Professional Graduate Programs Commencement Ceremony was held on Saturday, October 17, 2020. Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı made the following remarks during the speech she delivered at the virtual ceremony:
“While designing the Professional Graduate Programs, we aimed to meet the needs of the business world and we also aimed to make sure that these programs are based on the competencies of the future, starting from today.”
“You are graduating at a time when so many drastic changes are taking place in the world. Standing out and setting yourselves apart from the others in such a world can only be possible through continuous development.”
The Professional Graduate Programs Commencement Ceremony was held online on Saturday, October 17, 2020 by Sabancı University, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in the last academic year. Sabancı University decided to have a virtual commencement ceremony in order to protect the health of students and their families in accordance with the precautions taken against the Covid-19 pandemic. This online ceremony was held for 252 graduates who have completed the Sabancı University Professional Graduate Programs in the fields of Information Technology, Cyber Security, Data Analytics under Graduate School of Engineering and Natural Sciences; and the fields of Finance Master, Management (MBA), Management for Professionals (Professional MBA) and Management for Executives (Executive MBA) under Sabancı Graduate Business School. Graduating Students and their families attended this virtual ceremony, which was broadcast live on the university website and its social media accounts.
Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair, Güler Sabancı, President of Sabancı University Yusuf Leblebici and Member of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı University and Borusan Holding Board Member Agah Uğur delivered their speeches at the opening of the virtual ceremony.
Güler Sabancı made the following remarks during the speech she delivered to the graduating students:
“We are again experiencing a very different kind of excitement on this graduation day at our university, which has recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Today, 252 students who have completed professional graduate programs under the Graduate School of Engineering and Natural Sciences and Sabancı Graduate Business School are graduating. Our distinguished graduates are making history by being ‘the first graduate class which has a virtual graduation ceremony’. Thanks to the opportunities offered by the new technologies, we are happy to be able to celebrate your graduation day with the attendance of all the people you cherish. You have not given up investing in yourselves and learning in such a challenging time when we have had an increased level of anxiety and stress due to unforeseen circumstances. You did not give up. I would like to congratulate you with all my heart!”
Reiterating that Sabancı University aimed to meet the needs of the business world and to meet the required competencies of the future today while designing Professional Graduate Programs, Güler Sabancı went on to say the following:
“ The inter-disciplanary approach we have adopted as part of our foundation philosophy has always made us strong. By graduating from the programs we have designed based on this philosophy and perspective, you have taken a very significant step in your career and climbed the next rung of your career ladder. You are graduating at a time when so many drastic changes are taking place in the world. Standing out and setting yourselves apart from the others in such a world can only be possible through continous development.”
“Our Goal Is To Be Among The Top 40 Universities In The World University Rankings”
President of Sabancı University, Yusuf Leblebici stated the following in his speech at the online commencement ceremony:
“ Our University has lately made a significant stride in a comprehensive manner. First of all, I am proud to say that we are one of the best universities in this country with the quality and authenticity of our educational programs as well as our research output that demonstrates the conributions we make to the scientific world. However, our goal is not only to be the best university in Turkey but also to literally be a world class research university which is well-known and well-respected in the world. Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU continues its steady uptrend in the institution-specific customized programs rankings announced annually by the Financial Times.
EDU, which entered the lists for the first time in 78th place in 2018, ranked 55th in the list this year, climbing up even higher in the list. Our goal is to be among the top 40 universities in the world in this area by 2025.”
Member of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı University, Borusan Holding Board Member and the guest speaker of the ceremony, Agah Uğur made the following remarks:
“Success is a relative term in business life. Everyone has their own reality. Having completed my 40th year in my career, I have believed that the means are much more important than the end. Those who favour money, fame and power over everything end up being unhappy on their career journey and they also fail to reach their destination. However, those who do their best to enjoy what they learn from their career journey always achieve the things they desire such as money, fame and power eventually. Passion is the key to success. When I hear the life stories of high achievers, I can clearly see that being passionate and curious are of utmost importance. It is not being a superhuman that makes a huge difference in the professional life but having your own positive energy. The world is not impressed by the leaders with a vision anymore but instead, the leaders who collaborate more effectively and who have more humane leadership skills are more popular now. The leaders who find a way to get both the minds and the hearts of their employees to be committed to their companies rather than solely their minds are those who are the most successful.”