'World's Most Influential 100 Young People' List Includes a Turk

High school student Alperen Konukbay was named to the 'World's Most Impactful 100 Youth' list for an application he developed for people with hearing impairments. TED Ankara Koleji Vakfı Özel Lisesi student Alperen Konukbay made the 'World's Most Impactful 100 Youth' list with an application he developed for people with hearing impairments at an international project competition. The 17-year-old student was also invited to a special summit to be held at Oxford University in summer 2024 for this achievement. Rise Challenge is held annually worldwide by the 'Rise for the World' initiative, supported by Schmidt Futures, founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and the RhodesTrust Foundation within Oxford University. The list includes young people aged 15-17 with promising potential who submit applications with projects that address social issues. In this year's competition, which received approximately 430,000 applications from 170 different countries, TED Ankara Koleji Vakfı Özel Lisesi 12th grade student Alperen Konukbay qualified for the "100 Rise Global Winners" list with an application he developed for people with hearing impairments. With his application that converts written text into sign language, Alperen Konukbay aims to help deaf children learn reading and writing more effectively and quickly. Konukbay stated that while developing the software application, he volunteered to spend time with teachers and students at special education schools in Ankara to identify the difficulties hearing-impaired students encounter while learning to read.

Expansion across Turkey on the agenda

The successful young student made the following statements on the subject: "My experiences here allowed me to see the difficulties faced by hearing-impaired students, and subsequently I began developing an artificial intelligence-based application. By successfully matching any type of text with visuals, I created an application that makes reading easier for people with hearing impairments. Throughout this process, I had the opportunity to work closely with hearing-impaired students and teachers." Young student Konukbay stated that as a next step he has been in contact with Ministry of National Education officials and held discussions for integration of his application into the EBA platform. Through this, it is aimed to reach approximately 150,000 hearing-impaired students in Turkey via the EBA system.

"I code to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities"

Konukbay said that Kürşat Ceylan, who developed a "smart cane" to make life easier for people with visual impairments, inspired him, and stated: "I code to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. After receiving a university education in computer engineering, I dream of carrying out software development, research and development, and innovation activities to improve the lives of people with disabilities worldwide." Alperen Konukbay concluded his remarks by thanking his school teachers, classmates and family who have always supported him throughout this process.

TED Ankara Koleji Vakfı Özel Lisesi Director Tamer Atacan said the following about his student's achievement:

"Our Scientist Training Program student Alperen Konukbay, who successfully represented our school and our country abroad, has become a source of pride for all of us. I particularly congratulate him for the sensitivity he has shown in making life easier for people with disabilities. Our student also received an invitation to participate in a three-week summit to be held at Oxford University in August 2024. Thus, for Alperen, there is now a path from our school, which is referred to in the College March as 'a green nest in the steppe, a nest of knowledge,' to Oxford. I am certain that his achievement will inspire all our students who are devoted to science and technology."