400 bachelor’s degrees, 178 master’s degrees and 16 doctorate degrees were awarded at the Commencement Ceremony held on the Sabancı University campus. Among Sabancı University graduates this year were international students from 25 countries.
On Saturday, June 20th, 2015, Sabancı University held the commencement ceremony for its 16th graduate and 13th undergraduate classes. Graduates received their diplomas at a ceremony on the Tuzla campus of the university, attended by over 5000 people. The top ranking students of the three faculties also received their awards. Winners were Ersin Çukurtaş and Bilal Demir in the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Aygen Öztürk in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Berrak Atik in the School of Management.
Speaking at the ceremony were Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı and President Professor Nihat Berker as well as Executive MBA graduate Hulusi Kıyık on behalf of graduate students, Manufacturing Systems Engineering graduate Saime Aslan on behalf of undergraduate students, and Sabancı University Alumni Association Chair Zeynep Bahar Çelik.
Gürsel Sönmez Awards presented to 3 graduates
Awards in honor of the late Sabancı University Faculty Member Gürsel Sönmez, who passed away in 2006, were presented at the ceremony. This year's Dr. Gürsel Sönmez Research Awards were given to Computer Science and Engineering PhD graduate Çağlar Tırkaz, Biological Sciences and Bioengineering PhD graduate Bala Anı Akpınar, and Mechatronic Engineering MSc graduate Moustafa Shojaeian.
Hat-tossing was followed by live music and dance shows by Ayhan Sicimoğlu. Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı joined the dance to share the excitement of graduation with the students.