12/08/2025
A 25-Year Enjoyable Experience
We interviewed Gonca Börekçi Baybaş, who has held various positions at our university since its founding, covering many subjects ranging from her memories of the early years to her future aspirations.
Can you briefly introduce yourself? How long have you been at Sabancı University? Could you tell us about your work?
I am the director of Sabancı University's Executive Development Unit, EDU. I have been with the university since its founding. Originally from Ankara, after nearly ten years of private sector experience, I decided to continue my academic journey with a doctorate while working as a lecturer at Bilkent University.
The encouragement of my esteemed professor, Prof. Muhittin Oral, who accepted me to the doctoral program and who is now with us, and my advisor, Prof. Ahmet Öncü, were crucial in this decision. When both professors were invited to establish Sabancı University, they suggested I join them. Following this invitation, I came to Istanbul and began working at the Sabancı Business School.
How would you describe the uniqueness of working at Sabancı University as an employee?
I was involved in many areas, from the design of graduate programs during its founding to the admissions process for our first students. In 2002, Prof. Oğuz Babüroğlu, with whom I worked on the faculty, approached me with a new proposal: to collaborate on establishing an Executive Development Unit within the university. Being involved in this visionary project, which would bring together academia and the business world, was incredibly exciting for me; I accepted without hesitation. Thus, we laid the foundations of EDU together.
With the vision of its founder, Sakıp Sabancı, the inspiring leadership of Güler Sabancı, and the guidance of our founding president, Tosun Terzioğlu, and our founding secretary general, Hüsnü Paçacıoğlu, Sabancı University has always been an institution that prioritizes development. Its founding motto, "creating and developing together," has become practically engrained in the university's genetic code over time. It was precisely this culture of collaborative and continuous development that has enabled me to stay at the same institution for 25 years.
During your time at Sabancı University, is there any interesting memory or detail you'd like to share about our university?
I've amassed many precious memories throughout this quarter-century journey. The most unforgettable are from the university's early years, the special time we spent at Minerva Han in Karaköy. The times we shared there, before our campus was even established, with our esteemed professors and administrators, with whom we built Sabancı University with such enthusiasm, were truly special. The happy hours we held on the terrace, the special occasions we celebrated together, the fishballs our Tosun Hoca made for us with his own hands, the recipes he shared, and those heartfelt moments when we danced to the music are still vividly remembered like they were yesterday.
In addition to the leaders I've mentioned above, I can't help but mention our founding Secretary General, Hüsnü Paçacıoğlu. Every gentle and gracious guidance he provided during our time together made significant contributions to both my development and the development of EDU. Hüsnü Bey is among my most precious memories of the founding years of Sabancı University.
How would you describe the progress Sabancı University has made in 25 years, based on what you've observed and learned?
Thanks to EDU's UNICON membership, I've had the opportunity to visit leading universities worldwide and work with academics there. Looking back, I can proudly say that Sabancı University, with its resources, human resources, and vision, is a world-class institution. Our students, graduates, faculty, and staff possess the qualities necessary to successfully operate anywhere in the world.
What are your dreams and predictions for our university's next 25 years?
I have complete faith in the future: I wholeheartedly believe that Sabancı University will rise to even higher ranks among global universities and become a benchmark in our region.
