Social Responsibility Projects

The Maths Adventure Dating Back to 2003

We, at OYAK Cement Group, had announced the year 2002 as the Year of Efficiency and Mathematics , developing investment and rationalization projects to increase efficiency at the Group companies and remarkably raising profitability levels of these companies.

As we always considered the awareness on social responsibility highly important, we decided to organize mathematics contests among high schools in provinces where the plants are located.

We initially organized the contests in 2003 in Adana, Bolu, Ordu (Unye), Mardin and Elazig provinces where our companies are situated, whereby we followed our main principle of raising awareness on mathematics, at least in areas where our plants are situated, and promoting the fact that math comes first, as well as contributing even a little to the cultural level of the provinces. To achieve this aim, we collaborated with TUBITAK, the biggest scientific research institution in Turkey.

We announced our contests with the support of Governors, Mayors, Provincial Directors of National Education and schools throughout the year, and also invited the most successful students of the selected public schools; each school team consisted of 4 students and a leader teacher (team leader). We made financial aid to each school participating in the contest and awarded each participant student. We challenged the young brilliant students with the questions prepared by TUBITAK and, in accordance with the results, we identified the best schools in 5 provinces. During this period, we invited the locals to our plants a few days prior to our contests; distinguished lecturers from TUBITAK gave speeches on mathematics at our conference halls.

Then, we invited the teams of the schools ranking first in the relevant province to Ankara. We organized city tours and accommodation opportunities within the framework of the schedule that we prepared for them. We held the final test at ODTU, where the best high schools in 5 provinces competed one more time against each other by the questions of TUBITAK We announced the results of the contest at a cocktail held in Ankara Hilton and Mardin Kiziltepe Anatolian High School won the OYAK Cement Group Mathematics Contest in 2003. The winning students were granted computers as prize while the school was awarded with financial aid to be provided for 2 times.

• Considering the highly positive reactions we received in 2003, we decided to re-organize our contest in 2004. This time, we increased the number of participant provinces to 6 by adding Nigde province, where OYSA Cement, an OYAK - Sabanci company, is situated. The most successful high schools of these 6 provinces competed and had their winners who were announced at the cocktails organized in their provinces. Besides, the lecturers from universities of the provinces underlined the importance of mathematics. In May 2004, we invited 6 schools, which received the 1st prize, to Istanbul where the successful students visited our universities to which they may be admitted in the near future. We held the final exam on May 2, 2004 at ITU, with the support of TUBITAK as in 2003.
• oWe announced the winner at the cocktail held at Hyatt Regency on May 3, 2004 and Mr. Ercan KUMCU gave a speech about mathematics before the award ceremony. The winner of OYAK Cement Group Mathematics Contest of the Year 2004 was NIGDE HIGH SCHOOL OF SCIENCE.
• We, OYAK Cement Group, proudly organized the 3rd Inter-High School Mathematics Contest in 2005. That year, each of our plants in 6 provinces included one more city and the first round of the contest was held in 12 provinces on March 26, 2005. The winners of the provinces were announced at the cocktails organized in the provinces in the week of 11th April and their awards were granted. We hosted the winner students and their parents in Istanbul between 30th April – 2nd May. Following the final contest held on 1st May, the award ceremony was organized at Ceylan Inter Continental Hotel on Monday evening, 02 May 2005 and the winner was BOLU ATATURK HIGH SCHOOL.
• Contests of the year 2006 were organized in 12 provinces on February 25, 2006, and the students attended the contest again at ITU Maslak Campus for championship on April 16. We celebrated the championship of ADANA HIGH SCHOOL OF SCIENCE, the winner of the year 2006, at the award ceremony held at Hyatt Regency Hotel on 17th April.
• Being proud of organizing the Inter-High School Mathematics Contest for 5 years, we started our initiatives in 2007. The province championship exam of the contest was held at city centers on 24th February, Saturday, with the participation of 229 schools and 916 students from 10 provinces. We hosted the provincial first place winners in Istanbul in April. Following the final exam held on 15th April, Sunday, the winner of the year 2007 was announced at the ceremony held at the Ball Room of Swiss Hotel on the night of April 16th. Mr. Yildirim Turker, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of OYAK, made a surprising announcement at the ceremony, stating that he wished this contest to constitute an example to everyone and it was resolved that this contest would expand to OYAK Subsidiaries out of OYAK Cement Group, and he was proud that more students from more provinces would share the significance of mathematics next year.
• Being proud of organizing the Inter-High School Mathematics Contest for 7 years, we started our initiatives in 2008. The province championship exam of the contest was held at city centers on 15th November, Saturday, with the participation of 493 schools and 1972 students from 17 provinces. We hosted the provincial first place winners in Istanbul in April. Following the final exam held on 18th April, the winner of the year 2008 was announced at the ceremony held at the Ball Room of Swiss Hotel on the night of April 20th. Hatay Toscelik High School of Science became the Champion of the year 2008.
• The champion of the contest which was held in 17 provinces in 2009 with the participation of 1972 students from 493 schools was Hatay Iskenderun Toscelik High School of Science.
• In the final exam held in Istanbul, Bolu High School of Science became the champion of the contest which was held in 16 provinces in 2010 with the participation of 1964 students from 491 schools.

510 schools and 2040 students from 15 provinces competed in OYAK Inter-High School Mathematics Contest held with the motto "Life is Mathematics" in the 9th year. "Zonguldak High School of Science" was proud to be the winner of the contest which offered a real challenge with the olympic question booklet sent to schools and the Mathematics Seminars camp organized before the final exam. Receiving the highest score of the last nine years at the final exam, Zonguldak High School of Science experienced the privilege of championship this year.

The provincial exams of OYAK's Corporate Social Responsibility Project with the motto "Life is Mathematics" were held at city centers on November 19, 2011, Saturday, on its 10th year, concurrently in 14 provinces. The champion of the year 2012 was declared in the final exam held in Istanbul between 6th - 10th April 2012. The finalists sweated for solving 4 questions during 180 minutes in the exam held on 7th April. As a result of the evaluation following the exam, Bolu High School of Science became the Champion of Turkey with a score of 29,8 points, followed by Tekirdag Milli Piyango High School of Science on the second rank with 26 points and Adana High School of Science on the third rank with 23,3 points.

Year	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	TOTAL
Province	5	6	12	12	10	17	17	16	15	11
School	107	138	269	301	229	428	493	491	510	483	3.449
Student	428	552	1.076	1.204	916	1.712	1.972	1.964	2.040	1.932	13.796