Bilgehan Ozbaylanli

Head of Research & Development and EdTech Ecosystem Department - Ministry of National Education, Türkiye

Bilgehan Ozbaylanli aspires to empower the educational technology sector and enhance its impact on educational outcomes. With twenty-three years of professional experience, he combines expertise in technology management, international development practice, and research on educational effectiveness.

As the Head of R&D and the EdTech Ecosystem at the Turkish Ministry of Education, Bilgehan Ozbaylanli leads a dynamic team of professionals dedicated to transforming the Turkish edtech sector. The ETKIM Ed-Tech Hub, located in the Middle East Technical University Technopark in Ankara, serves as the epicentre of the ecosystem. It supports efforts such as workshops, matching events between entrepreneurs and investors, and teacher training for the development of innovative learning scenarios. The hub also provides incubation spaces for edtech start-ups. The Professional Learning Lab, situated within the hub, promotes active learning through effective edtech utilisation practices. These activities are funded and sustained through a strategic partnership with the World Bank. Bilgehan Ozbaylanli has served as the project manager for the World Bank-financed Safe Schooling and Distance Education Project, which invested $160 million during 2020-2025 and is set to invest $300 million from 2026-2029 in the Turkish edtech sector.

Before joining the Ministry of Education, Bilgehan Ozbaylanli worked as a specialist in fostering innovation and research at the National Planning organisation, which is affiliated with the Prime Ministry. He then continued his career at the Ministry of Development, first as the head of the IT department and later as the senior specialist for poverty eradication and social inclusion. He also served as the coordinator for the poverty and education working group of COMCEC.

Bilgehan Ozbaylanli holds dual engineering degrees from the Middle East Technical University in industrial engineering and environmental engineering. He earned his Master’s degree in International Development (MPA/ID) from Harvard University and his PhD in Economics from the Middle East Technical University, focusing on the economics of education. During his PhD studies, he was a visiting researcher at Oxford University for eight months under the Jean Monnet Scholarship.