Today on Buluttan Small Talks, we’re with Ahmet Melih Afşar. Melih, who began his journey at Buluttan as a Computer Engineering student, has taken an active role in software development processes. We talked about how he contributed to his first experience in weather intelligence through his technical curiosity and problem-solving skills. We also listened to his advice for software developers who are unfamiliar with meteorology.
Gökmen: Today on Buluttan Small Talks, we’re with a member of our software team. He’s been with us for about 9 months, is close to graduation, has developed himself, and contributed to the team. Today, we want to get to know him a bit better. Let’s start with an introduction — can you tell us about yourself?
Melih: I’m Ahmet Melih, a 4th-year Computer Engineering student at Sabancı University. I’m also working part-time at Buluttan. I initially came here to do an internship around 9 months ago, but I can say I’ve gained real work experience here.
Gökmen: So how did your path lead you to Buluttan and weather intelligence?
Melih: Our university has an internal job posting system. I applied through there. I also did a lot of research before applying — it wasn’t a random decision. At first, the concept of weather intelligence was unfamiliar to me, but as I got into it, my interest grew.
Gökmen: We’ve noticed that you’re interested in some fascinating topics around the office. If we wanted to get to know you a little better — what kind of things do you enjoy working on?
Melih: In general, I enjoy watching sci-fi series. I’m also very interested in artificial intelligence outside of work. I like exploring new large language models. This curiosity of mine occasionally spills over into the workplace. When someone mentions a new development, I find myself saying, “Ah yes, I know that one.” I also love spending time with IoT devices and developing systems on platforms like Raspberry Pi. I enjoy building small solutions at home.
Gökmen: We believe this kind of curiosity really lays the foundation for learning. The drive to learn, improve, and create value has brought you to where you are today.
Melih: Exactly. In a field like weather intelligence, to create value in areas such as safety, occupational health, cost, and investment, you need to model expected and unexpected weather events and translate that into sector-specific insights. Software development — both front-end and back-end — plays a key role here. It’s not only about what data we provide, but also how we present it. We deliver this data to our clients via APIs or customized dashboards. Right now, we’re focusing on the energy and transportation sectors. A company like Buluttan, which generates its own forecasts, collects and processes its own data, requires a large team. Among us are computer engineers, data scientists, and meteorological modelers. Software development is also a key part of this structure.
Gökmen: As you mentioned, over the past decade, computer engineering education has evolved to include both data science and software. Based on the responsibilities you’ve taken on so far, we can see your interest in cloud systems and modeling infrastructures.
Melih: Yes, I’m especially curious about how model systems work. These systems typically run on large-scale supercomputers, but when we run our own models, we use either cloud or on-premise systems. At that point, topics like system management, processing power, and optimization come into play. Problem-solving skills become crucial.
Gökmen: So, what advice would you give to computer engineering students considering working in this field?
Melih: They definitely shouldn’t be afraid if they don’t know meteorology. You learn it over time. It helps to do a bit of research beforehand, but you don’t need to know everything right away. As you get involved, you improve. Anyone with problem-solving ability can succeed in this field.
Gökmen: In recent years, meteorology has gone through a major transformation. AI-based forecasts are on the rise, computing power is getting cheaper, and data is increasing. We can now run more powerful models that are updated more frequently. Even the biggest tech companies have entered this field. And we’re part of that transformation too.
Melih: Recently, we were invited to join a consortium funded by the European Union. Along with 16 stakeholders across Europe, we’re working to reimagine weather intelligence through an AI engine similar to ChatGPT. We represent Türkiye in this consortium. We’re both a practitioner and a producer. This is why the discipline of computer engineering is more essential than ever.
Gökmen: We encourage anyone interested in this field to apply and try their luck. Our expectations are high, but we do our best to work with the right candidates.
And as always: May your weather be nice! (Havanız Yerinde Olsun!)