DOT has been selected as one of only 3 NGOs worldwide to implement IBM's new Corporate Service Corps program in 6 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia; DOT will be implementing the Corporate Service Corps program in Turkey.

The Corporate Service Corps program is a corporate leadership initiative designed to help enhance global economic opportunity, provide more access to education resources, and to work on environmental issues.  IBM's Corporate Service Corps program will gather teams of IBM volunteers with a diversity of skills, drawn from different countries and business units, and place them in emerging markets to tackle urgent issues in collaboration with NGO partners from around the world.

The IBM volunteers will work on projects of significant value in developing countries, in four-week assignments. These teams will tackle real societal, educational and environmental challenges, while at the same time experiencing a diverse cultural perspective and enhancing their skills and leadership competencies.  

DOT, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), will be managing the deployment of 4 groups of IBM executives to Turkey over the next year.  The first and second deployments will be located in Mersin, with the IBM team working on assignments with the Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cukorova Development Agency (one of two pilot regional development agencies in Turkey), and Regional Innovation Strategy and Mersin University, Techno Park and Innovation Centre.  The first deployment is set for October 18 - November 16, 2008, the second deployment will be in January 2009, and the remaining two deployments will also be in 2009.

The Corporate Service Corps program was recently featured in the Ottawa Business Journal.

To learn more, click here to access Janet Longmore's IBM Podcast...