Speakers

Mahdieh Aghazadeh Khoei

Place of Birth : Iranian
Position : University Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, Istanbul Aydin University; Co-Founder & CEO, ApplyBuddy; Founder & CEO, Mir Global Consultancy Services Ltd.
Field of study : Higher education, entrepreneurship, startups, and innovation strategy.

Dr. Mahdieh Aghazadeh Khoei is a higher education expert, entrepreneur, and innovation strategist with over 13 years of experience bridging academia with international student mobility and technological advancement. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from Istanbul University in 2020. Dr. Aghazadeh Khoei is the Co-Founder and CEO of ApplyBuddy, an AI-powered platform launched in 2024 aimed at transforming global university admissions. She also founded Mir Global Consultancy Services Ltd. in 2017.

Since September 2014, she has served as a University Lecturer in the Department of Business Administration at Istanbul Aydin University. Her previous roles include Coordinator for Internationalization & Organizational Advancement at the Eurasian Universities Union (EURAS) (2017–2019) and Vice Coordinator of the International Student Recruitment Office at Istanbul Aydin University (2013–2017). These positions highlight her track record in building scalable education businesses and fostering cross-border academic collaborations. Dr. Aghazadeh Khoei has demonstrated success in student recruitment, edtech innovation, academic consulting, and ecosystem development, particularly within Turkey and the MENA region.

Experiences

Co-Founder & CEO, ApplyBuddy, United States / Turkey (2024 – Present)

Founder & CEO, Mir Global Consultancy Services Ltd., Turkey (2017 – Present)

Shareholder (Former Board Member), Synergia Business Hub, Istanbul, Turkey (2019 – Present)

University Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, Istanbul Aydin University, Turkey (September 2014 – Present)

Coordinator, Internationalization & Organizational Advancement, Eurasian Universities Union (EURAS), Turkey (February 2017 – October 2019)

Vice Coordinator, International Student Recruitment Office, Istanbul Aydin University, Turkey (September 2013 – February 2017)