ALP KÖKSAL

Having studied in both Turkey and the United States at the high school and undergraduate levels, I have developed a global and multicultural perspective on education. After graduating from high school in the United States, I earned my BA degree in Business Administration from Koç University and my MA degree in European Studies from Boğaziçi University with a 4.0 GPA, graduating at the top of my class. I have worked as a doctoral-level researcher at Boğaziçi University, conducting comparative research on Türkiye with developed and developing countries, with a focus on social policy and education. I am a PhDc in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Boğaziçi University. 

 

As a researcher and observer, I brought together my interest in interdisciplinary education, non-profit work, and my academic background when I had the opportunity to take a leading role in the start-up of Khan Academy Türkiye, founded in 2012 as the first international initiative of the U.S.-based Khan Academy. Thanks to the vision of the STFA Group, the initiative in Turkey became a pioneering success. Today, Khan Academy is available in 59 languages and is recognized as the world’s leading free learning platform, serving over 180 million learners.

 

Khan Academy TR is a non-profit organization and a leading example of social entrepreneurship in Turkey — an NGO that promotes lifelong learning and combines corporate social responsibility and volunteering with a social mission to change education for the better. By providing free, world-class learning resources to anyone, anywhere, Khan Academy strives to advance equal opportunity in education.​ I lead the Khan Academy TR team, managing the project of translating, localizing, and introducing the platform to Türkiye and Turkish speakers worldwide. As a key stakeholder in Turkey’s education reform, Khan Academy has delivered over 400 million lessons in Türkiye I also serve as the Turkish advocate of Khan Academy and the General Manager of the STFA Group’s Education Foundation, established in 1992. 

 

The STFA Group is one of Turkey’s most established and reputable conglomerates. Since 1938, it has operated in more than 25 countries across the fields of construction, machinery, energy, and investment. Education has always been an integral part of STFA’s corporate culture. The Group founded İnanç Lisesi (known today as TEVİTÖL) — the first school for gifted and talented yet socioeconomically underprivileged students in Turkey. I am honored to serve on both the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of the STFA Education Foundation, actively contributing to the Group’s education-related initiatives.

 

I am also a co-founder and board member of the School Support Association (Okul Destek Derneği), where hundreds of volunteers tutor thousands of middle school students each year. In addition, I am a co-founder of the New Generation Learning Initiative (Yeni Nesil Öğrenme Girişimi) — a non-profit social initiative that aims to create an inclusive, interdisciplinary community of education stakeholders.

​

I have served as a member of the Sector-Based Executive Committee at TBD (the Informatics Association of Turkey) and as an Advisory Board Member at the Faydasıçok Foundation. I participate in national opinion and focus groups on education and contribute to consultancy boards of various institutions and projects. I am honored to serve as a veteran judge at the FIRST Robotics Competition, and as a jury member for the TEGEP Learning and Development Awards and other awards recognizing excellence in social responsibility, education, and technology. I have also had the honor of contributing to science and strategy boards of various education and technology-related organizations and events and contribute to opinion leader groups in my area of expertise. I have proudly served as a Board Member at BÜMED (Boğaziçi University Alumni Association) and continue to serve as a Class Representative at KÜMED (Koç University Alumni Association).

 

I have had the opportunity to speak at numerous national and international conferences on education, technology, innovation, social entrepreneurship, civil society, and leadership. In 2015, I was honored to deliver the keynote speech at the Education Technologies Summit in Ankara — organized by the Ministry of National Education, for the very first time. That same year, I was invited as a TEDx speaker at the largest TED Talks event in Türkiye (TEDx Reset), where I shared part of my journey, and as a speaker at MARKA Konferansı (International Brand Conference) to discuss how Khan Academy became a global education brand.

​

I have been invited to speak at the Social Good Summit, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and at Mobile Learning Week, the UNESCO flagship event on ICT in education. I have had the privilege of delivering the academic year opening speech at universities, sharing insights on education, innovation, and the future of learning with students and faculty alike. I have also been invited to keynote at international conferences abroad in the fields of education and information technology.

 

Most recently, in 2025, I had the honor of delivering the closing keynote speech at the Türkiye Education Technology Summit (TETZ), organized by the Ministry of National Education — held for the first time in Istanbul, ten years after I delivered the opening keynote at the event that preceded it. This year, I have also had the great honor to speak on the main stage at the TÖZOK XXIII Annual Education Symposium in Antalya, the 12th Educational Technologies Summit (ETZ) in Istanbul, Education Technologies Platform (ETP) in its 10th year as well as the 2nd Artificial Intelligence in Education Summit (EYZ). I am a multiple-time TEDx speaker and a professional speaker represented by Speaker Agency.

 

I was a founding member of the Executive Board of the Future Camp (TEVİTÖL Gelecek Kampı) — a project designed by an independent board and initiated by the STFA Group, which received the “Most Innovative Corporate Social Responsibility Project” award from TİSK (Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations) in 2016. In 2017, I was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) in Turkey, receiving first prize in the field of Humanitarian and Voluntary Leadership from JCI (Junior Chamber International). In 2018, I was nominated for the global first prize in the same category.

 

I remain deeply committed to supporting the digital transformation of education, promoting personalized and mastery-based learning, and advancing a modern education model that leverages technology while keeping human interaction at its core. My professional mission also focuses on strengthening collaboration among civil society, educators, and the entrepreneurial community in order to foster sustainable development and equal opportunities in education. My ultimate vision is to reimagine learning in Turkey and around the world, shaping a future where education is accessible, inclusive, and empowering for all, and where every learner has the chance to reach their fullest potential.​

​

​

Türkçe için sayfanın sağ üst kısmında bulunan menüden dili değiştirebilirsiniz.