2017 - Mr. Ismet Güral
Ismet Güral is honorary doctor of the University of Pécs since 16 November 2017.
Ismet Güral, Executive Chairman of Gural Porcelain.
Born on May 1st, 1950 in Kutahya, Mr. Gural completed his primary school education in Kutahya and then finished high school at a college. He was graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics and Commercial Sciences in 1972. Afterward, he completed his graduate program at the same faculty in 1973. Then, he continued his studies in England from 1973 to 1974.
Mr. Gural is leading in the industries of porcelain, sanitaryware, energy and tourism. Gural products are exported to more than 50 counties, and guests from all around the world are welcome in holiday resorts. Nearly 3.500 associates constitute the Gural family today.
Ismet Gural is married and he has three children. He is the executive chairman of Gural Porselen, and he has been the Honorary Consul of Hungary to Kutahya since 1993.
He worked as the President of the Turkish-Hungarian Business Council in the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey. During his term of office; not only economic relations but also cultural relations have always been of high importance. He took part in the “sister cities Pecs and Kutahya” project starting from 1988. Mr. Gural also has an important role in establishing “twin university” relations between the University of Pecs and Dumlupinar University at Kutahya. Establishing a partnership between the universities of both cities first arose in 1994 during the visit of Turkish Prime Minister, Mr. Suleyman Demirel to Pecs. After that visit, Ismet Gural who was a member of the Turkish delegation in the visit, worked a lot in both universities for establishing this partnership.
He is contributing to the efforts to improve the cultural relations between Hungary and Turkey by supporting the events and projects of Dumlupınar University at Kutahya and the University of Pécs.
Mr. Gural is now the President of the Turkish-Slovak Business Council in Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey, Board Member of Turkish Tourism Investors Association, and member of the Turkish American Business Association.
Ismet Gural is awarded the Turkish Great National Assembly’s Honors Award which is given very selectively. He was also awarded twice with the High Prize of Republic of Hungary by President Arpad Gonz in 1996 and by President Pal Schmitt in 2011.
