09/07/2026
Sabancı University's Foundations Development Directorate (FDD) is welcoming their peers from Amsterdam University College (AUC) to campus this week for the third edition of the Core Curriculum Summer Retreat (CCSR), through July 6th to July 10th.
What is the CCSR?
The Core Curriculum Summer Retreat is annually organized by the FDD, bringing together educators and students from partner institutions to advance international collaboration, pedagogical innovation, and leadership development within core curriculum programs. Each edition centers on a pressing global issue, using it as a lens to examine how general education can keep pace with a rapidly changing world. Beyond workshops and guest lectures, the retreat is designed to produce lasting outputs, most notably annual white papers meant to guide teaching strategies both at Sabancı and among its partner institutions.
Inside CCSR 2026
Themed "A Core-Curriculum for a Brave New World: Academic Leadership, Digital Literacy, and Global Citizenship," this year's retreat opened on July 6th with arrivals and a welcome reception at the Sabancı Business School. On the first full day, sessions kicked off with warm welcome by the Foundations Development Director Emre Erol, and a brief introduction to the Civic Involvement Projects (CIP) course by CIP Director Zeynep Bahar, followed by an engaging ice-breaker. The day continued with an open discussion on academic leadership in an era of crisis, featuring talks by Professor Nebi Sümer from Sabancı University and Professor Bruce Motsvairo, Dean of AUC, followed by a session on global citizenship and anticipatory skills in core curricula.
Over the coming days, the program will turn to artificial intelligence, with faculty from both institutions, including Duygu Karaoğlan Altop from Sabancı University, Jacqui Edwards from University of Amsterdam, Dora Achourioti, and Breanndán Ó Nualláin from AUC set to share a year's worth of experience integrating AI into teaching. The retreat's second half will be devoted to hands-on curriculum design, with participants splitting into groups to draft goals, modules, and syllabi for a new "AI Literacy" course, covering topics from ethics and cognitive impact to the history of technology. The week will close with group presentations, a finalized syllabus draft, and a forward-looking discussion on CCSR's 2027 theme , alongside a shared excursion to Kadıköy and Heybeliada.
A Growing Tradition
The retreat has built a track record of tackling timely themes in collaboration with leading institutions abroad. In 2024, Sabancı University and Columbia University convened around "Core Curriculum in an Age of Crises", examining how political turmoil, economic instability, and climate change should inform general education. In 2025, the retreat turned to Amsterdam University College as its partner, exploring "Core Curriculum in the Age of AI and Digital Transformation" and the challenges generative AI poses for teaching and learning. This year's retreat continues the Sabancı–AUC partnership, building directly on that momentum.
Click here to access more information about Core Curriculum Summer Retreat.
