation. Since we are individuals who work by touching each other, our ability to become a team and our tendency towards creating value are growing stronger, in turn bolstering our corporate loyalty. All these factors bring success.”
Personal Development Congress Entitled “My Career is in My Hands”
The most valuable gift that can be given to a university student about to graduate is a career and development opportunity. Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers created this opportunity for university students in eastern parts of our country. Having hit the road with the idea, “If we had received basic talent training during our college years, which are provided by professional instructors after entering business life, which move us one step ahead and which have significant contributions to our achievements in the private sector, we would be one step ahead in our journey!”, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers ensure that those university students which would like to be a candidate employee, who offer high potential and who are equipped with the necessary knowledge and talents, receive a full 4-day training session from professional instructors. The platform takes professional instructors from large sectors such as telecommunication, automotive, medicine, etc, to universities seeking to support their students in their technical and professional development as well as their personal development and to raise their awareness of career development. Moreover, it directs those intern students who are chosen from among the students participating in the congress to Turkey’s 23 leading private sector companies which are seeking to employ talented and potential-bearing people and to support the community through volunteers.
The final organization of the project, which is carried out by Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers, was held at Diyarbakır Dicle University and a total of 15 training programs were conducted in 32 sessions in 4 days. Some 4,250 students have benefited from the program so far. 50 students, who will be selected according to determined criteria, will have the chance to participate in a special internship program in Turkey’s leading companies in 2012.
The Instructors brought together by Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers and the topics of their training programs are as follows: Ayşe Köse - “Communication on the Career Path”, Başak Güçlü - “Voluntariness in the Private Sector”, Betül Bozkurt - “Personal Leadership”, Candan Erdemci - “I Listen to You, I Understand You”, Çağlar Çabuk - “Future Begins Today”, Dilek Mete – “I Have Control of My Career; Career Targets and Career Planning”, Erol Tuncer - “Body Language and Individual Image Tactics”, Ferda Binatlı Gümüş - “Emotional Intelligence in the Business Life”, Güray Sabit - “Teamwork in Corporate Life”, Hakan Tetik - “Strategic Thinking”, Hanife Tanışan - “Kowing Yourself”, Nurdan Akalın Terazi - “Success in Interview”, Kürşat Acartürk - “Impressive Presentation Techniques” and “Positive Thinking and Stress Management”, Rıfat Bayraç - “New Success Psychology”, Serra Titiz - “Sustainable Development and Social Entrepreneurism”, Sinan Akdoğan - “Personal Behavior Models and Relationships” and “A Look at Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry”.
KADİR GÖKBAKAN: HERO OF THE HEARTS
Having become a member of Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers (BPCV) in 2005, Kadir GÖKBAKAN voluntarily became the team leader of BPCV Ankara in 2006. By directing the Serçev&BPCV Photograph Exhibition in 2007 and 2008 within the framework of “Engelleri Kaldırın” (Remove the Barriers), the first project conducted by Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers, he provided a significant income for Serçev and also realized BPCV’s first largest project. In 2008 and 2009, he ensured that coverage was given to volunteering in the Kanal D main news bulletin by bringing children with cerebral palsy together with Gençlerbirliği football players in an unhindered football match. In 2009, he was appointed to the Samsun region. He became the leader of BPCV Samsun thanks to the contributions of his leadership experiences in voluntary projects, which, in turn, allowed him to accelerate his voluntary efforts. In 2009 and 2010, he was able to realize the first 100% Voluntary Drama project, the cast of which comprised of BPCV and Bilim Ailem members. Thanks to this project, a total of 6,585 children watched the plays and the BPCV Library was established for 4 village schools with the books donated by adults. As he was appointed to Istanbul in 2011, he became the Turkish leader of the project entitled “Fellows of Bilim -at the Theatre”. Having taken the drama project one step forward with a creative idea, he is currently carrying out intensive stage preparations of a children’s play written by BPCV volunteers.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Walk By Young People In Their Career Journeys / 02.11.2011
Dicle University also said “My Career is in My Hands”… At the Congress, “My Career is in My Hands”, held by Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform at Dicle University in Diyarbakır between October 31st and November 3rd, Turkey’s professional voluntary instructors, who are investigative and successful in their own areas, came together to provide full-day training with certification in order to become a role model for young people and to move them one step forward in their careers.
The personal development congress, “My Career is in My Hands”, which brings professional instructors together to guide young people in setting up their visions and to help them gain the necessary knowledge and talents that will support their career development, has been organized by Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers in Dicle University between October 31st and November 3rd, 2011. It was Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers that offered the students of Dicle University a career and development opportunity, which is the most precious present that could be given to a university student, who is about to graduate.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community VolunteersPlatform, which comprises voluntary employees, who share their individual competencies, time, efforts, experience and intellectual capital with those, who are in need “to be a part of the solution”, continues with the support of Bilim Pharmaceuticals to carry out education oriented projects to raise social awareness on young people and their problems. The project, “My Career is in My Hands”, which has been conducted since 2008, is one of such projects…
With this project, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform provides solutions for the problem of insufficient participation of young people in the labor force in our country, where the unemployment rate among young people is about 22%. The project aims to eliminate inequality between Turkey’s east and west that are in the focus of both the private and public sectors. The project particularly aims to support students educating in universities in Anatolia in their career planning, to create a role model for them, to improve their knowledge and talents to help them create their own visions and to ensure that they begin their careers one step ahead.
At the personal development congress, “My Career is in My Hands”, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community VolunteersPlatform brought together Turkey’s voluntary instructors, who are investigative and successful in their areas and who give direction to the careers of private sector professionals, to provide trainings with certification to university students. Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers hit the road based on the following thinking: “We would have begun our careers one step ahead, if we had gained such talents as leadership, teamwork, effective presentation, etc, which all play a key role in achieving success in the professional business life, while we were still in the university...” This way of thinking brought them to the personal development congress, where 15 professional instructors provide 15 different full-day trainings that are very important for career development. The program, “My Career is in My Hands”, which has been organized before in Atatürk University, Eskişehir Anatolian University and Kayseri Erciyes University, has been held at Dicle University this time. As the primary sponsor of the project Bilim Pharmaceuticals HR Director Mr. Aykut Bora summarizes the scope of the project as follows: “It is the largest and the most comprehensive development congress in Turkey. It is a different success story that it is a completely voluntary project.” Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Turkish Leader Dilek METE speaks as follows: “Interest shown by the students of Dicle University in the congress further strengthened our belief with regard to the necessity of our project. Limited working opportunities and education facilities in the eastern part of Turkey make students hopeless. With these training programs, we make young people to gain self-confidence and have trust in their future. We tell them, although the number of opportunities is limited, it is still possible to shape their future by means of accurate information and right decisions. In this program, we make them begin their careers one step ahead by gaining such talents as leadership, teamwork, effective presentation, etc, which are deemed as the key for being successful in the professional business life. We aim to reach a higher number of universities and a higher number of students every year, so that we can shape the future of many more people.”
REACH MORE STUDENTS AND PROVIDE MORE EDUCATION EACH YEAR
Launched in Eskişehir Anatolian University as a pilot project with 60 students in 2008, the project turned into a 3-day program in Erzurum Atatürk University in 2009 and in Kayseri Erciyes University in 2010 in which 300 people participated (for each of the two organizations). It is now improved and has become a 4-day program, in which more than 1,600 students participated. Junior and senior students participated in the congress (with Kariyer.net as its communication sponsor) by applying through kariyer.net. Students received training from 15 different instructors, who are specialized in their own areas, with respect to many categories, from individual leadership to becoming and managing a team, from personal behavioral models to body language and individual image. Thanks to the project, they got the chance to obtain significant information with respect to career options and roadmaps that lead to success and to add in their resumes the certificates that they were given for participating in the congress. Instructors brought together by Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers and the topics of their training programs were as follows: Ayşe Köse - “Communication in the Career Path”; Başak Güçlü - “Volunteering in the Private Sector”; Betül Bozkurt - “Individual Leadership”; Candan Erdemci “I Hear You, I Understand You”; Çağlar Çabuk - “Future Begins From Today”; Dilek Mete - “My Career is in My Hands: Career Goals and Career Planning”; Erol Tuncer - “Body Language and Personal Image Tactics”; Ferda Binatlı Gümüş - “Emotional Intelligence in Business Life”; Güray Sabit - “Teamwork in Corporate Life”; Hakan Tetik - “Strategic Thinking”; Hanife Tanışan - “Knowing Yourself”; Nurdan Akalın Terazi - “Success in Interviews”; Kürşat Acartürk - “Effective Presentation Techniques” and “Positive Thinking and Stress Management”; Rıfat Bayraç - “New Psychology of Success”; Serra Titiz - “Sustainable Growth and Social Entrepreneurship”; and Sinan Akdoğan - “Personal Behavioral Models and Relationships” and “Overview of Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry”.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Became The First Pharmaceutical Company To Receive The EFQM Excellence Award / 28.10.2011
Having broken new ground in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS is now proud to have achieved success in Europe too. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS became the first company and the FIRST PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY to be deemed worthy of the EFQM EXCELLENCE AWARD, an award which no company in Europe has received for the last three years. In addition to the Excellence Award, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS was the FIRST FIRM to be deemed worthy of the Achievement Award in four different categories. Having participated in the splendid award ceremony held in BMW Welt in Munich on October 25th, the Chairman of the Board of Bilim Pharmaceuticals, Bülent KARAAĞAÇ and the CEO of Bilim Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Erhan BAŞ, received this prestigious award on behalf of all of their colleagues.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS, 100% OWNED BY TURKISH CAPITAL, IS EUROPE’S MOST “EXCELLENT”
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS, as a 100% Turkish owned company, won the “EFQM Excellence Award” on behalf of Turkey on this very prestigious platform (no company has been deemed worthy of the Award since 2008) in the category of “Large Scale Enterprises” among all sectors in Europe. On the EFQM Excellence Award platform, where awards have been handed out since 1992, no national or international pharmaceutical company has received the EFQM EXCELLENCE AWARD and no corporation has been deemed worthy of the Prizes in 4 different categories simultaneously. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS, both as a record- and a ground-breaker, became the FIRST COMPANY to be deemed worthy of the EFQM EXCELLENCE AWARD and the EFQM Excellence Prizes in 4 different categories.
In addition to the EFQM Excellence Award, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS received the Prizes in the following categories:
Adding value for customers
Managing by processes
Leading with Vision, Inspiration & Integrity
Achieving Balanced Results
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS PIONEERS AND LEADS IN QUALITY
Devoting itself to quality by adopting the EFQM Excellence Model in 1998, and steadily sustaining its efforts towards achieving excellence, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS has pioneered many new developments, receiving the “EFQM Recognised for Excellence” approval in 2004, the “TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry & Business Association) - KalDer (Turkish Society for Quality)-National Quality Award” in 2006, the title as the “Finalist of the EFQM Excellence Award” in 2009 and the “TÜSİAD-KalDer- Sustainable Excellence Award” in 2010 - the most prestigious award given in Turkey to recognize efforts related to the Excellence Model.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS HAS PROVEN IT IS A CORPORATE ORGANIZATION ON A GLOBAL SCALE
Dr. Erhan BAŞ, the CEO of BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS, a company 100% owned by Turkish capital with an effective and deeply rooted position in the Turkish pharmaceutical market, said the following at the award ceremony: “We progress in our journey by assuring continuous development and ensuring that all of our stakeholders share our achievements. In addition, we would like to develop and broaden the Excellence Model which we have been applying at BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS, to set an example for national and international corporations both in and outside our sector, and to guide them and ourselves, and to help realize our mission.”
EFQM EXCELLENCE AWARD: EUROPE’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARD RECOGNISING “CORPORATE EXCELLENCE”
The Brussels/Belgium-based EFQM (European Foundation For Quality Management) has more than 500 members operating in 50 different sectors in 55 countries. About 30,000 organizations are currently applying the EFQM Excellence Model. In Turkey, international EFQM Excellence Model practices are carried out by KalDer (Turkish Society for Quality). EFQM provides an information sharing platform to its member corporations of different sizes that operate in different sectors through the excellence model that it provides for sustainable economic growth.
The EFQM Excellence Award comprises of 8 basic concepts and 9 criteria. Companies which have demonstrated superior success within the framework of the Excellence Model are nominated for the award. Receiving the EFQM Excellence Award is an indication that an organization employs the best practices in important areas such as Leadership, Strategy, Employees, Partnerships and Resources, Processes, Products and Services, Customer Results, Employee Results, Society Results and Key Performance Results, and also the organization has conducted these practices broadly at all levels and evaluated itself with a philosophy of achieving continuous improvement and has thus shown progress. Through these approaches, while the satisfaction of all stakeholders including employees, customers, suppliers and the society is guaranteed, a contribution is also made to the company’s reputation.
ABOUT BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS
Active since 1953, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS is a 100% Turkish capital owned company that carries out production and marketing activities in the strategically important pharmaceutical industry.
Ranked 3rd among 300 companies in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS continues to grow more rapidly than the wider market at all times.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS undertakes its production activities in two separate plants. Approved by the German Ministry of Health, Bilim Çerkezköy is one of Turkey’s most significant penicillin manufacturing plants. Approved by the British Ministry of Health, Bilim Gebze is Turkey’s largest, newest and most environment-friendly drug manufacturing plant.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS contributions significantly to the Turkish economy through new products, which it has developed in the largest R&D center of the Turkish pharmaceutical industry which has a laboratory area of 4,500 square meters.
With its ability to compete in global markets and export to 48 countries, thanks to the quality and specifications of its products, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS primary markets are Asia, Europe, Africa, the Far East, Latin America and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
In a sensitive industry that directly concerns human health, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS prioritizes quality and adopts respect for future generations as a corporate value.
As a pioneer with its community- and environment-friendly investments, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS broke new ground in Turkey by obtaining level A approval from the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) with its corporate responsibility report.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals, Supporting Employees’ Talents Wins The “Talent Management” Award / 30.09.2011
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS received the award in the “Talent Management” category at the Human Management Awards organized by PERYÖN (Personnel Management Association of Turkey) in which 29 companies competed in five different categories with a total of 40 award applications. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS received the award in the “Talent Management” category at the Human Management Awards organized by PERYÖN (Personnel Management Association of Turkey) in which 29 companies competed in five different categories with a total of 40 award applications. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS was also one of the three finalists in the “Personnel Recruitment” category of the People Management Awards.
With its results announced at the PERYÖN 25th European People Management Congress, the People Management Awards were given to their winners at the ceremony held at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress Centre on Thursday September 29th. Carrying out innovative efforts in the field of human resources within the framework of the EFQM Excellence Model since 1998, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ Human Resources Executive, Dilek Mete received the award from Tiisetso Tsukudu, President of the WFPMA (World Federation of People Management Associations) Africa.
At Bilim Pharmaceuticals, each and every employee is a talent; each talent offers potential!
In his declaration regarding the “Talent Management Award” that the company is deemed worthy of, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ Human Resources Director, Aykut BORA, mentioned that they see each and every employee as offering a different talent; and they create a participative working environment that will unveil and improve the employees’ potential by preparing individual development opportunities for them and allow them to make use of career opportunities. “BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS deals with talent management with a holistic point of view by integrating it into all business processes of the company. During the recruitment process, it evaluates candidates not only according to the requirements of the present time, but also according to their future potential. Those who step forward by making use of the development opportunities that the company offers to all employees within the framework of equality of opportunity are prepared for future leadership positions through facilities such as participating in the “Stars Team Development Program”, in which new generation leaders are trained, as well as studying for master’s degree or PhD. Unveiling and improving talents through systems like the leadership concept, potential evaluation system, development center practices, the Bilimk@mpüs education portal, etc., BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS also makes these talents loyal to the company through such initiatives as Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers, Bilim Family, Bilim Children’s World, Creativeness and Innovation Platform, Honoring and Rewarding systems,” said Mr. BORA.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS “voluntarily” improves its employees’ talents as individuals, who respect future generations and are aware of their social responsibilities.
In talent development programs, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS introduces extensive training programs and offers coaching to leading candidates of the future. Information provided the through training program is converted into talent by starred employees in voluntary projects. Within the framework of talent management, successful leaders who work voluntarily in a camp of the disabled, learn how to overcome their own barriers. Starred employees, who are candidates for the first level of leadership, on the other hand, voluntarily convince and motivate their co-workers, manage resources and distribute works among volunteers for a unique and challenging social responsibility target. They have to carry out this entire process by creating time and taking responsibility and without interrupting their own jobs. Achieving this is a significant experience and development opportunity for the leader candidate of the future.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS hires those who have the potential to shape the company’s future!
As emphasised in its Human Resources policy, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS carries out a systematic hiring process that prioritizes candidate satisfaction, in order to choose, with the principle of equality of opportunity, those candidates, who have the talent, knowledge and development potential to carry BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS towards the future and who focus on success, teamwork and creating value. For that reason, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS competed in the “Personnel Recruitment” category at the PERYÖN People Management Awards, thanks to the effective management of its hiring process. The company’s hiring management system, which has been developed parallel to its corporate culture so as to ensure the recruitment of personnel, who bear required qualifications and competence, allowed the company to be a finalist in this category.
PERYÖN PEOPLE MANAGEMENT AWARDS
PERYÖN (Personnel Management Association of Turkey) is the first NGO in Turkey to operate in the People Management area. The association has been rendering service for 40 years to meet the requirements of professionals in the area of People Management through some 3,000 members and its headquarters in Istanbul and branches in 5 different regions. It leads the establishment of platforms that contribute to employment and support professional development. It contributes to the generalization of occupational education and increasing employment by carrying out binding and strengthening efforts in collaboration with the business world, the public sector and universities. PERYÖNPeople Management Awards are offered to support organizations in the area of people management, to guide them by means of internationally recognized instruments and to reward the successful ones in this challenging area. Applications are evaluated under a total of five categories: Recruitment, Performance Management, Education and Development Management, Talent Management and Practices that Make Difference. Developed by PERYÖN, measurement and benchmarking criteria are held subject to the award pre-assessment process, which is carried out with the support of Saratoga, the benchmark business line of PricewaterhouseCoopers. The competition is then completed with the evaluation of the applications by a jury that comprises of people from the academic and business world who set the agenda. The 2011 Awards Jury comprises of important people who set the agenda of the sector in Turkey, such as Bekir Kural, Koray Arıkan, Rıdvan Yirmibeşoğlu, Mehmet Ünal, Saide Kuzeyli, Prof.Dr. Nakiye Boyacıgiller, Salih Sözer, and Prof. Dr. Selime Sezgin, etc.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Raised Diabetes-Related Awareness Of Athletes And The Local Community, Who Participated In The Lycian Trail Ultra Marathon / 28.09.2011
2nd ‘Lycian Trail Ultra Marathon’, which is sponsored by BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS, started in Fethiye on Monday September 26th. The marathon will be completed in the Antique City of Phaselis on Sunday October 2nd with participants running on a different leg of the 240 km portion of the historical 509km long Lycian trail each day. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS turned one of the tents, which were all prepared within the form of a yoruk tent to allow athletes rest stops, into the “BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ Tent of Raising Awareness on Diabetes” with the following motto: “more information, more therapy”. On the preparation day of the marathon, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS informed sports men and women, the press and the local community on diabetes and, in particular, drew attention to the “prevalence of Type 2 diabetes”, which has high insulin-resistance. The primary focus was on unhealthy nutrition, excessive weight and immobile life as factors behind the rise of diabetes. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ diabetes team was on duty in the tent, providing participants with diet lists, calorie scales and informative brochures on diabetes.
TURKEY’S FIRST ULTRA MARATHON
Held for the 2nd time this year, the Lycian Trail Ultra Marathon was the first ultra-marathon in Turkey. A total of 27 athletes from Turkey, Russia, Denmark, the USA and the UK participated in the marathon, which was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Athletes, who run with a back-pack that contains materials such as food and drinks and which cover their daily needs, will complete in this challenging and exciting marathon within 6 days.
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Within The Framework Of World Alzheimer’s Day, Bilim Pharmaceuticals And Mersin University Tell The Story Of “40 Lives” That Were Illuminated By “40 Lights” / 16.09.2011
The book and the documentary entitled “40 Işık 40 Hayat” (40 Lights, 40 Lives) will shine light on many “lives”. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS and MERSIN UNIVERSITY were a source of light for 40 families with an Alzheimer’s patient, and accordingly, for hundreds of thousands of Alzheimer’s patients in Turkey and their relatives, through the project entitled “40 Işık - 40 Hayat” (40 Lives – 40 Lights), which was implemented to raise social awareness on the Alzheimer’s disease and to raise the quality of life of patients and their relatives. The project, which was conducted with the cooperation between Dementia Division of the Department of Neurology at the Faculty of Medicine, Medical Services Vocational School of Higher Education, Faculty of Communication, Faculty of Science and Literature in Mersin University, was launched at a press conference held at Conrad Istanbul Hotel on Monday, September 19th, 2011 within the framework of World Alzheimer’s Day event.
The meeting, in which the CEO of Bilim Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Erhan Baş and Prof. Dr. Aynur Özge, an Academic at the Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, provided information on the project, with the participation of members of the project team and representatives of patient relatives. Dr. Erhan Baş, in his speech, drew attention to the fact that the project, “40 Işık – 40 Hayat” (40 Lights – 40 Lives), is one of Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ sustainable corporate responsibility projects. Mr. Baş mentioned that the company would like to continue to implement the project with other universities following Mersin University, which has an Elderly Care Services program in their Medical Services Vocational School of Higher Education. “Turkey’s population is gradually getting older. Because of the ageing population, the number of chronic disorders is increasing. As people live longer in Turkey, the number of Alzheimer’s cases gradually rises because of ageing. We aim to raise social awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, which is also known as dementia. Affecting about 450,000 people in Turkey and more than 35 million throughout the world, the number afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease will rapidly increase in the coming years; acting upon this fact, we carry out projects that aim to raise the quality of life patients and their relatives. Within this framework, we launched the Alzheimer’s Call Center in 2009, a first in Turkey. The ’40 Işık – 40 Hayat’ project, which we launched today, is our most recent social investment program related to Alzheimer’s disease. We shall keep conducting sustainable projects in this area”, added Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ CEO, Dr. Erhan Baş.
Prof. Dr. Aynur Özge – an Academic at the Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, who was the originator of the project, said the following about the project: “We designed the ‘40 Işık - 40 Hayat’ project so as to observe mutual interaction by matching, within the framework of a program, 40 university students, who get education with respect to professional elderly care to work in respective areas in the future, with 40 families that need service in this area. Thanks to the project, families which need information and support with respect to tackling Alzheimer’s disease received on-site support from specialists on this subject. They met other families facing the same problem and shared their experiences. In this project, which was realized with the professional efforts of the ’40 Işık – 40 Hayat’ team but with the enthusiasm of an amateur spirit, we received positive feedback from both students and instructors, as well as patients and their relatives.”
“This project taught us how we have to approach a taboo concept like ‘Alzheimer’s patient’ and how to establish communication with patients and their relatives. By applying what we learned, we were able to bring some support to their lives. Our experiences allowed us to look at our occupation with a realistic point of view”, says Şule Sevim on behalf of “40 Işık” (40 Lights).
THE PROJECT HAS ENCOURAGED US…
Şenay Topal, who represents “40 Hayat” (40 Lives) and whose mother is an Alzheimer’s patient, expressed her feelings: “As indicated by the name of the project, students brought light in and livened up the home of each patient’s relative. When the project was over, each of the students was accepted as the daughter or son of each visited home. While trying to recover our balance in our fight against a disease that has extremely exhausted and aged us, educated young people came to our homes and became our guests for a period of 12 weeks with no thought of personal gain. The project, ’40 Işık – 40 Hayat’, showed us that we are not alone by providing us with the reflection of young people’s energy, proved us that we will be relieved of our burdens through sharing and encouraged us in what we will do from now on.”
Having organized art therapy work in the project, Sculptor Özge Kar says, “We have observed that the art therapy, which was implemented within the framework of the project, improved patients’ concentration and emotional status and increased their emotional connection with the practitioner by creating a new and non-verbal way of establishing communication. We found out that patients become happy for their new capabilities instead of feeling bad about their lost capabilities, and there are positive developments in patients’ efforts to become socialized both within their families and in the community”, thus drawing attention to the impact of the therapy on patients.
“40 HAYAT” (40 LIVES) WERE ILLUMINATED
The project, “40 Işık - 40 Hayat”, was carried out in Mersin between February 11th – May 28th, 2011 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Aynur Özge - an Academic at the Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University – with the contribution of Bilim Pharmaceuticals. Within the framework of the project, 40 students, who receive training with respect to professional elderly care services, including nursing services and psychology, were supported with 16 hours of theoretic training and 3 hours of applied art therapy training, which also included information on the Alzheimer’s disease and associated problems, the progress of the disorder, the impact of the disease on patients’ relatives and technical data about the issue. Within the framework of the project, 40 students visited 40 families in their homes for 2 days a week for a period of 3 months and established active communication with patients and their relatives. Families received professional support from students and while students were dealing with Alzheimer’s patients, patients’ relatives spent time for themselves. Within the framework of “40 Işık – 40 Hayat”, Consultant Psychologist Kahraman Kıral and Specialist Nurse, Aslıhan Yandım, who are assistant project coordinators, conducted visits to offer support to students and families. When needed, the project team provider medical support services as well.
ALZHEIMER’S PATIENTS’ ART THERAPY ARTWORK EXHIBITED
As well as providing information, students allowed patients to participate in various social and cultural activities, in an attempt to raise their own and their relatives’ awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as their motivation. They went to a dinner, went on a walk and they went to the cinema together. 40 students, who initially received “Art Therapy” training, conducted some work as a hobby with the support of their teacher, Sculptor Özge Kar, during home visits; these works of art were exhibited during the press launch.
A DOCUMENTARY FOR THE “40 IŞIK - 40 HAYAT” PROJECT WAS PREPARED
Activities performed during the “40 Işık - 40 Hayat” project were recorded by an experienced team under the supervision of Assistant Professor Hakan Erkılıç, who is an academic at the Cinema-TV Department of the Faculty of Communication at Mersin University. Filming supported by interviews on appointment were edited; as a result, a documentary for the project was prepared.
A BOOK FOR THE “40 IŞIK - 40 HAYAT” PROJECT WAS AUTHORED
The entire project was monitored by Assistant Prof. Dr. Nesrin Canbek Mengi, an academic at the Department of Turkish Language and Literature of Faculty of Science and Literature at Mersin University. Sound-recording interviews were made with patient relatives who agreed to be interviewed. Their stories were listened to, edited and gathered in a book of comments. The book was supported with poems written and pictures drawn by patients and their relatives.
WHAT IS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive geriatric disorder, which leads to the loss of many functions, as well as memory loss, due to irreversible cell destruction in the brain. Function loss, which is observed during the progress of the disease, is also of particular concern to the patient’s relative. Patients who gradually lose their mental and physical capabilities need close supervision and active care. This difficult period causes patient relatives, who are deemed as “hidden victims”, to be exhausted, a situation that ultimately leads to flaws in patient care. For this reason, it is vitally important that the patient’s relative is well-informed of patient care and provided with necessary support and empathy, thus ensuring social solidarity. Alzheimer’s Disease with Numbers:
There are approximately 35.6 million Alzheimer’s patients throughout the world.
It is estimated that the number of patients will reach 65.7 million by 2030 and 115.4 million by 2050.
The ratio of patients in women is higher than in men.
The number of Alzheimer’s patients in Turkey is estimated to be about 450,000.
In Turkey, 70-79% of the patients in urban regions and 90-94% of the patients in rural regions are taken care of in homes.
On early diagnosis and if the necessary treatment is arranged, the time that elapses until the patient becomes bedridden may be extended up to 10 years.
70-82% of patient’s relatives have many psychological and physical disorders, such as depression, sleep disturbance, anxiety disorder, etc.
*Source: World Health Organization (WHO), Alzheimer’s Disease International and Alzheimer’s Foundation
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Awarded An “A” Rating From Gri For Its Corporate Responsibility Report, Breaking New Ground / 15.08.2011
In recognition of its Corporate Responsibility Report published in 2011, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS received an “A” rating from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a globally-recognized reporting standard agency. In recognition of its Corporate Responsibility Report published in 2011, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS received an “A” rating from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a globally-recognized reporting standard agency. The report was included among GRI’s exemplary reports. As a company that carries out significant work with respect to corporate responsibility and sustainability, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ report was the first and only report in Turkey to be approved with an “A” rating. Published last year, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ first Corporate Responsibility Report broke new ground in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS announced its targets with respect to sustainable development in its Corporate Responsibility Report, where it provided information on the environmental, economic and social impacts of its activities and its efforts with respect to sustainability.
With the most environmentally friendly drug manufacturing plant in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS cut its electricity consumption per box by 9.50% and natural gas consumption per box by 9.95% in 2010, when compared to 2008. The company also set the target of reducing carbon emissions per box by 2.50% by the end of 2012 compared to its 2010 carbon emissions.
As the most rapidly growing pharmaceutical company in the last 5 years, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS ended 2010 with a 5.1% market share, ranking in 3rd place. Having begun its sustainability journey in 1998, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS established the “Sustainability Board” in 2009, which is comprised of the employees that represent all of the company’s departments and assisted by the CEO, in order to ensure that business strategies are revised in parallel with its sustainability approach and applied accordingly.
Within the framework of the vision introduced to the company by the principle of sustainability, which was included in the company’s business processes, people’s happiness, social development and environmental protection are considered as matters of high priority. Advancing forward in the light of this point of view, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS became the first company in the Turkish pharmaceutical industry to calculate its carbon footprint and to prepare an improvement plan since 2009, with the strategy of protecting the environment and reducing the use of natural resources.
Between 1999 and 2011, there were a total of 7,435 GRI-approved Corporate Responsibility Reports throughout the world. Only 463 of these reports were approved with an “A” rating. With its Corporate Responsibility Report, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS was the first company in Turkey to receive an “A” rating from the GRI. BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ target is to publish an “A+” rated report in 2012 and thus strengthen its leadership in this area.
The primary topics discussed in BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ 2010 Corporate Responsibility Report, which was prepared by taking the principles of the Global Compact and GRI G3 standards into account, were as follows: the company’s economic business continuity, to ensure employee satisfaction in business and labor force practices, protection of employee rights in a manner which respects human rights, contributing to the community of presence, to manage relations with customers and suppliers in an ethical and fair manner and to reduce the company’s environmental impacts.
Treating the sharing of its sustainability efforts with all of its stakeholders in a transparent manner as a core responsibility, BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS’ “A” rated report can be found on www.bilimilac.com.tr.
It is Dicle University’s turn to say “My Career Is In My Hands”… / 10.08.2011
It is BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS SAY “MY CAREER IS IN MY HANDS” ON WORLD YOUTH DAYDicle University’s turn to say “My Career Is In My Hands”… World Youth Day has been celebrated by the United Nations every year on August 12th, since 1999. World Youth Day celebrations keep the problems faced by the young on the agenda, raising social awareness on the matter and encouraging young people recognize how to improve their lives and their community. Performing significant activities and projects on social issues, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers, with the slogan“be part of the solution”, carry out projects aimed at educating young people in parallel with the activities performed by the United Nations. One of these is the “My Career Is In My Hands”project, launched in 2008.
The Project aims at integrating young people into the labor force in Turkey, where the unemployment rate among young people is about 22%.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers bring instructors who provide guidance to university students in respect to deciding on their career paths. “My Career Is In My Hands” project aims to allow young people to improve their knowledge and talents, to help them create their own visions and to ensure that they begin their careers one step ahead. “My Career Is In My Hands” program, which has already been launched in Erzurum Atatürk University, Eskişehir Anatolian University and Kayseri Erciyes University, will be held at Diyarbakır Dicle University between October 31st and November 3rd.
A higher number of students are being offered solutions every year
Launched in 2008 at Eskişehir Anatolian University as a pilot application with a total of 60 participants, the project “My Career Is In My Hands” has evolved to a comprehensive program. The program was organized for a 3-day period at Erzurum Atatürk University in 2009 and at Kayseri Erciyes University in 2010 with 300 participants and is planned for a 4-day period with 500-1,000 participants in 2011.
The project includes young people receiving training from 15 lecturers from a variety of areas, from individual leadership to becoming and managing a team, and from personal behavior models to body language and individual image. Thanks to the project, students receive significant information and tools to shape their careers. They are also provided with a certificate, which they can include in their CVs.
Among the specialized instructors brought by Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers, the following people draw attention: Güray Sabit from Future Leaders, Ayşe Köse from REMEDA, Anıl Adanalı from ADISA, Nurdan Akalın Terazi and Ferda Binatlı Gümüş from PDR Group TMI, with Sinan Akdoğan and Dilek Mete from Bilim Pharmaceuticals.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Ever Closer To You With Facebook After Pharmacies / 30.05.2011
Bilim Pharmaceuticals, which has been operating in pharmaceuticals with 100% Turkish capital since 1953, is now off to meet social media users. Bilim Pharmaceuticals, which has been operating in pharmaceuticals with 100% Turkish capital since 1953, is now off to meet social media users. Biliç Pharmaceuticals is committed to convey the fastest and most up-to-date news on social media at facebook.com/BilimPharmaceuticals and twitter.com/bilimpharma addresses, the most active communication means of the modern age.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals allows you to just click on what you would like to learn
Social media users can find the introductory movie at “About Bilim Pharmaceuticals” and have a look at current issues, follow up Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ achievements and learn more about volunteer events and social investment projects undertaken by Bilim Pharmaceuticals with a view to satisfy corporate responsibilities. Moreover, doctors can have access to up-to-date information pages specially-designed for them, while the other visitors have a look at what they would like to learn.
Both in English and Turkish, facebook.com/BilimPharmaceuticals and facebook.com/Bilimilac addresses are set to spur most attention to the “career” page, where internship opportunities at Bilim Pharmaceuticals are announced, besides interviews with employees on being a member of Bilim Pharmaceuticals family and human resources policies.
Anyone, who wishes to build a career in pharmaceuticals and work at Bilim Pharmaceuticals, can have access to further information about recruitment process, training and development programs, performance management, career management, wages policy and social rights at “How can I be a member of Bilim?”
Sustainability nestles in Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ spirit
Bilim Pharmaceuticals sets the top-priority sustainability subjects as human satisfaction, social development, human health-product safety and elimination of environmental effects, while sharing approaches constructed with an insight of responsible company, innovations and projects in the most transparent way with social media followers. Followers can enjoy the opportunity to view and further learn about the Report on Corporate Responsibility.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Organizes “Carbon Free” Business Partners Summit / 24.05.2011
Carrying out serious works regarding sustainability especially since 2009 by adopting a corporate responsibility approach, Bilim Pharmaceuticals organized “Business Partners Summit” themed “Corporate Responsibility for Sustainability” in May with the participation of its stakeholders. Carrying out serious works regarding sustainability especially since 2009 by adopting a corporate responsibility approach, Bilim Pharmaceuticals organized “Business Partners Summit” themed “Corporate Responsibility for Sustainability” in May with the participation of its stakeholders. Upon calculating its carbon footprint arising from its activities since 2009, Bilim Pharmaceuticals allocated resources to carbon emission decrease certificates of Kores Wind Power Plant near İzmir in order to reset the carbon footprint of 5.8 tons arising due to Business Partners Summit.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals considered as the company of the Turkish pharmaceutical sector with the highest growth rate in the last 5 years lead the way for the sector and stakeholders with its works in sustainability. Bilim Pharmaceuticals prepared an action plan regarding the decrease of carbon footprint under the framework of 2011-2014 strategic plan and aims for decreasing its carbon footprint as realized in 2009 by 7 percent in 2014.
ZERO CARBON FOOTPRINT SUMMIT
Organizing the Business Partners Summit themed “Corporate Responsibility for Sustainability” in order the raise the awareness of business partners and suppliers, Bilim Pharmaceuticals provided suggestions and recommendations for leaving behind a habitable world to future generations by giving examples from its own works. Bilim Pharmaceuticals has calculated its carbon footprint arising from its activities since 2009 in order to understand the impacts of its own activities on global climate change and to take the required measures in this respect. Within the framework of these works, Bilim Pharmaceuticals calculated the impact of “Business Partners Summit” attended by a large number of participants with myclimate Turkiye, a joint venture of Swiss non-governmental organization myclimate in Turkey. The carbon emissions of participants resulting from their arrival to the event area and of the tools and equipments used during the event, power used for lightning, heating and cooling, preparation of food and drinks served during the event and transport of the materials used to the event area and disposition of the printed materials, booths, leaflets and wastes arising during the event are taken into consideration in the calculation. According to the calculations, the carbon footprint of the event is calculated as 5.81 ton and Bilim Pharmaceuticals neutralized the carbon footprint resulting from this event with the carbon emission decrease certificates of Kores Window Power Plant near İzmir, documented by Gold Standard under carbon neutralization project portfolio of myclimate Turkiye and having the highest criteria among the voluntary carbon standards.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals became entitled to obtain a “carbon neutral” document for“Business Partners Summit”as a result of its carbon neutralization application.
myclimate Turkiye
myclimate Turkiye - Climate Protection Partnership is the joint venture of myclimate, a nonprofit organization based in Switzerland considered as one of the world leading voluntary carbon neutralization organizations, in Turkey. myclimate Turkiye to enhance its comprehensive service alternatives offered within the framework of «prevent-reduce-neutralize» and «do your best and neutralize the rest» principles in a scientific and sector-oriented way. myclimate Turkiye offers carbon management services, carbon footprint calculation, lifecycle analyses, carbon neutralization project development and trainings to raise public awareness regarding climatic change.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Shakes Corporate Games / 20.05.2011
Bilim Pharmaceuticals, this year too, was ranked the 2nd amongst 165 companies and their 4.800 employees that participated in Istanbul Corporate Games following awards including 10 grand, 2 second and 11 third prizes. Having been organized for 23 years, the World’s Corporate Games hosts a record number of companies from Turkey every year. With Istanbul pier in its 9th year, the event welcomed 165 companies including their 4.800 employees. A rigid competition pervaded Istanbul Corporate Games that took place between 13th and 15th of May.
Companies exhibited their talents in 17 branches within the framework of Corporate Games, comprising Golf, Basketball 3’s, Soccer 7’s, Beach Volleyball 4’s, Volleyball, Dragon Boat, Karting, Mountain Biking, Bocce, Tug of War, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Table Tennis, Bowling, Sailing and Chess.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals team came off the second best amongst 165 companies, with its 43 sportsmen collecting 10 grand, 2 second and 11 third prizes. Gathering 23 medals amongst branch prizes in Race and Beach Volleyball as well as 4,800 participants, Bilim Pharmaceuticals was awarded the “Most Successful Company”.
Bilim Pharmceuticals won 3 grand, 1 second and 1 third prizes in race, 3 grand and 1 second prizes in swimming, 4 grand in beach volleyball 3 third in basketball 3’s and 7 third in football 7’s.
Competing in men’s and women’s 5 km category respectively, Muhsin Ünlü and Özgür Civak won the grand prizes. İlknur Kıran won the second prize in women’s 5 km category and Güven Koç won the third prize in men’s 10 km category. The 1600 metre-relay race ended with Bilim Pharmaceuticals team coming off the first, which included Muhsin Ünlü, Güven Koç, Özgür Civak and İlknur Kıran.
Marching towards the record in the swimming team, Bilim Pharmaceuticals employee Barış Arslan outperformed his rivals in Corporate Games with 3 grand prizes in 50 meter-, 50 meter-backstroke and 100 meter- races plus a third prize in 50 metre-freestyle swimming. In beach volley mixed open category, Ömer Ürküp, Muazzez Yeşim Erkuş, Abdullah Çalışkan and Naz Demirel ranked the first.
In basketball 3’s men’s category, Murat Kasımoğlu, İnanç Akyıldız, Cenker Çetin Tagay, Asaf Özşerik and Sinan Belhan were granted the third prize.
In soccer 7’s men’s category, the team of Çetin Ayten, Mustafa Murat Arda, Mahmut Özer, Okan Yaver, Cem Kaya, Uğur Üngör, Cihan Turan, Tufan Gümrükçü and Özgür Öner Yıldırım came off the third. Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ team is going to represent Turkey and their company in the World’s Corporate Games.
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A poet passed through Bakırköy… / 15.03.2011
Poems written by patients, who are receiving treatment at the Bakırköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Facility, were dubbed by famous artists such as Teoman, Ahmet Özhan, Soner Arıca, Betül Demir, Mercan & Rashit and Demet Sağıroğlu and gathered under an album entitled ‘Düşünen Şarkılar’ (Thinking Songs). Bakırköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Facility (BRSHH) and Bilim Pharmaceuticals carried out an important social responsibility project in order to overcome society’s prejudices against individuals with mental illnesses, especially schizophrenics. Poems written the patients undergoing treatment at the mental facility were set to music and gathered under an album entitled ‘Düşünen Şarkılar’ (Thinking Songs) by the psychiatrist, Dr. Vedat Bilgiç and the music instructor, Volkan Uruk,
Poems that were compiled and collected in a book entitle ‘İnilti’ (Moaning) by a literature teacher named Bedia Tuncer in 1964 were dubbed by famous artists such as Teoman, Ahmet Özhan, Soner Arıca, Betül Demir, Mercan & Rashit and Demet Sağıroğlu. Bilim Pharmaceuticals sponsored the album as part of its projects entitled “Gerçekler Maskelenmesin” (Let Facts Not Be Masked) and “Ateşin Düştüğü Yerden, Sesler, Yüzler, Öyküler” (From Where the Fire Fell: Voices, Faces, Stories).
Having made a speech at the press conference held at The Marmara Hotel on Tuesday March 15th for the promotion of the album, the Chief Physician Ass. Prof. Dr. Erhan Hurt said: “There is a famous saying: ‘a word that does not fit the council comes from the lunatic’… This piece, in one way, turns the words of ‘lunatics’ which do not fit the council into notes. It is an effort of these people to submit their messages to the world with melodies and the universal language of music”.
Stressing that art, especially poetry and music, is one of the most important means of existing and bringing yourself into existence, Ass. Prof. Dr. Kurt continued as follows: “In our culture, there is a special relationship between music and mental illnesses. Seeing music as the food of the soul, our culture created the necessary basis for Turkish doctors to make use of music in the treatment of mental illnesses for several centuries. This project began with a simple purpose and it still carries that same simple purpose; to demonstrate that our patients are like everyone else and no different from them… Our patients are sometimes treated as ‘aliens’, a situation which makes us very sad. Our patients are emotionally affected, fall in love, write poems and compose music like everyone, because they are only patients, not ‘stupid’. Our aim is to contribute to the efforts to prevent marginalization of individuals with mental illnesses. At the Bakırköy Mental Facility, we are happy to announce such a project to the public in the week of March 14th, the Medical Day.”
At the conference, Dr. Erhan Baş - Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ CEO – said the following in his speech: “In line with our corporate responsibility, we have been carrying out a number of social responsibility exercises. The project, ‘Thinking Songs’, which is conducted by the Bakırköy Mental Facility, is an important corporate responsibility project for us. Our main purpose in supporting this meaningful project is to draw attention to mental illnesses with a particular focus on schizophrenia and to show what patients can do and how productive they can be when they are given the chance. Within the framework of our social responsibility project entitled ‘From Where the Fire Fell: Voices, Faces, Stories’, which we have been carrying out for three years, we are very happy and honored to also support the project, ‘Thinking Songs’”.
While all songs and poems are inspired by true stories, each occasion, each feeling and each expression told in the songs carry the traces of real life stories.
In this project, invigorated by the voices of famous artists such as Teoman, Betül Demir, Demet Sağıroğlu, Ahmet Özhan, Soner Arıca, Mercan & Rashit, etc., Assistant Prof. Dr. Erhan Kurt vocalized the poem entitled “Teselli İsterken” (While Looking for Consolation).
The revenues generated from sales of the album will be donated to the Bakırköy Mental Facility Foundation and used in the rehabilitation of patients.
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Winning The Same Record 4th Time Respect For Human At The Center / 17.02.2011
Bilim Pharmaceuticals which replies to job applications within a period not
Exceeding 3 weeks with the system applied in its Human Resources with a content peculiar to the candidate, won the “Respect for Human” Award of Kariyer.net for the 4th time. Bilim Pharmaceuticals, by winning the reward for the 4th consecutive time in the same category in its sector, has thus broken a record of the sector. Bilim Pharmaceuticals has been found worthy of numerous national and international awards in several categories from sustainable excellence to the most competitive company, and from environment awards to voluntary management, has just added a new one to its rewards. This year for the 4th time, Bilim Pharmaceuticals was found worthy of he Respect for Human Award acknowledged as one of the most prestigious awards of the human resources world given by Kariyer.net. Bilim Pharmaceuticals, managing to win the same award for the 4th consecutive time in its own sector both broke a record, and reinforced its success in the area by replying the job applications within a period not exceeding 3 weeks with content peculiar to the respective candidate.
“Respect for Human Awards”arranged for the 10th time this year, were conferred on their respective owners via a ceremony realized in Lütfi Kırdar Culture and Congress Center Rumeli Hall on 16 February 2011. Therefore Bilim Pharmaceuticals has taken home for the 4th time the “Respect for Human Award” for companies exhibiting a “human” focus in their human resource practices.
Our ethical code “Respect for Human”
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Human Resources Director Aykut Bora said “we are proud of winning the Respect for Human Award 4 times in a row”, and indicated that true success should be sustainable and the award they are found worthy for four successive years is even further meaningful in this respect. Aykut Bora, noting that corporate values are behind every award conferred upon Bilim Pharmaceuticals until today, said “Bilim Pharmaceuticals has 5 assets: human happiness, respect for future generations, management through ethical principles, change and passion for success. In this context, Bilim Pharmaceuticals contributes to human health within the framework of its ethical values, and so meets the expectations of the health sector. Bilim Pharmaceuticals puts a focus on personal improvement, qualification and happiness of its employees without any concession from respect and care for environment and society. Consequently, it is not a surprise for Bilim Pharmaceuticals to have this award for the 4th time.”
Replies job applications within a period not exceeding 3 weeks with content peculiar to the candidate Aykut Bora depicted that behind the success is the right and diligent approach of Bilim Pharmaceuticals on the subject of job applications and said, “one of the biggest problems candidates making a job application encounter is lack of any affirmative or negative replies for their applications. Bilim Pharmaceuticals demonstrates a quite right approach on the subject. Among our performance indicators as human resources, there is “reply ratio and period for candidates”, our replying to every applicant within 3 weeks after the interview is a result of our successfully applied system”. Bora also attracted attention that they are not in a different kind of preparation or effort except their ordinary working system to win the Respect for Human award thanks to the system.
Awards in every category
Aykut Bora reminded that Bilim Pharmaceuticals is the owner of several awards like Sustainable Excellence, Most Competitive Company of the Year, Ruban d’Honneur Award in European Business Awards, environment and voluntary management awards, and said “We carry on our efforts with the responsibility and awareness of our management quality. Bilim Pharmaceuticals has been awarded important rewards of very different categories until today. These awards show the importance we attach to our business. So we, as the Human Resources Directorate, show a very sensitive approach to replying to the candidate applications. Replying of the applications is not only an indicator of our “respect for human” management understanding, but also a requirement of our reputation management on which we work diligently.”
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Represents Turkey At The European Business Awards / 07.12.2010
As the most rapidly growing company in the pharmaceutical industry in the last 5 years, Bilim Pharmaceuticals had the honour of representing Turkey in the “Business of the Year Award” category at the ‘European Business Awards” competition with the participation of Europe’s most successful 3,500 companies. As the most rapidly growing company in the pharmaceutical industry in the last 5 years, Bilim Pharmaceuticals had the honour of representing Turkey in the “Business of the Year Award” category at the ‘European Business Awards” competition with the participation of Europe’s most successful 3,500 companies.
In the 2010 program of the “European Business Awards” (www.businessawardseurope.com) sponsored by HSBC, Bilim Pharmaceuticals will represent Turkey in the “Infosys Business of the Year Award”. Having eliminated its rivals in the first tour of European Business Awards competition, in which 3,500 companies from Europe took part, Bilim Pharmaceuticals will compete with the representatives of 10 European countries, including France, Germany, Italy and the UK, for the “Ruban d’Honneur”.
As Turkey’s most rapidly growing pharmaceutical company with a cumulative 273% growth in the last 5 years, Bilim Pharmaceuticals will “challenge” the giant companies of Europe for the “Business of the Year Award” and “Ruban d’Honneur” in the last tour of the organization. The winners of the contest will be announced at a ceremony to be held at The Westin Hotel in Paris on November 16th.
The European Business Awards event is organized to support those corporations, which can produce innovations and have achieved business success in their areas and which contribute to their community with social responsibility awareness. The corporations that participate in the contest will be evaluated based on innovation, business excellence and sustainable success. The European Business Awards program, which has been organized for four years, comprises of a total of 10 categories: Infosys Business of the Year Award, Corporate Sustainability, Customer Orientation, Employer of the Year, Environmental Awareness, HSBC Growth Strategy of the Year, RMS Entrepreneur of the Year, UKTI Innovation Award and Selection of the President (10th criterion is missing). With HSBC as the primary sponsor, the contest is supported by Infosys, RSM International and UKTI – the international trade development agency of the Ministry of Trade in the United Kingdom.
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“We Are All Insane”, What About You? / 29.11.2010
STORIES THAT RANKED HIGHLY IN THE CONTEST, “FROM WHERE THE FIRE FELL: VOICES, FACES, STORIES…”, IN PROJECT, “DON’T LET THE FACTS BE MASKED”, WERE PUBLISHED IN A BOOK BY DOĞAN YAYINLARI FOR THE SECOND TIME. Shocking stories complied from the stories of contestants, who participated in the contest, “From Where the Fire Fell: Voices, Faces, Stories…”, which was only open to schizophrenia patients within the framework of the project, “Don’t Let The Facts Be Masked”… 10 schizophrenia patients who fight to survive at the boundaries of schizophrenia, who are sometimes on the brink of the abyss… And twelve stories about this fight to exist open a new door in literature…
The project, “Hepimiz Deliyiz” (We Are All Insane), brings stories together, which were ranked highly in the contest held jointly by the Federation of Schizophrenia Patients and Bilim Pharmaceuticals within the framework of the project, “Don’t Let The Facts Be Masked”. All these shocking stories offer readers a unique opportunity to understand humanity and to wander around an illness that is head to head with a deep sensitivity.
In the contest in which the jury was chaired by Mario Levi, the stories of Süveyda Ölüdeniz, Yasemin Şenyurt, Mehmet Görkem Özköse, Berna Aktaş, Yusuf Ulufer, Hıdır Canalan, Mehmet Polater, Ayberk Tercan, Onur Çağlar and Hüseyin Avni Cinozoğlu are competing.
Anyone could try to enter the world of these stories to see how such information was reflected to the text from the first hand or with the hope to cling to life strongly… The result will be on behalf of literature. Furthermore, the light of hope that this book carries from similar pains to the past may possibly allow other stories to be written as well…
And, Mario Levi says the following about the book:
I said, “No literature where there is no pain.” I never changed my mind… This contest aims to make life meaningful, but it also has a dream to introduce new values to the literature.
ABOUT THE PROJECT “DON’T LET NOT FACTS BE MASKED”
Bilim Pharmaceuticals and the Federation of Schizophrenia Association have been organizing a story contest, entitled “From Where the Fire Fell: Voices, Faces, Stories…”, for three years within the framework of the project, “Let Not Facts Be Masked”. Stories that ranked among the top 10 at the end of the first contest, which was open to schizophrenia patients, were printed and published into a book entitled “Life is Opening its Heart to Me” by Doğan Kitap.
Because of the strong interest in writing, which is also a way of rehabilitation, writing workshops were held under the guidance of Mario Levi at mental facilities in many cities throughout Turkey.
The globally renowned schizophrenic pianist, David Helfgott, who is one of the most important examples of what schizophrenia patients can do when they are given the chance to participate in life, gave two concerts in Turkey within the framework of the same project.
The top 10 stories of the second contest were recently printed and published into a book entitled “Hepimiz Deliyiz” (We Are All Insane) by Doğan Kitap. Preparations are now underway for the 3rd contest.
Not Only The Most Competitive But Also An Excellent Company / 23.11.2010
Bilim Pharmaceuticals received the 2006 National Quality Grand Prize and proved that its product quality is still the best three years after. Bilim Pharmaceuticals received the most prestigious award of Excellence Model projects, the “Sustainable Excellence Award” in the 19th National Quality Congress organized by TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry & Business Association) and KalDer (The Quality Federation of Turkey).
The 19th Quality Congress organized by KalDer and TÜSİAD which adopting the mission of contributing to the improvement of the level of welfare and to increase the competitive edge of our country by turning the culture of excellence into a life style, was actualized at the Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Hall. During the reward ceremony which took place on the last day of the congress Bilim Pharmaceuticals received the most prestigious award of Excellence Model projects, the “Sustainable Excellence Award”.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals achieved a first once again in its sector: Received the most prestigious award of Excellence Model projects, the “Sustainable Excellence Award”.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals which received the “Most Competitive Company of the Year Award” during the 6th Competition Congress organized by TÜSİAD-Sabancı University Competitiveness Forum and SEDEFED (Federation of Industrial Associations) last week, achieved another first by receiving the “Sustainable Excellence Award” during the 19th Quality Congress.
In his speech, Bilim Pharmaceuticals General Manager Erhan Baş stated as follows: “We are part of a precarious sector that affects human health directly. Product quality is above all the most important factor. As Bilim Pharmaceuticals we have held quality above and beyond everything since our establishment and adopted it as a life style. By adopting the Excellence Model we have made a promise to all our stakeholders that we will take course on an endless journey. This award is an indicator of our determination in our implementations which we have been resuming for a long time. As a company we know that we have many more paths ahead of us. We have not set an arrival point for our journey. We have always aimed to be better, excellent. As a result, we are aware that our responsibility is increased by the day. We want to improve the positive outlook and popularize it, become an example company in our sector, take upon the role of a leading company and thus, bring our mission to life.”
As it is known, Bilim Pharmaceuticals had achieved a first in the pharmaceutical sector by receiving the National Quality Grand Prize in 2006. The Continuity in Excellence Award rewarded at the 19th Quality Congress to Bilim Pharmaceuticals is an award that only companies which receive the National Quality Grand Prize can apply to after 3 years of reward. Moreover, to receive this highly prestigious award, the company applying for this award has to prove that they have been continuously improving in total quality management. This award also constitutes the last stage of the awarding process in the Excellence Model projects.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals which set the foundation for the Total Quality philosophy with its re-structuring projects implemented especially from 1998 onward, has integrated the contemporary management approach with its corporate culture through the many systems it has adopted as a result of the change management projects it has commenced in the framework of the EFQM Excellence Model since 1998. Since then, the Excellence Model has become a life style for all employees of Bilim Pharmaceuticals as well as its corporate culture.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals: The Most Competitive Company in Turkey / 10.11.2010
Bilim Pharmaceuticals, the fastest growing pharmaceutical company of the last five years, has proved no competition is great enough with the award it has received. Bilim Pharmaceuticals received the “Most Competitive Company of the Year” award during the 6th Competition Congress organised by SEDEFED (Federation of Industrial Associations) and TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry & Business Association)-Sabancı University Competitiveness Forum.
The 6th Competition Congress took place at the Istanbul Congress Centre on November 4th, 2010. This year’s theme for the 6th Competition Congress was “Competitiveness in Designing the Future”. The congress was organised by SEDEFED and TÜSİAD-Sabancı University Competitiveness Forum, to increase the competitiveness of Turkey, being able to present innovative approaches and to bring arbite companies into light in the international arena. The “Competitiveness Award” was rewarded for the first time this year to ensure the sustainability of competition, to increase the competitive edge and to encourage other companies with the awards rewarded.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals: The Most Competitive Company of the Year
By acquiring the “Most Competitive Company of the Year” Bilim Pharmaceuticals has added a new reward to its collection of awards. In his speech at the awards ceremony, Bilim Pharmaceuticals General Manager, Erhan Baş said that seeing the accomplishments of Bilim Pharmaceuticals until now and leaving the congress with the award to share it with all its stakeholders was a source of pride. Baş, who denoted that Bilim Pharmaceuticals is the top third company in medication sales and second most prescribed brand by doctors, also stated that their aim is to double their exports every year. Erhan Baş expressed that he believes being able to take part in the international arena, is to be competitive. He explained that Bilim Pharmaceuticals differs from other companies due to its research and development projects and added that the company’s greatest source of power is innovation. Erhan Baş finalised his speech with the following: “We live in a world where the importance of developing countries is greater than those progressing. The award that has been rewarded for the first time in Turkey could enable companies to become a part of the international arena. I receive this award on behalf of all our employees”. Bilim Pharmaceuticals, which has been implementing the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) Excellence Model since 1998, has become the fastest growing company in its sector in the last five years.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Reported The Volunteerism Platform At The Center Of Europe / 19.10.2010
Bilim Pharmaceuticals stated the point of view of Turkey regarding corporate social responsibility at the CSR Europe Enterprise 2020, which took place at the capital of Europe, Brussels, with participants over 400.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals, giving importance to corporate responsibility operations for leaving a sustainable world to future generations and carrying on its operations in that way, was seen worthy to first prize last year at the event which was performed for the first time in Turkey, named ‘’Corporate Social Responsibility Solutions in Turkey’’ which was formed in its own constitution as ‘’Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ Community Volunteers Platform’’. With this prize given by the Corporate Social Responsibility Association of Turkey, Bilim Pharmaceuticals announced the corporate social responsibility culture of Turkey at the ‘’CSR Europe Enterprise 2020’’ event held in Brussels on October 28th.
BILIM PHARMACEUTICALS REPRESENTED TURKEY IN CSR EUROPE ENTERPRISE 2020
Over 400 participants including international companies, business networks, European Union corporations and many countries from Europe and around the world, met in Brussels on 28th of October for CSR Europe Enterprise 2020. Bilim Pharmaceuticals; with the Community Volunteers Platform; represented Turkey at CSR Europe Enterprise 2020, in which various interactive sessions actualized under several different topics.
The below topics are negotiated as this year’s targets at CSR Europe; to set off CSR Europe’s Administrative Vision and Action Plan, inspecting the innovative Business Plans addressing Social and Environmental battles and developing exchange of ideas about this issue, putting in action mutual enterprises by the progressed leadership of by companies and share holders, evaluating the view of Europe and International Society to CSR for the sound consideration.
The opening speeches have been delivered by Etienne Davignon (CSR Europe President, Minister of State, Vice Chairman of IBM Europe, Middle East and Africa), Larry Hirst (IBM Europe, Middle East and Africa Chairman of the Board), Antonio Tajani (EU Commission Vice President in Charge of Industry and Entrepreneurship)
Community Volunteers have worked 15, 230 hours and reached 17 thousand children and teenagers
Bilim Pharmaceuticals’, aiming country and society to reach scale of universal life quality, establishment Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform (BITG); started in 2005 with 7 people and is resuming its journey today with 20 teams at 11 cities with 748 members. Under scope of 8 different projects 153 facility effectuated, more than 17 thousand kids and teenagers have been reached by 15 thousand 230 hours of volunteer work. Volunteer works are supported primarily by top management of Bilim Pharmaceuticals in person, by utilizing 2 hours every week from their working hours employees participating in projects. The projects carried out by BTIG;
Remove the Obstacles; A project which aims to provide more participation of disabled children to social life.
Bilim’s fellowship; Under the umbrella of the project, the progress of both personal and educational environment and conditions of primary school children are aimed to develop at schools.
Bilim’s Fellowship ‘At School’, The aim is to develop the education, environment and conditions in primary schools.
Bilim’s Fellowship – Curious Books, Creative Reading, Aiming to endear reading book by enchancing creativity and curiosity of primary school students.
Bilim's Fellowship 'Teeth Friendly’, Aiming Primary school students to gain the habit of brushing their teeth regularly
Bilim's Fellowship 'At the Theatre' , The play staged aimed to contributing social and intellectual development of primary school students. The presentation named “Alaaddin’s Magic Lamp” is staging free of charge for 7–12 age primary school students. Target of volunteers is to reach 5000 children by staging the play in cities such as Samsun, Sivas, Tokat, Ordu, Çorum, Amasya and Sinop.
"My Career Is In My Hand", A 4-day conference that includes 10-12 different trainings with the aim of contrubuting to personal and career development of students from the eastern universities. Conferences have been delivering by Expert volunteer instructors who also provide training to professionals and management teams in giant companies in the private sector. Up to today the conferences have been held in Anadolu University in Eskişehir, Atatürk University in Erzurum and Erciyes University in Kayseri.
"Save Lives, a project supported by the European Union…” targeting to earn consciousness of placing procurements before accidents occur and first aid after an accident.
"Seeds to Saplings, Saplings to Trees", aims children to gain love for mother nature.
‘’Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers’’ is now a brand!
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform, has been deemed to deserve “Special Prize” at 2008 “Management Awards” organized by the “People Management Association Of Turkey”, has also been deemed to deserve “The Most Successful Volunteering Program” at “Awards From the Hearth” held by “Private Sector Volunteers Association” at 2009. Same year, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform, was awarded with “First Prize” of “Corporate Social Solutions Marketplace Championship” by the Corporate Social Responsibility Association of Turkey, represented Turkey at CSR Europe Enterprise 2020, organized in Brussels.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers of Samsun Come out of Aladdin’s Magic Lamp / 01.06.2010
Within the framework of the project, “Bilim Fellows at the Theatre”, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers of Samsun performed a children’s play in order to contribute to individual and social development of elementary school students… Having tried to light the future of more than 13,000 children and youngsters through a total of 128 activities, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers began to gain considerable stage experience with their new project. Dilek Mete – Turkey Leader of Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers – noted that “Bilim Fellows at the Theatre” is the 8th project conducted by Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers. Stating that their purposes as Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers is to contribute to the individual and social development of children, Dilet Mete also expressed that they shape their efforts accordingly and they would like to have direct contact with children through the new project. Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers of Samsun will perform the children’s play, entitled “Aladdin’s MAGİC Lamp”, written by Turgay Yıldız – Art Director of Ankara Sanatolia. The volunteers received training from Mehmet Yılmaz – Chief Director of Samsun Directorate of State Opera and Ballet – and Vedat Kurtuluş, Co-director, who are volunteers as well.
Target: to establish a library in 7 cities
Those who watched the play, for which admission was free, each brought a story book for children upon the request of Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers. With these books, a Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Library will be established in each city.
All of the actors of the play are voluntary employees and their families…
Volunteers aim to perform this play, which elementary school students aged 7-12 watch for free, in the cities of Samsun, Sivas, Tokat, Ordu, Çorum, Amasya and Sinop and to reach 5,000 children in total. The project is sponsored by Bilim Pharmaceuticals. Volunteers stress that the play, which they prepared with great pleasure and self-sacrifice, is considerably useful in terms of their personal development. Supporting their spouses on stage, Sibel Boran, Özge Sayar, Hasret Yalçın and Çağla Samsunluoğlu, who are members of Bilim Ailem (the Bilim Family), expressed that it was a great honour to be volunteers in such a play and to share the stage with their spouses.
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Bilim Has Scored 100% For the Environment Friendly Gebze Plant / 28.05.2010
The award-winning, pioneer company of Turkey pharmaceutical sector, Bilim Pharmaceuticals, has received the Environment Award given by Kocaeli Chamber of Industry. Bilim Pharmaceuticals General Manager Dr. Erhan Baş has received the “Şahabettin Bilgisu Environment Award” from Environment and Forest Minister Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroğlu. This award is given by Kocaeli Chamber of Industry to improve and encourage the environmental awareness in the purpose of sustainable development.
On May 27 Thursday, at the ceremony held in Kocaeli Chamber of Industry, Bilim Pharmaceuticals General Manager Dr. Erhan Baş has said: “The environment is one of the most important dimensions of our corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Investment on the environment nowadays is not a trend but it is a necessity. As Bilim Pharmaceuticals, we apply and improve the environmental standard not just in our corporate responsibility studies but also in our business area. We act sensitively on the subject of the protection of natural resources, using these resources efficiently, using a minimum amount from the natural reserves & maximize the recycling process and we act in compliance with the national and international regulations.
Bilim Gebze, who also won the Encouragement Award with in addition to the Environmental Award in the category of big enterprises, has been built considering the green plant concept and the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. Natural resource consumption on high energy efficiency applications such as plant management system, energy management system, lighting automation, high heat isolation on the sides-windows-roofs, sun screens, centrifuge cooling groups with high efficiency values, “free-cooling” application on the cooling system, economizer steam and heating furnaces, heat recovery units used in ventilation centrals, fan and pumping engines with direct driver and frequency inventory usage on all motors is being continuously reduced.
Moreover, Bilim Pharmaceuticals is protecting the environment with water purification by membrane filtering technology, usage of HEPA filters in dedusting in addition to pouch filters, the separation of waste from activities at its source, carrier companies approved by Environment and Forest Ministry, carrier companies which have no negative effects to the environment approved by the Ministry and the waste management system that works with zero negative effect to the environment by collaborating with disposal, recovery and warehousing companies.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals is one step closer to its aim of receiving the European Quality Award on its sustainability journey which started in 1998 by applying the EFQM Excellence Model.
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“From Where The Fire Fell: Voices, Faces, Stories…” / 11.05.2010
In a country like Turkey, where 1 in every 100 is a schizophrenia patient, i.e. where a total of 700,000 schizophrenia patients live, the contest entitled “From Where the Fire Fell: Voices, Faces, Stories…” was held to draw attention to schizophrenia. Yılmaz Erdoğan: “This text is a ‘MANIFEST’ which has gone beyond the limits of a story.”
‘STORY’ OF THESE STORIES IS DIFFERENT
“No Literature Where There is No Pain”
World of Literature Regained Its ‘Health’
The results of the second story contest, which was held by the Federation of Schizophrenia Associations with the support of Bilim Pharmaceuticals within the framework of the project entitled “Let Not Facts Be Masked”, were announced.
Süveyda Ölüdeniz won the contest with her highly interesting and deep story entitled “Kanatılmış Sözcükler Kitabı” (A Book of Bleeding Words).
The stories were evaluated by a jury comprised of the artist Yılmaz Erdoğan, author Mario Levi, Doğan Kitap General Coordinator Deniz Yüce Başarır, Tiyatro Kedi General Coordinator İpek Altıner, and Assistant Prof. Dr. Haldun Soygür – President of the Federation of Schizophrenia Associations – and Dr. Erhan Baş – CEO of Bilim Pharmaceuticals.
In a country like Turkey, where 1 in every 100 is a schizophrenia patient, i.e. where a totalof 700,000 schizophrenia patients live, the contest entitled “From Where the Fire Fell: Voices, Faces, Stories…” was held to draw attention to schizophrenia.
The project aims to not only to raise awareness of schizophrenia, but also to show what schizophrenia patients can do when they are given the chance. Launched in 2008, the project was organized for the second time by Bilim Pharmaceuticals and the Federation of Schizophrenia Patients that aims to tackle the ostracism that schizophrenia patients suffer.
‘New’ Literature Is Born
There was no age or story limitation in this contest which was only open to schizophrenia patients. A total of 95 stories competed in this contest, in which jury members analysed the stories in terms of construct, language, articulation, etc.
With her story entitled “Kanatılmış Sözcükler Kitabı” (Book of Bleeding Words), Süveyda Ölüdeniz won the contest, in which Yasemin Şenyurt was ranked with her story entitled “Çöpçüler” (Garbage Men) and Mehmet Görkem Özköse was ranked with his story entitled “Yanlızlığın Getirdikleri” (What Loneliness Has Brought). While contestants could not hide their excitement when they were receiving their plates during the awards ceremony, Mario Levi drew attention to the fact that new literature had been born.
‘No literature where there is no pain’
Stating there was no literature where there was no pain, Mario Levi said that schizophrenia patients were right in the middle of pain, which has a very significant power in terms of creativity. While handing her plate to Süveyda Ölüdeniz, Mr. Levi said, “I will be watching you; I now await your book”.
Having participated in the press conference, Mr. Yılmaz Erdoğan said the following for the winning story: “This text is a ‘MANIFEST’ which has gone beyond the limits of a story.”
Doğan Kitap will publish the first 10 stories in the contest into a book, introducing the stories to offer a taste to readers.
In addition to money prizes, the contestants ranked in the top three received the right to participate in training at the Mario Levi Writing Workshop for one season. Assistant Prof. Dr. Haldun Soygür said that such workshops were a very good area for patients to express themselves and added that patients could improve their talents in such places.
Dr. Erhan Baş – Bilim Pharmaeuticals’ CEO – mentioned that such projects must be supported and added that this project was about to become a regular fixture and that Bilim Pharmaceuticals would continue to support it. Mr. Baş drew attention to the fact that such projects paved the way for new areas.
The First contest was held in 2009
The stories that were ranked in the first nine at the end of the first contest, which was held last year, were compiled and published by Doğan Kitap in a book entitled, “Hayat Bana Yüreğini Açıyor” (Life is Opening its Heart to Me). Similarly, those who ranked in the top three in the last year’s contest received the right to participate in training at the Mario Levi Writing Workshops for one season and to improve their knowledge and skills there.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Becomes First Company In Sector To Receive “Respect For People Award” In The Same Category For The Third Time In A Row / 14.04.2010
Bilim Pharmaceuticals won the “Respect for People Award” for a third time in a row. The award is given by Kariyer.net and is one of the world’s most prestigious awards. The company’s right approach with respect to “responding to job applications whether positive or negative”, which is one of the most important problems encountered by job candidates during job application, brought the award to Bilim Pharmaceuticals. Bilim Pharmaceuticals won the “Respect for People Award”, given by Kariyer.net to those companies who demonstrate a “people-oriented” approach in their human resources practices. Bilim Pharmaceuticals became the first company in the sector to receive the award – which was given for the ninth time this year – in the same category for a third time in a row. Continuously striving to improve its human resources policies, Bilim Pharmaceuticals responds to all job applications; Bilim Pharmaceuticals solidified its achievement as the company that employs the highest number of employees and receives the highest number of job applications.
Stating that winning the award for a third time in a row made them proud, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Human Resources Director, Aykut Bora, noted that the real achievement was sustainability and that the award becomes more meaningful from this aspect.
Job applications responded to within 3 weeks
“The ‘rate of returning back to candidates’ is one of our human resources performance indicators. At Bilim Pharmaceuticals, all candidates are responded to within 3 weeks following their interviews. Within the framework of this systematic approach, we do not have to carry out any preparations or efforts other than our normal way of working in order to receive the ‘Respect for People Award”, says Mr. Bora.
Recalling that Bilim Pharmaceuticals held the National Quality Award and was a finalist for the European Quality Award, Mr. Bora added, “We demonstrate a highly sensitive approach with respect to responding to the applications of candidates with the responsibility and awareness introduced by the quality of our management. While responding to applications is primarily an indication of our management approach based on ‘respect for people’, it is also a necessity for our reputation management, which we have been painstakingly working on.”
Bilim Pharmaceuticals was handed its award in a ceremony held at the Rumeli Hall of the Lütfi Kırdar Centre of Culture and Congress on April 14th, the first day of the Human Resources Summit.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Wins Both Hearts And Awards / 10.11.2009
At “Gönülden Ödüller 2009” (Awards from the Heart 2009), which was held by the Corporate Volunteer Association (ÖSGD) for the third time this year, Bilim Pharmaceuticals won the Most Successful Volunteering Program Award with ‘Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform’. Bilim Pharmaceuticals had won the ‘Special Award’ last year. Besides the value it attaches to people and its employees, Bilim Pharmaceuticals leads the Turkish pharmaceutical industry with its investments. The Company carries out its activities with its corporate social responsibility awareness and understanding. Another award was granted to the ‘Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform’, which comprises of 568 voluntary Bilim Pharmaceuticals employees, who are supported by the management of the Company. At “Gönülden Ödüller 2009” (Awards from the Heart 2009), which was held by the Corporate Volunteer Association (ÖSGD) for the third time this year, Bilim Pharmaceuticals received the winning award in the “Most Successful Volunteerism Program” category with ‘Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform’.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals had won the ‘Special Award’ in the same event last year with ‘Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform’.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals opens up to Europe with ‘Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform’
Bilim Pharmaceuticals' Community Volunteers received the Grand Prize in the event “Marketplace for Solutions on Corporate Social Responsibility in Turkey” organized by Corporate Social Responsibility Foundation in Turkey (KSSD) and CSR Europe within the framework of the “Project of Improvement of the Civil Social Dialogue Between the EU and Turkey” last October.
Stating that Bilim Pharmaceuticals, with this achievement, received the right to represent Turkey at the event, “CSR Marketplace”, which will be held in Brussels next year, Dr. Erhan Baş – Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ CEO – said, “The efforts of our volunteers make us proud on all occasions. Awarding voluntary efforts encourages the members of Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers to make much better things. I hope, with our volunteering efforts, we best represent our country and return from Belgium with an award.”
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Receives Award In The ‘Marketplace’, And Now Flies To Brussels / 23.10.2009
With the “Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform”, Bilim Pharmaceuticals received the winning award at the event, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Projects Marketplace’, which was held by the Corporate Social Responsibility of Turkey (KSSD) for the first time in Turkey.
The Company will represent Turkey at the international competition in Brussels next year. Attracting attention with its efforts aimed at ensuring human satisfaction and raising living quality, Bilim Pharmaceuticals designed a corporate social responsibility project entitled “Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform”. With this platform, the Company won the right to participate in the event, “CSR Marketplace”, which will be held by CSR Europe in Brussels next year.
Within the framework of the Project of Improvement Civil Social Dialogue between EU and Turkey, the Corporate Social Responsibility of Turkey (KSSD) and CSR Europe jointly organized the event, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Projects Marketplace’ for the first time in Turkey. Some of Turkey’s leading companies participated in the event.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers to work with 20 teams in 11 regions.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers is a platform founded in 2005 with the support of Bilim Pharmaceuticals by voluntary employees, who share their individual competencies, intellectual capital, time, efforts and experience “in order to be a part of the solution”. As of 2009, the platform operated with 568 active members within 20 teams in 11 regions in Turkey.
After the awards ceremony, Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ CEO Erhan Baş said: “Since its foundation, Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform has reached 9,000 children by carrying out a total of 91 activities for 7 projects. Our purpose is to be a part of the solution by popularizing social responsibility awareness and volunteerism through sustainable projects.”
Held for the first time in Turkey
The event, which has been organized by CSR Europe since 2005 in various countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Greece, was held at Kadir Has University on October 23rd, 2009 for the first time in Turkey. With the ‘Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers Platform’, Bilim Pharmaceuticals won the grand award in the event, in which Turkey’s 23 largest companies took part.
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Alzheimer’s Call Centre No Longer A Pilot Practice Anymore – It Is Nationwide / 30.09.2009
A first in Turkey, the Alzheimer’s Call Centre, which was established with the support of Bilim Pharmaceuticals and the contributions of the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Foundation in order to provide psychological support to the loved ones of Alzheimer patients, goes nationwide from September 30th. The loved ones of Alzheimer patients can receive support from an expert psychologist by dialing 0800 261 78 40 free of charge. Affecting more than 350,000 people in Turkey and more than 25 million around the world, Alzheimer’s disease is deemed as the most frequently observed health problem of old age. Implemented as a pilot project on June 15th, 2009 with the support of Bilim Pharmaceuticals and contributions from the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Foundation in a bid to raise the quality of life of the families and loved ones of Alzheimer patients and to provide accurate guidance for them, the Alzheimer Call Centre goes nationwide from September 30th.
A press conference was held by Prof. Dr. Murat Emre – Chairman of Alzheimer Association, Prof. Dr. Engin Eker – Chairman of Alzheimer Foundation and Dr. Erhan Baş – Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ CEO at the Swissotel on September 30th to mark the “Alzheimer Call Centre” going nationwide. The Oytun family, who called the Alzheimer Call Centre from Izmir and received psychological support, shared their call centre experience with participants at the meeting.
Patients with Alzheimer’s disease taken care of by their spouses and children
Launched on June 15th, 2009, the pilot study targeted the families and loved ones of the patients of 30 specialists in Izmir, Istanbul and Ankara, drawing more attention than expected. A total of 250 loved ones of sufferers were informed of the Alzheimer Call Centre. It was observed that in inbound calls, 75% of the loved ones of the patients requested information and psychological support about Alzheimer’s disease. During the pilot study, among the three cities, those from Izmir called the Alzheimer Call Centre the most. It was seen that the majority of the loved ones were spouses, daughters or the brothers or sisters of the patients. 71% of patients’ loved ones were female, while 50% were aged between 41 and 60.
The world’s two riskiest countries in terms of the rising incidence of Alzheimer’s disease: India and Turkey…
“There is a direct relationship between the growing life expectancy in Turkey and the increase in the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. We want to raise society's awareness of Alzheimer’s, which is the most frequent cause of dementia. We understand that we must take action now, because there are now 25 million sufferers of Alzheimer’s; in the next few years, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease will rise exponentially. It is anticipated that countries like India and Turkey, which currently have the youngest population, will in the future be countries with the highest rate of elderly citizens. Therefore the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s is high in people aged 65 or over in both countries. (8 in 100 people suffer from Alzheimer's). Bilim Pharmaceuticals, which has taken this information as a basis, wants to keep the subject area in the current agenda, conducts awareness projects on Alzheimer’s and helps eliminate the risk of acquiring the disease. Our aim in realizing our Alzheimer’s Call Centre is to increase the quality of life for patients' loved ones. The attention dedicated to our pilot study on this project has given us hope to popularize the project”, according to the CEO of Bilim Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Erhan Baş.
Keep in mind the Alzheimer’s Action Plan
Prof. Dr. Murat Emre – Chairman of the Alzheimer’s Association and Prof. Dr. Engin Eker – Chairman of Alzheimer’s Foundation said that Alzheimer’s disease - which begins with a sly forgetfulness, affects the loved ones of the patients the most, while depression and high blood pressure are observed in 60% of patient’s loved ones.
Drawing attention to some interesting figures in some studies undertaken by King’s University in London, Prof. Dr. Murat Emre– Chairman of the Alzheimer’s Association said “The number of Alzheimer’s patients is on course to reach 115 million by 2050. Therefore, a number of countries around the world are preparing their Alzheimer’s Action Plans.”
Prof. Dr. Engin Eker – Chairman of Alzheimer Foundation, on the other hand, mentioned that the Alzheimer’s Action Plan must be prepared in Turkey because of the high risk posed by the increasing incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, and stressed the importance of the Call Centre project,
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is a chronic disorder with no definite treatment methods. It is a disease that affects old people in the community and lasts for many years. Alzheimer’s does not only alter the lives of patients, but also the lives of their entire families. The fact that a person who had actively lived and produced gradually becomes a child, loses their previous talents one by one and finally becomes a person who requires care makes this disease different from an ordinary medical problem.
Alzheimer’s Call Centre
Expert psychologists provide services every week day between 9AM and 5PM at the Alzheimer’s Call Centre. Expert psychologists check-up on the patients' loved ones every month and, when needed, the patient’s physician is contacted for an update on the phases.
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The target is to make more exports upon the approval of the Department of Health in the United Kingdom / 25.05.2009
Bilim Pharmaceuticals received the approval of Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of the Department of Health in the United Kingdom, which is one of the world’s most important certifications in the sector together with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval. Performing betalactamic production at the Bilim Çerkezköy plant with the approval of the German Ministry of Health, Bilim Pharmaceuticals received the approval from the Department of Health of United Kingdom (MHRA approval), which is considered as one of the world’s most important certifications in the sector. Audited by the representatives of the Department of Health in the United Kingdom in just 2 ½ days, the Bilim Gebze plant received the project preliminary approval from the FDA while it was being constructed.
As the largest pharmaceutical production plant in Turkey according to the production forms it owns, Bilim Gebze received the approval of the Department of Health in the United Kingdom (MHRA approval) with its production speed supported with high technology and its high and automated production capacity. With this approval, the company will be able to easily export its products to the countries in the European Union, which is one of the most regulated markets in the world.
Having received the approval of the Department of Health in the United Kingdom (MHRA approval), Bilim Pharmaceuticals exports its products to a total of 42 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Far East, and South America and CIS. Bilim Pharmaceuticals has representative offices in Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine and Albania. Expecting to increase its exports significant with the MHRA approval, Bilim Pharmaceuticals aims to increase its exports to US$ 30 million by the end of 2009.
A production capacity of 250 million boxes per year
With an indoor area of 51,500 m2, Bilim Gebze operates with a production capacity of 250 million boxes per year. Planned in a way that it easily adapts to capacity increases, the plant’s inside parts and the left and right sections of the main line are designed in a way that they can be easily enlarged, thanks to their modular design. This way, the production capacity of the plant can be increased to 350 million boxes per year, if necessary.
The R&D centre with a total laboratory space of 4,500 m2, which operates within the Bilim Gebze plant, is equipped with sensitive laboratory equipment with latest technology and a laboratory information automation system. The centre performs various analyses via validated analytical methods at FDA standards.
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Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers And Serçev (Association Of Children With Cerebral Palsy) Joined Forces For April 23rd / 22.04.2009
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers and Association of Children with Cerebral Palsy (SERÇEV) joined forces and organized various sports and culture-art festivals between April 22nd and 26th in order to cherish the joy and happiness of April 23rd National Independence and Children’s Day. The festivals began on April 22nd at the Armada Shopping Centre with the opening of the painting and photo exhibition, in which photos of professional journalists like Tayfun Talipoğlu and Coşkun Aral are also exhibited.
Following the opening of the exhibition, a football tournament for the disabled was organized by Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers and SERÇEV on a field prepared at the Armada Shopping Centre. In this tournament, players of the Ankaragücü and Gençlerbirliği footballs clubs played a match, which was conducted by our FIFA-certified referee, Selçuk Dereli.
In addition, the Battery-Powered Wheelchair Contest, in which children with cerebral palsy competed with their battery-powered wheelchairs, as well as the hamburger eating contest, dance shows, chess tournaments – which were organized in collaboration with the chess federation – and aikido shows were performed. Another colourful event was the sky trip of children with cerebral palsy – who had never been on a plane before – on Turkish Bird planes. As a result, children thoroughly lived the happiness of being a child in the children’s week.
On April 23rd, SERÇEV children, who participated in the traditional April 23rd Cortege for the first time, were the most eye-catching group of the cortege and singed all marches together. In the evening of April 23rd, children enjoyed themselves at the April 23rd Ball.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals Community Volunteers & SERÇEV Photo Exhibition, which was organized in cooperation with SERÇEV at Çankaya Cultural Centre on April 25th-28th last year, was visited by 1,000 doctors and pharmacists from Ankara, Yozgat, Kırıkkale, Kırşehir and Çankırı, as well as Bilim Pharmaceuticals employees, and businessmen, bureaucrats and renowned people from the art world who were invited by SERÇEV. Gallery
Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ Sustainable Success In “Respect For People” / 12.02.2009
The results of the “Respect for People Awards”, organized for the 8th time by Kariyer.net, Turkey’s largest career website, were announced. BİLİM PHARMACEUTICALS was deemed worthy of the “Respect for People Award” in the pharmaceutical industry. Aiming to encourage qualified efforts in the area of human resources, the awards were handed to the winners in a ceremony organized within the framework of the 14th Human Resources Summit supported by Kariyer.net as the main sponsor. Organized by Kariyer.net, the event supports the establishment of a sound bridge of communication between job candidates and employers. The results of this year’s Respect for People Awards were announced. Thanks to its high performance in recruitment processes, as in 2007, BİLİM PHARMACEUTICALS received the “Respect for People Award” in 2008. The award is deemed to be one of the most prestigious awards in the area of human resources and in which the winner is chosen among 20,000 companies. The qualified human resources practices conducted by Bilim Pharmaceuticals within the scope of the principle of Respect for People, a topic highlighted in Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ Human Resources Code of Ethics, were crowned with this special award once again.
Bilim Pharmaceuticals’ Human Resources Director Aykut Bora had the following to say about the subject: “Respect for People is at the centre of all of our business processes. All of our efforts are for people; therefore, the crowning glory of these efforts with the “Respect for People” award has a very special meaning to us.”
Within the framework of the 14th Human Resources Conference with Kariyer.net being the main sponsor, many companies were awarded in different categories in a ceremony held on February 11th, in which Turkish companies that attach the highest value to people were chosen. Through its “Respect for People Awards”, Kariyer.net aims to encourage human-oriented efforts in Human Resources practices.
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A Project That Reveals The Talents Of Schizophrenia Patients: “From Where The Fire Fell: Voices, Faces, Stories…” / 04.02.2009
The results of the story contest participated by schizophrenia patients which was held with the support of the Federation of Schizophrenia Associations and Bilim Pharmaceuticals were announced at the press conference in Sofa Hotel on Wednesday February 4th.
Stories chosen by a jury comprised of the famous writer, Mario Levi, Yapı Kredi Publications Chief Editor Murat Yalçın, Psychiatrist Assistant Prof. Dr. Haldun Soygür, and Bilim Pharmcaeuticals’ CEO Dr. Erhan Baş, as well as Payidar Tüfekçioğlu and Tuncel Kurtiz - stage actors, will be published into a book.
Moreover, the winning play will be performed by the members of the Drama Club of the Çapa Medical Faculty at Istanbul University… A story contest entitled “From Where the Fire Fell: Voices, Faces, Stories…” was jointly held by the Federation of Schizophrenia Associations and Bilim Pharmaceuticals in order to ensure social participation of schizophrenia patients and to contribute to such efforts that allow the community to be informed about the illness.
A total of 50 schizophrenia patients from different age groups participated in the contest. A jury comprised of the famous writer, Mario Levi, Yapı Kredi Publications Chief Editor Murat Yalçın, Psychiatrist Assistant Prof. Dr. Haldun Soygür, and Bilim Pharmcaeuticals’ CEO Dr. Erhan Baş, as well as Payidar Tüfekçioğlu and Tuncel Kurtiz - stage actors, determined the results after a tough selection process. According to the selection of the jury, the three tip ranking individuals were:
1. Hüseyin Avni Cinozoğlu 2. Okay Uludokumacı 3. Yümehan Celiloğlu
In this project, which was carried out to highlight awareness of schizophrenia, which has an incidence rate of 1 person out of 100 people in Turkey, and to ensure that treatment methods are recognized closely, the Federation of Schizophrenia Associations, which tackles ostracism of schizophrenia patients, organized a story contest with the support of Bilim Pharmaceuticals in order to create an environment where patients can express themselves and reveal their creativity.
In the press conference, the following awards and plates were given to the top three contestants: TL 2,500 to the winner, TL 1,500 to the runner up and TL 1,000 to the contestant in the 3rd place. All three contestants also received the right to participate in the trainings at the Mario Levi Writing Workshop for one season.
Moreover, one story selected by the jury as one of the top three will be performed by the members of the Drama Club of Çapa Medical Faculty at Istanbul University. Also, as a continuation of the projects, stories selected by the jury will be compiled and published in a book.
About 350,000 schizophrenia patients in Turkey live in hiding or by trying to hide their illnesses in streets and offices. They want to be individuals, to take their place within the community and naturally to work again by being treated under good conditions and without being humiliated.
This project proves that they can produce highly interesting works when they are given the chance to exhibit their creativity. In line with this approach, the project calls on everyone to understand them, to hold their hands and not to stigmatize them.