ENG
Siavash Bakhtshirin, Academic Coordinator of Foreign Languages Department at Istanbul Nişantaşı University, presented his work titled “From Induction to Growth: Building a Sustainable Buddy System” at Eaquals Online 2026, held from October 9 to 11, 2026.
The presentation addressed the importance of establishing a sustainable support system for instructors that extends beyond initial onboarding and induction and continues throughout the academic year. In this context, the session focused on a Buddy System model designed to promote peer collaboration, structured mentoring, and continuous professional development.
The presentation also explored the potential of specialy developed GPTs and AI-powered tools to complement human-cantered professional support by providing instructors with accessible and ongoing guidance.
Through this presentation, the approach to supporting the professional development of instructors within Foreign Languages Department was shared with an international academic audience, contributing to discussions on sustainable and technology-supported professional learning.