Istanbul Policy Center Director Professor Fuat Keyman at the "Syrians in Turkey" panel held by IPC, Sabancı University and Stiftung Mercator Initiative: 

Good examples relieve social tension 

Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative held a panel discussion on "Syrians in Turkey" and revealed its report on "The Role of Civil Society in Encouraging Pluralism" in an event at Minerva Han. Panelists discussed the state of Syrians in Turkey and the policies implemented since the Syrian refuge began. 

Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative held a panel discussion on "Syrians in Turkey" and revealed its report on "The Role of Civil Society in Encouraging Pluralism" in an event at Minerva Han.  In the first part of the event, panelists discussed the state of Syrians in Turkey and the policies implemented since the Syrian refuge began. The moderator of the discussion was Mercator-IPC Fellowship Program Coordinator Pelin Oğuz, and panelists were IPC Fellows Souad Osseiran and Kristen Biehl, and Human Development Foundation (INGEV) President Vural Çakır. Panelists discussed the health, labor, civil society and social integration aspects of Syrians in Turkey, and the different encounters between Syrians and host communities in Turkey. 

Coordination is vital for the efficiency of adaptation trainings

INGEV President Vural Çakır said that adaptation groups in universities and high schools were crucial for preventing discrimination, and continued “The disconnection and lack of coordination among naturalization services cause inefficiency and wastage. Adopting a long-term perspective in training courses and offering programs in fields that have greater employment opportunities will make efforts more meaningful.”

IPC Director Professor Fuat Keyman said the following about the refugee issue:

"Bringing good examples to the foreground will relieve social tension. Turkey is doing a great job on the one hand, yet the Syrian refugee issue may turn into a problem that can be manipulated easily and cause disturbance in the society. A careful balance must be achieved. We must communicate that Syrian refugees are here not of their own volition but out of a simple need to survive, and that when they integrate with the population of Turkey under their different identities, they will add value and diversity to the society." 

The report quoted General Directorate of Migration figures, saying that 3,541,572 Syrians were living in Turkey, 210,177 of whom were in refugee camps. Referring to the figures, Fuat Keyman said, “Research suggests that 55 to 60% of refugees intend to stay. This is why the issue is not hospitality, but naturalization. A new populace is being introduced to Turkey, and our population of 81 million is in fact closer to 83.5. We are at a stage where mismanagement of the issue could lead to serious problems. Naturalization and integration efforts must cover education, employment, economy, gender equality, youth, and social harmonization." 

2016/17 Mercator-IPC Fellow Kristen Biehl noted that there were few NGOs on migration in Turkey prior to the arrival of Syrians, continuing, "This led to the multiplication and diversification of NGOs. Syrian refugees contributed to the positive development and diversification of the civil society in Turkey. As actors became more diverse, institutions improved themselves." 

Refugee and migration issues are too serious to be considered temporary 

The report on "The Role of Civil Society in Encouraging Pluralism" was introduced in the second part of the event. The session was led by IPC Senior Specialist and Academic Coordinator Senem Aydın Düzgit, and speakers were Trent University Political Science and International Development Studies Faculty Member Feyzi Baban, 2015/16 Mercator-IPC Fellow Hande Paker, and International Migration Research Center Associate Director Kim Rygiel. Discussions focused on the role of grassroots and civil society initiatives in opening communities up to newcomers, and current issues on coexisting with differences. Panelists referred to field studies and cited three best practices regarding the promises of bottom-to-top approaches: The village of Riace in Italy; a Turkish cultural center in Gaziantep; and a Berlin-based cuisine project. 

Speakers noted that the report used comparative examples to illustrate how civil society and grassroots initiatives help to remove obstacles and flex boundaries between locals and newcomers, citizens and immigrants, and in the most general terms, the insiders and the outsiders. The report emphasizes that refugee and migration issues are too serious to be considered temporary, and in the light of the studies suggesting that migrant and refugee movements would continue in a global world, will be one of the key challengers of existing policies. As a solution, governments and local administrations are encouraged to view the issue as a whole instead of regarding it temporary, and ensure that their support to grassroots and civil society initiatives tackling the issue are permanent.

About the Sabancı University Istanbul Policy Center

Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) is a global policy research institution that specializes in key social and political issues ranging from democratization to climate change, transatlantic relations to conflict resolution and mediation. IPC organizes and conducts its research under three main clusters:

• IPC-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative
• Democratization and Institutional Reform
• Conflict Resolution and Mediation

Since 2001, IPC has provided decision makers, opinion leaders, and other major stakeholders with objective analyses and innovative policy recommendations.

http://ipc.sabanciuniv.edu

http://ipc.sabanciuniv.edu/about/history/

http://twitter.com/ipc_ipm

http://www.facebook.com/IstanbulPolicyCenter 

The ceremony for the fifth Hakan Orbay Research Awards given by the Sabancı University School of Management in honor of faculty member Hakan Orbay was held at Sabancı University on December 19, 2018.

The Hakan Orbay Research Award for Young Researchers went to Assistant Professor Selman Erol from Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University with his paper titled “Network Hazard & Bailouts”. The winner of the PhD Student Award was The Wharton School, UPENN (Finance Department) PhD candidate Adrian Ayvan Çorum with “Activist Settlements”.

Introductory remarks to the ceremony were delivered by Sabancı University School of Management Dean Nihat Kasap. Nihat Kasap said that Hakan Orbay had performed breakthrough studies in microeconomics. Kasap continued that 8 submissions had been received for the Young Researchers Award, and 11 for the PhD Student Award from the leading universities of Turkey and the world.

Hakan Orbay’s wife Benan Zeki Orbay also spoke at the ceremony. Benan Zeki Orbay said, “Tihs award is precious to our family. It is also important to us that the awards receive submissions from top universities in Turkey and worldwide. This award makes me feel like our family is growing every day."

Following the speeches, the winner of the Young Researcher Award, Assistant Professor Selman Erol from Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, made a presentation about his essay. Erol then took questions from the floor.

The jury panel this year consisted of Benan Zeki Orbay from Istanbul Bilgi University, Sabancı University faculty Aziz Şimşir, Eren İnci, İzak Atiyas, Melsa Ararat, Nakiye Boyacıgiller and Yiğit Atılgan, and Koray Deniz Şimşek from Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College.

The results of the thermoplastic composites project conducted by Sabancı University Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Research and Application Center (SU-IMC) researcher Burcu Saner Okan and Kordsa Composite Technologies Business Unit Project Leader Elçin Çakal Saraç were shared in a presentation and poster at the Smart Nanomaterials 2018 Conference held in Paris between December 10 and 13, 2018.

The Smart Nanomaterials 2018 Conference jury panel chose the thermoplastic composites project as the recipient of the best poster award. 

The thermoplastic composites study was supported by Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Members Yusuf Menceloğlu abd Fevzi Çakmak Cebeci, SU-IMC researcher Leila Haghighi Poudeh, and Jamal Seyyed Monfared Zanjani from the University of Twente.  

About the Smart Nanomaterials 2018 Conference

Smart Nanomaterials 2018 Conference is a prestigious event where scholars from the leading universities of Europe gather to discuss advanced technologies and new applied research topics.

https://www.snaia2018.com/

Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı:  

“The industry needs to review and reorganize its capital structure; electrification brings great opportunities; the role of women in the energy sector is crucial”

Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) hosted an energy conference on December 20, 2018 at the Conrad Hotel Istanbul, where the World Energy Outlook 2018 report was revealed.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı expressed her pleasure that IICEC once again hosted the Turkish launch event of International Energy Agency's annual World Energy Outlook, the bedside book of the political and industrial leaders of the world. Güler Sabancı noted IICEC’s significant efforts towards becoming an international research center.

Saying that the International Energy Agency had flourished over the last three years under the guidance of IICEC Honorary Director Dr. Fatih Birol, Güler Sabancı said that they were pleased to see the organization gain new members and improve collaboration with non-members.With regard to the advances in the Turkish energy sector in the last 16 years, Güler Sabancı said:

“Public and private actors joined forces to expend great efforts and elevate this extremely strategic industry to a considerable height. More than 100 billion dollars were invested into the electricity and natural gas sectors alone, mostly by private businesses, in order to meet the rising energy demand. This increased Turkey's generation capacity by more than threefold. The Renewable Energy Source Areas (YEKA) model, which also incorporated domestic technologies, provided a great opportunity for growth and development. The distribution sector was completely privatized. Amazing results were achieved in nonprofit energy, quality of supply, and customer satisfaction thanks to private sector investments and efficiency operations."

 “THE INDUSTRY NEEDS TO REVIEW AND REORGANIZE ITS CAPITAL STRUCTURE”

Saying that the steps towards establishing End-Source Supply Tariff regulations would play a large part in the competitiveness of the electricity market, Güler Sabancı continued:

“Above all, the transformative effect of technology started to offer unprecedented opportunities. But there is one precondition for the sector to operate more efficiently and create more value for stakeholders. That precondition is financial sustainability. Today, the energy sector struggles with it. We must adopt a holistic approach towards taking the energy industry to a better position regarding financial sustainability. To do this, first the industry needs to review and reorganize its capital structure."

 “ELECTRIFICATION BRINGS GREAT OPPORTUNITIES”

Güler Sabancı said that it was in the interest of all stakeholders to push the electricity sector forward, and continued, "We must seize the great opportunities yielded by electrification with a young population, growing urban centers, growing transport sector, and an innovative attitude."

Dr. Fatih Birol, Orhan Kaldırım, Mehmet Acarla, Denis Lohest, Bora Tuncer

"THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE ENERGY SECTOR IS CRUCIAL"

Emphasizing the importance of university-industry partnerships in energy, Güler Sabancı stated:

“IICEC is a pioneer organization in many ways. We will continue to focus on high-value, knowledge- and technology-intensive projects and cooperations in the future. Furthermore, the role of women in the energy sector is crucial. This is why IICEC and the Sabancı University Gender and Women's Studies Center of Excellence (SU Gender) is working on a critical cooperation. Supported by the International Energy Agency, this platform seeks to render global support to women working in the field of energy."

Güler Sabancı concluded, “We need an energy sector that has strong financial sustainability and commitment to focus on technology for a safer, more efficient and more competitive energy ecosystem. This will ensure that energy plays a larger part in the economic and social development of Turkey." 

Please click to read World Energy Outlook 2018's Executive Summary.

Please click to watch the IICEC Energy Conference. 

About Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC): https://iicec.sabanciuniv.edu/about

The World Energy Outlook 2018 report issued by the International Energy Agency (IEA) every year to analyze critical trends and develop extensive projections of the future will be revealed at the “IICEC Annual Energy Conference featuring the World Energy Outlook 2018 Turkey Launch” hosted by the Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) on December 20, 2018 by International Energy Agency Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol.

The WEO2018 presentation will be broadcast live starting on 29 December 2019 at 10 am on the Sabancı University YouTube account and on https://enerjigunlugu.net/.

For details and program: https://iicec.sabanciuniv.edu/iicec-conference-2018

Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Member Ogün Adebali won an Installation Grant from the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).

The EMBO Installation Grant was founded under the leadership of Turkey as the EMBO Strategic Development Installation Support in 2006. The program was founded to reverse intellectual migration in EMBC (European Molecular Biology Conference) member states Turkey, Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal, where molecular biology-based life sciences are in development. EMBO Installation Grants are funded by TÜBİTAK in Turkey and the respective funding institutions of the other nations. 

EMBO has supported 78 group leaders through Installation Grants since 2006, and the 2018 grantees were from EMBC members Czech Republic, Portugal, Poland, and Turkey.  

Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Member Ogün Adebali received the EMBO Installation Grant on the basis of scientific excellence and international mobility for his project that aims to investigate the evolutional past of the GPCR protein family, which plays a significant role in pharmacology, oncology and genetic diseases, to understand the amino acid-level functions of proteins, their importance, and their connection with diseases. 

Commenting on the 2018 Installation Grants, EMBO Director Maria Leptin said: “We’re pleased to welcome these ten talented life scientists to the EMBO community. They have all shown that they are able to carry out research of the highest quality, and we look forward to supporting them in taking the next step in their careers and setting up their own research groups.” 

150,000 Euros in total research support

Ogün Adebali will receive 50,000 euros annually from TÜBİTAK for a period of three years, and in addition to financial support, he will receive networking opportunities and practical support by becoming part of the EMBO Young Investigator network. 

Ogün Adebali will use his grant to build a computational genomics lab at Sabancı University, where he will implement projects with master's and PhD students as well as postdoctoral researchers to contribute directly to medical sciences.

The Business Against Domestic Violence Project implemented by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum became the only Turkish entrant among the UN Population Fund's Champions for Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

The Business Against Domestic Violence Project implemented by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum in association with TÜSİAD, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Sabancı Foundation was named one of the 16 champions against gender-based violence in their respective countries by their own means. The project aims to provide companies with tools that they may utilize to encourage their employees to act against domestic violence.

Business Against Domestic Violence was the only Turkish project on the list. Other entrants were Tunisia, Peru (2 projects), Ecuador, Palestine, Vietnam, Indonesia, Ukraine, Philippines (2 projects), Tanzania, Bangladesh, India, Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia. Corporate Governance Forum Women's Empowerment Projects Manager Sevda Alkan was among the 16 leaders honored by UNFPA.

Business Against Domestic Violence Project Manager Sevda Alkan said, "Many people are not aware of the different forms of domestic violence, and the means of support available to them. People think that a woman with a university degree and economic independence would not be subjected to domestic violence. This is not true. I recommend everyone to find out the truth about domestic violence and share what they find out across all media."

Meanwhile, Corporate Governance Forum Director Melsa Ararat commented, “The success of this project shows the importance of participatory and action-inducing research. I believe that universities should prioritize research that will provide input to the contribution of businesses to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and lay the groundwork for partnerships between businesses and academic institutions."  

About the Project

The "Business Against Domestic Violence" (BADV) Project was designed by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum in 2013 to disseminate the best practices, tools and methods for reducing domestic violence by creating support structures for employees who are subjected to domestic violence in the hands of their partners, and by leveraging the administrative and organizational capabilities of businesses.  In 2014, questionnaires were sent to 20 companies to survey employee awareness of domestic violence and the prevalence of domestic violence in the employee base. According to results, 75% of white-collar women with a university degree were victims of one of the forms of domestic violence at least once, and that 40% of women were victims of psychological or emotional violence, 35% of social violence, 17% of economic violence, and 8% of physical violence. Based on these results, the "Business Against Domestic Violence Policy Development and Implementation Guide" was developed in the second phase of the project in 2015 to support businesses in creating domestic violence policies and establishing solution mechanisms to mitigate an issue that negatively impacts the workplace and the active participation of women in the workforce.  Between 2016 and 2018, 51 companies, most of which were TÜSİAD members, implemented their own domestic violence policies using the Guide.

NANOMATTR, an Inovent seed capital company established by Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences member Yusuf Menceloğlu, won both the Hello Tomorrow Turkey Finals and the "Energy and Environment" category of the competition for startup companies that produce both science and technology. NANOMATTR team member Senem Avaz made a presentation in the finals.

Sabancı University had 3 spinoff companies in the competition, and INTERACT, founded by Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences member Volkan Patoğlu, came first in the "Health and Biotechnology" category.

NANOMATTR and INTERACT will take part in the global summit of Hello Tomorrow, the world's largest deep-tech venture initiative, on March 14 and 15, 2019, to compete for various training and mentorship entitlements and a chance to develop their ventures. The teams will represent Turkey at the 5th International Deep-tech Competition Hello Tomorrow Global Summit in Paris, and pitch their ventures to over 200 international investors and innovators. 

The Hello Tomorrow Turkey Finals saw the competition of 12 successful Deep-Tech ventures in the categories of Energy and Environment, Health and Biotechnology, Data and Artificial Intelligence, and Industry and New Materials.

NANOMATTR, the winner of the competition, focuses on material production, high-technology additives, and functional surface coatings. The team receives business development mentorship from the Sabancı University Industry Partnerships and Licensing Office (İLO).  NANOMATTR took part in the competition with the ‘Controlled-Emission Greenhouse Sheet’ technology that is within the Sabancı University patent portfolio.

INTERACT develops medical devices to improve the lives of persons with limited mobility. 

About Hello Tomorrow Turkey:

HHello Tomorrow is one of the world's leading deep-tech startup initiatives. Supported by prominent figures including Michael Bloomberg, Emmanuel Macron and former Nasa Director Dan Goldin, Hello Tomorrow brings tech-based ventures from the leading R&D hubs of the world together with institutions and investors to accelerate the commercialization of the technologies of the future. Hello Tomorrow Turkey has been active for over two years, accelerating Turkish science- and technology-based ventures onto the global platform. The initiative introduced Turkish finals to the Global Deep-Tech competition for the first time this year, which resulted in a sixfold increase in the number of entrants to 120 science- and technology-based ventures. To put into context, Istanbul has recently surpassed Boston and Toronto, and become the 8th city with the most startups in the Global Top 500 list. 

The Sabancı University School of Management rose 4 places to 67th in the Financial Times (FT) European Business School Rankings compared to the previous year, while the Sabancı Executive MBA program was ranked 51st.

Only two business schools from Turkey were included in the FT European Business School Rankings 2018, which compares the performances of five main programs including MBA, Executive MBA, Masters in Management (MiM) and two certificate programs.

Financial Times is considered the leading ranking institution in the world for Business Schools, in both program-based ranking and overall school ranking. To be eligible, Business Schools must be accredited by AACSB or EQUIS, and meet certain requirements.   

The Şirin Tekeli Research Awards, endowed by the Sabancı University Gender and Women's Studies Center of Excellence (SU Gender) in association with the Swedish Consulate-General of Istanbul to honor Şirin Tekeli and her groundbreaking work on democracy, academic freedom, gender equality and feminism, were presented. The award ceremony was held as part of a conference to uphold, disseminate and enrich Şirin Tekeli's heritage.

The winners of the Şirin Tekeli Research Awards, endowed by the Sabancı University Gender and Women's Studies Center of Excellence (SU Gender) in association with the Swedish Consulate-General of Istanbul in memory of Şirin Tekeli, who passed away last year, were announced at a conference held on Saturday, December 1 at Minerva Palas. The winners of the Şirin Tekeli Research Awards for supporting and encouraging gender-focused research in Turkey were Merve Kutuk-Kuriş, Petek Onur, and Caner Hazar, while Nazife Koçukoğlu, Cemile Gizem Dinçer, Bermal Küçük, Rüya Telli, Burcu Bakö, Cansu Tekin, and Elifcan Çelebi received Research Incentive Prizes.

Doctoral candidates and researchers who had completed their PhDs no more than 15 years ago were eligible for the awards. Winners were chosen by a panel of jurists from different universities based on international academic criteria. The 2018 Jury Panel consisted of Yeşim Arat, Fatmagül Berktay, Sibel Irzık, Deniz Kandiyoti, and Ayşe Öncü.

We want Şirin Tekeli’s multi-layered heritage to live on with younger generations

Speaking at the opening of the conference, SU Gender Director Ayşe Gül Altınay said that their aim was to share Şirin Tekeli’s multi-layered heritage with young researchers to further diversify and enrich her work, and continued:

“For most of us, Şirin Tekeli was the first name that came to mind when talking about feminism. Şirin Tekeli embraced everyone, appreciated all women and all ways of womanhood –even when she was a most vocal opponent of those ways– and instilled courage, motivation and inspiration with every word.  Her feminism, which focused on being constructive, on inclusion, participation, unification, solidarity, and a profound transformation of life, and continues to light our path." 

Istanbul University Faculty of Political Science Member Fatmagül Berktay, who, like Şirin Tekeli, has made invaluable contributions to the Library and Information Center for Works by Women as well as the Istanbul University Women's Studies Center, Turkey's first academic women's studies center, gave a lecture titled “A Life Dedicated to Equality and Freedom", where she discussed Şirin Tekeli’s individual and intellectual courage, devotion to principles, and her willingness to engage in self-criticism and sharing weaknesses, saying that Tekeli inspired and empowered countless women in many ways, while building spaces that focus on transforming life.

The inaugural Şirin Tekeli Research Awards in 2017 were given to the following studies:

• Building the Common: Women in Collective Spaces in Turkey
• A Study on the Women's Civic Centers Operated by Local Administrations in Ankara
• Women's/Feminist Movements of Turkey in the Light of Alliance, Solidarity and Contradiction
• The Production of Invalids: Gender and Encounters between Genders in Highland Communities
• Married to a Miner: Women Don't Last Long Here, Girl
• Everyday Lives of Women Working in the Nazilli Sümerbank Textile Factory as a Place of Memory
• Survival, Resilience, Quest for Justice: Women in High Criminal Courts
• Woman Authors in the Ottomans (1895-1908)
• Translators as New Actors in Turkish Publishing: The Transformation of Language, Theory and Profession (1980-2002)
• Home as a Meeting Place: A Look at the "Ideal Home" in 1950s Turkey through the Studio-Apartment of Aliye Berger in Narmanlı Han

About Şirin Tekeli:

Şirin Tekeli passed away in June 2017, leaving a rich heritage behind. In addition to her groundbreaking 1978 PhD dissertation in Istanbul University, Women and Political-Social Life (İletişim, 1982) and the first interdisciplinary compilation of feminist women's studies in Turkey, Women's Perspective of Women in 1980s Turkey (İletişim, 1990), Tekeli wrote seminal feminist articles in the Somut newspaper in the early 1980s, translated over 20 books on women and democracy from French and English, and wrote essays for international academic journals and compilations, becoming one of the pioneers of gender and women's studies in Turkey and the Turkish language.

Şirin Tekeli was also the motivator and driving force of many steps taken to build and empower civil society, feminist movement, and gender equality policies. Between 1985 and 1990, Tekeli was actively involved in the campaign for effective implementation of The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the March for Solidarity Against Violence, the Chora Festival, the Purple Pin Initiative, and efforts for the amendment of the Civil Code. She was among the founders of the Human Rights Society in 1986, the Foundation for Library and Information Center for Works by Women of Istanbul in 1989, the Mor Çatı Women's Shelter Foundation in 1990, the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly of Turkey in 1993, and the Woman Candidates Support and Education Society (KA-DER) and Winpeace – Turkish and Greek Women's Peace Initiative in 1997.

Click here for the full text of Ayşe Gül Altınay's speech.