Sümeyye Hatice ERAL is the Head of Department for Digital Skills at the Directorate General for Innovation and Educational Technologies within the Ministry of National Education. With over ten years of experience in digital education and policymaking, she specialises in integrating innovation and technology into education, designing innovative learning environments, and shaping policies that enhance digital competencies. Her work focuses on equipping students and teachers with the essential digital skills for the 21st century.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in foreign language education. After a brief tenure as a teacher, she began her role as a National Education Expert at the Ministry of National Education in 2013. During this time, she gained extensive experience managing and implementing EU-funded projects. Her expertise in European project management, education policy development, and stakeholder collaboration has been pivotal to her achievements. Several projects under her leadership have received innovation awards from the European Commission, underscoring her ability to effectively bridge technology and education. In addition, her research focuses on exploring the intersection of digital education and innovation design, with several contributions to publications in this field.
Sümeyye Hatice ERAL is highly qualified to design education policies and lead large-scale EdTech projects on digital competence, artificial intelligence, and STEAM education. She collaborates with global stakeholders to implement innovative solutions and represents Türkiye in prestigious international groups, including the Digital Education Working Group under the European Commission.
Through the Fellowship, Sümeyye Hatice ERAL aims to exchange ideas with global experts, gain fresh perspectives, and explore strategies to further drive digital transformation in education. She looks forward to contributing to inclusive, technology-driven learning systems and enhancing global cooperation in digital education.