23/12/2025
The Informatics Days, held for the fifth time at Sabancı University, brought together university and high school students with academics, alumni, and industry professionals working in the field of information technology. Sabancı University President Yusuf Leblebici, Vice President for Education Cem Güneri, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Erkay Savaş, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Hüsnü Yenigün, and our faculty members Albert Levi and Kamer Kaya attended the event. Throughout the day, parallel sessions were held on topics such as software, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, academic careers, interview processes, and international experiences.
Global Experiences and Career Journeys Highlighted at the Opening
Sabancı University President Yusuf Leblebici delivered the opening speech of the event. Sharing examples from his own academic and professional journey, Leblebici said, "This meeting is a tremendous opportunity to obtain firsthand information, instead of filtered information you hear from the media or social media, so that you can make informed decisions about your career choices in the field of information technology." Drawing attention to the existence of quality job opportunities in Türkiye and abroad, Leblebici stated that access to accurate information is important for students to make decisions that suit their own criteria. He noted that a significant portion of Sabancı University graduates have successful careers in leading institutions both in Türkiye and abroad.
Selim Önal, a Sabancı University graduate and an active participant in the Informatics Days organization for five years, shared the process of the birth of Informatics Days and the framework of this year's program with the participants. Recounting his own education and career journey, Önal emphasized that the uncertainties experienced by students considering a career in computer science are natural. Önal stated that his experiences in different sectors and companies showed him that a career can change direction over time, describing this process with the metaphor of "a ship voyage whose course is updated over time." He added that the Informatics Days, which have been organized since 2019, aim to awaken curiosity about the field of information technology, especially among high school students.
Parallel Sessions Throughout the Day
As part of the Informatics Days, parallel sessions were held throughout the day, addressing various career and specialization topics in the IT field. The program focused on topics such as software engineering careers, Silicon Valley experiences, algorithms and optimization, artificial intelligence applications, entrepreneurship, and academic careers and postgraduate education options abroad. Academics, Sabancı University alumni, and industry representatives shared their experiences and answered participants' questions.
Sessions dedicated to interview and application processes covered preparation for technical and behavioral interviews, resume writing, and internship opportunities at major technology companies; while research-focused sessions discussed specialized areas such as generative artificial intelligence, supercomputers, data science in the gaming industry, and genomics.
