Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Faculty Member Nebi Sümer received the “Professor Çiğdem Kağıtçıbaşı Lifelong Achievement Award”.

Nebi Sümer won the award for his work in attachment in social psychology, parent behavior, traffic psychology, and contribution to the science of psychology in Turkey.

Nebi Sümer received his prize at a ceremony during the IIIrd Social Psychology Congress.

Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design (VAVCD) 2005 alumni Hande Çayır published her first academic book in the United States by Vernon Press. 

The cover photo for Hande Çayır’s book “Documentary as Autoethnography: A Case Study Based on the Changing Surnames of Women” published in the Anthropology series of Vernon Press was taken by Sabancı University VAVCD 2004 graduate artist Ege Kanar. 

The subject of the study is women's surnames changing with marriage and divorce, and the book is centered on Hande Çayır’s 2012 documentary “Yok Anasının Soyadı/Mrs. His Name”, which has been shown in festivals.  

Hande Çayır states that she believes surnames to bear a message like first names do, and should be a matter of the individual's own choice. The book is divided into five chapters dealing with women's changing surnames, the methodology of autoethography, which lets people do academic research based on their own story, documentaries, feminist theory, and communication channels used to bring the documentary to the audience. 

The book is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, YBP, EBSCO, ProQuest, Bowker Books in Print, Nielsen Pubweb and IngramContent.  

https://vernonpress.com/book/825

Sabancı University Materials Science and Nano Engineering 2009 master's alumni Canan Dağdeviren, Computer Science and Engineering Program 2005 alumni Ece Kamar, and Microelectronic Engineering Program 2003 alumni Kıvılcım Ayşe Coşkun were among the 87 emerging engineers attending the Frontiers of Engineering symposium held by the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Participants of the Frontiers of Engineering symposium were chosen for their outstanding research and technical work in various engineering disciplines.

Held between September 25 to 27, 2019 in South Carolina, the symposium was organized into the subjects of Advanced Manufacturing in the Age of Digital Transformation; Genomic Engineering; Autonomous Vehicles: Technology and Ethics; and the latest in Blockchain Technology.

Among the Sabancı University graduates chosen for the National Academy of Engineering symposium, Canan Dağdeviren is currently a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ece Kamar is a Senior Researcher at Microsoft, and Kıvılcım Ayşe Coşkun is a professor at the University of Boston.

Murat Germen’s solo exhibition, Overflow can be seen at Ferda Art Platform between 10.09.2020- 10.10.2020. Overflow will consist of three series of works titled ‘’Business as Unusual’’, ‘’Humanscapes of Solidarity’’, ‘’Sculpting Reflection’’ and a video piece, that encompass three different mediums. These series question the “present time” that humankind has experienced throughout the course of the virus while also surveying the bold outlook of the artist towards the current political climate. Unlike a cut and dry method of exhibition, the viewers are welcomed with an exhibition design by architect Kerem Piker that questions the capacities of a photograph’s imperial role to become the establishing factor of space. Overflow, that is curated by Necmi Sönmez, presents a union of works that interpret the modern understanding of reality. 

The series “Humanscapes of Reality” consists of 1170 different images that welcome the viewer into the exhibition without distinguishing between language, race, skin colour, gender, sexual orientation or age to show an ideal way of existence. ’Business as Unusual’’ that surrounds this series is presented as a form of criticism towards the power structures of business world. Germen’s “World spins no matter what!” titled single channel video work, aims to transform the visual representation of the virus into a form of question that highlights the underlying source of its existence.

Finally, the “Sculpting Reflection’’ series represent “the imposed means of social distance through individualization by the globally dominant networks.” 

Murat Germen’s exhibition Overflow, questions the possibility of sustainability of the daily life that is stuck between “the old and the new normal. In this sense, the exhibition has an unbounded character where inevitable social problems are surfaced and presented through visual imagery. The exhibition, in which the artist presents a common criticism with three different mediums, unites as a memory of the realities of life in the pandemic period.

Zilberman Istanbul is honored to present Selçuk Artut’s solo exhibition “If These Walls Could Hush.” Artut’s fifth solo exhibition at Zilberman, “If These Walls Could Hush,” can be seen at Zilberman’s Main Gallery Space between September 18 and December 2, 2020. 

Artut aims to present to art audience his new sound installation project, where experience, sound and memory are intersected with the contribution of technology and digital innovations. Artut will share the “kinetic sound sculpture,” in which light and sound technologies intersect with the expressive possibilities of contemporary art, in an atmosphere that has been transformed architecturally specifically for the exhibition. 

Artut who is a Faculty Member at Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Advisory Board Member at Gate 27 Contemporary Art Platform, explains his project in a conceptual text as follows:

''Silence is a coincidence. You happen to find yourself in it. There are so many sounds around you and you don’t hear any of them. For a moment you plunge into an emptiness as if breaking away from life. You hide behind that invisible curtain in a quiet manner. This might be a way of holding yourself together. Listening to sheer silence becomes a kind of involuntary response to keeping yourself out of all the chaos. You keep looking for the sound of silence, where it is hidden, even if there is no access to it. 

Our lives are surrounded by walls. Even though we try to bury and hide all our secret experiences under a tree, they sprout and come out into the sun. Yet walls do not want to hide anything. They have peculiar colors, smells, textures, as well as sounds, although we think we will never hear them. It might be that they are not struggling to be heard but actually walls do have a language. And the good thing is, they never lie. They do not try to hide from anyone what is happening, all the treachery and the wrath. Pale marks behind paintings removed from the wall, holes plastered over, migrated patch paints and the like always carry something from past to today, tomorrow, to us and what is not with us. 

If you listen carefully, you may notice what those seemingly quiet walls are actually trying to tell you. Touching the keys on a piano that has remained silent for years and years instantly breaks its silence and expresses  generously all the sounds it possesses. It is often music that turns into sound, but what we hear is also a memory transformed into sound. This is exactly why sounds fail to lie. The sound speaks for itself, our task is to notice the effort. Those sounds keep playing inside you, trying not to bore you. Then a sound comes out, sometimes whispering to you. You don’t want to pay attention to what you hear. You can never tell anyone else. What you hear marks the moment of witnessing everything. You want to forget and you do.'' 

https://fb.me/e/1wUR2Wqhu

The "Gürsel Sönmez Awards" established in 2006 in memory of the late Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences member and valued scientist Gürsel Sönmez were given for the 14th time this year.

Awards in honor of the late Sabancı University Faculty Member Gürsel Sönmez, who passed away in 2006, were presented during the Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, June 20, 2020.

Merve Keskin Özel

The 2019 - 2020 academic year Dr. Gürsel Sönmez Research Award was given to Industrial Engineering PhD Program 2018 - 2019 Academic Year Spring graduate Merve Keskin Özel for her outstanding research.

The Dr. Gürsel Sönmez Award Committee set up every year by the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences received 190 submissions to date and handed 38 awards as a result of meticulous evaluation. 

2019 - 2020 Dr. Gürsel Sönmez Research Awards Committee

Ayesha Asloob Qureshi

Barış Balcıoğlu

Burç Mısırlıoğlu

Eralp Demir

Hüveyda Başağa

Özgür Erçetin

Selim Saffet Balcısoy

About Gürsel Sönmez and the Awards

 Gürsel Sönmez joined the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences in September 2004. Shortly thereafter, on January 16, 2006, he was involved in a fatal traffic accident. His short academic career was nevertheless fruitful and significant, and he made great contributions to the sciences.

 "Dr. Gürsel Sönmez Research Awards" were established by the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences to keep his legacy alive and remind students about his achievements to motivate them.  The Award entails prizes for one or more graduate students based on their research efforts and achievements to date.  Submissions are open to doctorate students. Graduates and candidates may only apply once. Candidates may nominate themselves or be nominated by a member of Sabancı University faculty.

Sabancı University ranked between 521st and 530th on the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, one of the world's most prestigious university rankings, and advanced one position among the top Turkish universities in the rankings to become 2nd. 

The London-based higher education ranking institution QS announced its “World University Rankings 2021”. Sabancı University maintained its rank between 521st and 530th on the QS World University Rankings, one of the world's most prestigious university rankings. The number of Turkish universities in the rankings remained at 9. Sabancı University advanced one position among the top Turkish universities in the rankings to become 2nd. 

In 2021, QS evaluated 1,604 universities for the rankings and included 1,002 of them. 47 new universities were included this year. The rankings evaluates 1002 universities worldwide on six indicators based on four criteria determined to be relevant to prospective students, namely research, teaching quality, employability and international outlook. 

Four of the indicators are based on “hard” data, and the remaining two on major global surveys – one of academics and another of employers. The weight of the indicators based on hard data are 20% for student-to-faculty ratio; 20% for citations per faculty; 5% for international faculty ratio and 5% for international student ratio.  The weight of the survey indicators are 40% academic reputation and 10% for employer reputation.

The 2019 Turkey results of CDP, implemented in Turkey by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum Since 2010, were announced to the public at the "CDP Turkey Climate Change 10th Year Conference".

Key findings of the CDP Turkey 2019 Climate Change and Water Report:

• The total number of companies reporting in the 10th year of the CDP Turkey Climate Change Program increased by 13% to 54.

• Meanwhile, 32 companies reported in the 5th year of the CDP Water Program in Turkey. The number of respondents increased by 19% compared to last year. 

• There was also an increase in the number of high-performing Turkish companies on CDP's global rankings. The increase shows not only the growth in the number of Turkish companies that report, but also the improvement in reporting quality over the years.

• All companies in Turkey reported that they integrated climate change in their business models.

• The report reveals that Turkish companies are behind evolving global trends in joining advanced climate initiatives like science-based target setting, carbon pricing, or setting renewable energy targets.

• The percentage of Turkish companies that implement internal carbon pricing has increased. Internal carbon pricing was implemented by 18% of the companies in 2018 compared to 27% in 2019.

• The perceived risk of climate change is quite high for companies in Turkey. Almost all of the respondents (90%) have determined the climate risks that have the potential for material financial or stragetic effects on the business, while 78% have determined potential opportunities related to climate.

• The majority of companies in Turkey are aware that matters such as effective climate change management or climate change strategy communication are important to their reputation. As reported by Turkish companies, the most prevalent climate-related risk is "Reputation" at 94%.

• Among the respondents, 88% have actively performed at least one attempt to reduce emissions during the reporting year. More than half (53%) of companies report that the attempt was related to energy efficiency processes.

• Almost all (96%) companies in Turkey report their energy consumption levels. Among them, 41% also report their renewable energy sources.

• A significant majority of CDP respondents (94%) measure and track more than half of the water used in all of their operations. However, only 45% require their key suppliers to report water use, risks and management.

• Among the respondents, 48% have measured their water consumption to be less than the previous year, while 26% report an increase.

• Companies face financial risks due to water issues. Throughout the reporting period, 32% of Turkish companies have had a water-related issues, which were mostly torrents or droughts.

• Risk assessment is made on the river basin level in 65% of the Turkish companies, while 90% of the respondents consider local communities in risk assessment.

• Although companies report that water is one of the most significant risk factors and is thus dealt with at the Board level, the subject of water is yet to be fully associated with performance.

• Ninety percent of companies include water-related issues in the long-term strategic business plans.

• The vast majority (90%) have set company-wide targets and objectives for better management of water risks.

• Among the respondents, 74% conduct climate-related scenario analyses to shape their business strategies. Only 19% of companies have set an internal price for water. This is lower than the ratio of companies that have internal carbon pricing (27%).

• In 2019, 9 municipalities from Turkey responded to the CDP Cities Program: Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Denizli Metropolitan Municipality, Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, Municipality of Tuzla, Village of Kadıovacık.

To view the full report: https://cdpturkey.sabanciuniv.edu/tr

Sabancı University partners with Farplas to continue to help in the fight against Covid-19 through face shield production.

Sabancı University partners with Farplas to continue the production of face shields to supply more personal protective equipment to help in the fight against Covid-19. Since March, 1500 face shields have been made within the Sabancı University Collaboration Space with plastic materials supplied by Farplas. The face shields made with the cooperation of Farplas and Sabancı University have been given to a number of institutions from the Tuzla Police to the Malatya Yeşilyurt Hasan Çalık Public Hospital. We would like to thank our long-time research and development partner Farplas for their cooperation.

An X-ray satellite telescope of the European Space Agency and NASA each will observe a neutron star for a project by Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Member Ersin Göğüş. 

The neutron star named SGR J1935+2154 has a very powerful magnetic field and has been displaying severe X-ray bursts for the last month. The high-energy bursts reached their zenith on April 27 with more than 400 bursts over 24 hours. Each burst releases an amount of energy that the Sun would only release over millions of years in under one second. The bursts occur due to the powerful magnetic field of the neutron star. The SGR J1935+2154 neutron star has a magnetic field intensity of 20 billion Tesla! In other words, it is about 10 billion times more powerful than the magnetic field generated by the MR imaging device, which generates one of the most powerful artificial magnetic fields on earth.

The bursts and the continuous radiation of the neutron star occur in the X-ray wavelength. Earth's atmosphere prevents X-rays from reaching the surface. This is one way that the atmosphere works as a mantle that preserves life on Earth. As the rays do not penetrate the atmosphere, such astrophysical phenomena can only be observed by satellite telescopes that are in Earth's orbit beyond its atmosphere.

There are currently 10 X-ray satellite telescopes in Earth's orbit. The one that can generate the highest-resolution images is the Chandra X-ray Telescope, which is NASA's second-costliest satellite project after Hubble.

As part of the observation project submitted by our faculty member Ersin Göğüş, Chandra will observe the SGR J1935+2154 neutron star system on May 18 for 20,000 seconds. The data will be analyzed using advanced image processing methods. This will hopefully shed light on the effects of the burst around the neutron star.

Chandra X-ışını Teleskobu

Another highly advanced X-ray telescope in operation is the XMM-Newton. It is the largest satellite project of the European Space Agency. XMM-Newton has active X-ray collection capability. This ensures a high-time resolution light curve (time series) and precise X-ray spectrum. SGR J1935+2154 will be in the focus of XMM-Newton on May 13 for 50,000 seconds as part of the same project. The time series analysis to be performed on the data to be collected will reveal the dynamic properties and spectrum of the neutron star, and the energy characteristics of the ambient effects of bursts.  

XMM - Newton

SGR J1935+2154 is about 30,000 lightyears from Earth. In other words, the bursts we observe now had been emitted from the neutron star about 30,000 years ago, and reach us only now. As the source is so distant, the bursts do not endanger life on Earth. The X-rays whoses bursts we observe are absorbed by the atmosphere.