To celebrate the 20th year of our university, we have prepared a set of four questions to ask faculty and administrative personnel who have been with us since the beginning, and to our first students. They all tell "the story of 20 years" from their own perspectives.

Going in alphabetical order, this week's interviewee for "The Story of 20 Years" is Erdağ Aksel.

Erdağ Aksel has been a member of Sabancı University since January 1, 1998. He has been a member of the Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) for 22 years, and is currently an Emeritus Professor.

Erdağ Aksel’s answers to our four questions are below. 

What was your initial memory / impression of when you met Sabancı University for the first time?

E.A: I was having an exhibition in London. I got a call from my friend Oğuz Babüroğlu, who invited me to the first meeting to be held at the Sabancı Center after the search conference of the university.  We were both teaching at Bilkent University at the time. So I changed my ticket and instead of flying straight to Ankara, I had a layover in Istanbul for a night and attended that meeting.  There were people in the Art and Social Sciences group that I knew, but then there were others that I had of course heard of, but never met: Şerif Mardin, Nilüfer Göle and Leyla Neyzi.  As I was the only artist there, the social scientists first regarded me with a little suspicion. But in the end, that day was when many new friendships were founded.

What are the differences between yourself 20 years ago and yourself today, and how did Sabancı University contribute to that change?

E.A: There is of course the hair going white.   Jokes aside, I had joined Bilkent before it had any graduates, and I had worked for ten years in an environment that was fully supportive of my wildest projects and most unconventional suggestions. The Sabancı project excited me as well.  When you are young, you feel that you can -and should- do everything. Within twenty years, I learned how to identify what will become reality and what will remain a dream as every project goes from design to implementation. I think the greatest contribution of the university project was to teach me to stop dwelling on what can't be done, and focus on doing what can be in the most professional and genuine way possible.  

What comes into your mind when you think of Sabancı University in 20 years? What are your dreams for Sabancı University for the next 20 years? What about yourself?

E.A: The first thing that comes to my mind is an institution where the common dream that brought people together has mostly been realized, new traditions have been born, and quality has reached an impressive level.

As for myself, my dreams are much more low-key. Going on long walks, spending time with friends. Working in my studio to some music that I love, making hundreds of sketches for works of art that I perhaps will never have time to complete. 

Where and how would you be now if your paths hadn't crossed with Sabancı University?

E.A: As I said in my Emeritus ceremony speech, when life brings you to an environment where overlock operators are more in demand than artists, teaching is a worthy side job.  Therefore, if it were not for Sabancı University, I would have been teaching at Bilkent or some school in the US.

To celebrate the 20th year of our university, we have prepared a set of four questions to ask faculty and administrative personnel who have been with us since the beginning, and to our first students. They all tell "the story of 20 years" from their own perspectives.

Going in alphabetical order, this week's interviewee for "The Story of 20 Years" is Erdinç Öztürk.

Erdinç Öztürk has been a member of Sabancı University for 21 years. He was one of the first 251 undergraduate students who were there when the university opened its doors in 1999. He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences (FENS) Microelectronic Engineering Program in 2003, and is among the first graduation class. He completed his master's degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the US in 2005, and obtained a PhD from the same school in 2009. Erdinç Öztürk has been a FENS faculty member since August 2017. 

Erdinç Öztürk’s answers to our four questions are below. 

What was your initial memory / impression of when you met Sabancı University for the first time?

E.Ö.: My first day at the university was the day of the English exam. I had heard it being described as a "campus like a space station" and had seen photos in newspapers, so my expectations were high. But what impressed me most was not the buildings, or the ongoing construction, or the sandwiches conveniently located everywhere, or the overpowering smell of fertilizer. What impressed me were my cohort and the professors I met that day. We were 251 people if I'm not wrong; we had the campus to ourselves for the first year. I learned a lot from, and shared a lot with, all 250 people during my time as a student there. We were given a laptop when we arrived on campus, and I had hardly used a computer before. I remember coming back to the dorm room and asking my roommate what we were supposed to do with them. During the orientation, FENS Dean Kemal İnan had said "The computers assigned to you are no less than weapons." After four years, I realized that he was underestimating: the real weapon we had was our friends. 

What are the differences between yourself 20 years ago and yourself today, and how did Sabancı University contribute to that change?

E.Ö.: I can say that I had no idea about life 20 years ago. I was fresh out of the university exam, and the only thing I knew –and was devoted to– at the time was the exam. I don't remember having aspirations about the future. There were subjects I knew well, I was aware that I was talented in certain areas, and I loved to read and do research, but I don't remember having a dream. Sabancı University taught me how to dream, what ideals and principles are, how one is capable of free thought, and how to know what I really wanted for myself. 

What comes into your mind when you think of Sabancı University in 20 years? What are your dreams for Sabancı University for the next 20 years? What about yourself?

E.Ö.: When I think of Sabancı University, I think of home. I grew up here, and I'm a child of this household. The university gave a lot to me, and I put in a lot of effort for it. Of course I have dreams for it, mainly for it to survive as it is. There are areas where Sabancı University is leading, and principles never compromised upon, and I hope these continue as they are in 20 years. But most importantly, I wish that students who graduate from this university in 20 years have more powerful, more creative and more evocative dreams for their university than I do. We the first graduates were stronger together, and I hope that the Sabancı University spirit becomes ever stronger with new graduates joining our ranks. 

Where and how would you be now if your paths hadn't crossed with Sabancı University?

E.Ö.: We all make choices throughout life, but we really can't say what the choices we never made would have done for us. Maybe I would have been a much happier Boğaziçi University graduate, or maybe I would have dropped out because of all the issues I had had. On the other hand, it was Sabancı University that taught me the questioning way of thought, so I would have been much more confident in my answer to this question if I hadn't been here.

To celebrate the 20th year of our university, we have prepared a set of four questions to ask faculty and administrative personnel who have been with us since the beginning, and to our first students. They all tell "the story of 20 years" from their own perspectives.

Going in alphabetical order, this week's interviewee for "The Story of 20 Years" is Erol Düzgören.

Erol Düzgören has been a member of Sabancı University since October 1, 1998. Erol Düzgören joined Sabancı University 22 years ago as the Project and Architectural Control Officer of the campus construction. He went on to work in University Services and Operations and Technical Services. He is currently the Architecture and Construction Services Manager in the Procurement and Operations Directorate.

Erol Düzgören’s answers to our four questions are below.

What was your initial memory / impression of when you met Sabancı University for the first time?

E.D.: I met Sabancı University in October 1998, when I was hired. I was a fresh architect who was aspiring to be part of a project group for a university. I was tremendously excited when I first looked through the Sabancı University project.

What are the differences between yourself 20 years ago and yourself today, and how did Sabancı University contribute to that change?

E.D.: I was a part of the physical and academic construction of the university 20 years ago. I was delighted to be involved in the idealistic efforts of the President, Secretary-General and technical staff. At first, Sabancı University was a project that I would leave when the construction was complete.

But when the university opened and academic life began, I was made an offer to join the university, which I accepted. The relationships I formed with everyone from President to Secretary-General, faculty and administrative personnel at every level, enriched me as a human in ways I find difficult to put into words.

What comes into your mind when you think of Sabancı University in 20 years? What are your dreams for Sabancı University for the next 20 years? What about yourself?

E.D.: Sabancı University in 20 years evokes an image of a living organism rather than a conglomeration of buildings; an entity that has knowledge course through its vessels. My dream for Sabancı University is for it to be among the leading universities of the world, elevated by free thought and science.

Where and how would you be now if your paths hadn't crossed with Sabancı University?

E.D.: If our paths hadn't crossed, I would have two choices: I could have my own business, making projects. Or I could be an executive in a company working in my field.

NEW KITS TO BE DEVELOPED FOR MORE ACCURATE COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS 

Sabancı University and TÜBİTAK MAM GMBE cooperate to develop a new method for accurately diagnosing Covid-19 patients whose viral load is too low to be detected using real-time PCR. The ddPCR method used in the collaborative effort is expected to diagnose suspected cases with greater accuracy, helping to control the pandemic.

Although real-time PCR kits are effective in diagnosing Covid-19 cases, many patients still get false negatives due to low viral load. This leaves the pandemic to spread unchecked. Researchers from Sabancı University and TÜBİTAK MAM GMBE performed analyses and reached the common conclusion that the cause of false negatives is not sample quality, but the limitations of real-time PCR sensitivity. The discovery led to the two institutions cooperating to develop a new method for accurately diagnosing Covid-19 patients whose viral load is too low to be detected using real-time PCR. The studies involved a highly precise method called digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). 

The research team, consisting of Dr. Cavit Ağca from Sabancı University and Professor Şaban Tekin (Director), Associate Professor Abdulllah Karadağ (Assistant Director) and Hivda Polat fromTÜBİTAK MAM GMBE, envision that the ddPCR method will have greater accuracy in diagnosing suspected cases and contribute to pandemic control by reducing the number of false negatives. The kits are expected to be offered to use by mid-September.

ddPCR is a technology that helps to detect the targeted DNA down to a single copy, and enables researchers to determine the absolute number of the targeted DNA in any sample. In addition, it is capable of highly-effective gene expression analyses on single cells or samples containing too little material. Based on this, Sabancı and MAM researchers re-used samples that had been prepared for Covid-19 real-time PCR kits in order to detect false negatives. 

Thanks to ddPCR sensitivity, a patient who had been previously diagnosed to be negative was discovered to be Covid-19 positive with a low viral load. The researchers are confident that the ddPCR method will have greater accuracy in diagnosing suspected cases and contribute to pandemic control by reducing the number of false negatives. 

To celebrate the 20th year of our university, we have prepared a set of four questions to ask faculty and administrative personnel who have been with us since the beginning, and to our first students. They all tell "the story of 20 years" from their own perspectives.

Going in alphabetical order, this week's interviewee for "The Story of 20 Years" is Fikri Cebeci.

Fikri Cebeci has been a member of Sabancı University since August 17, 1997. A 23-year veteran of Sabancı University, he holds personnel badge number 14: he was the 14th person to be hired by the University. He has been President's Chauffeur since then.

Fikri Cebeci’s answers to our four questions are below.

What was your initial memory / impression of when you met Sabancı University for the first time?

F.C: Being one of the first employees, I remember the campus under construction. I still keep a photo I had taken in front of the Rectorate construction. 

What are the differences between yourself 20 years ago and yourself today, and how did Sabancı University contribute to that change?

F.C: Sabancı University transformed my life greatly; I met some of the greatest minds in Turkey, starting with our Founding President, the late Tosun (Terzioğlu) Bey, and I learned a lot from them.

What comes into your mind when you think of Sabancı University in 20 years? What are your dreams for Sabancı University for the next 20 years? What about yourself?

F.C: I wish that Sabancı University continues to be a beacon for the youth and be an exceptional representative of Turkey on an international level. As for me, I hope to be in service of our University for as long as my time and health permit.

Where and how would you be now if your paths hadn't crossed with Sabancı University?

F.C: If I hadn't joined Sabancı University, I would have continued in my former position. 

I will always be proud to be a part of Sabancı University.

To celebrate the 20th year of our university, we have prepared a set of four questions to ask faculty and administrative personnel who have been with us since the beginning, and to our first students. They all tell "the story of 20 years" from their own perspectives.

Going in alphabetical order, this week's interviewee for "The Story of 20 Years" is Feridun Alpay.

Feridun Alpay has been a member of Sabancı University since July 15, 1998. He has been the Director of the Karaköy Contact Office of Sabancı University for 22 years.

Feridun Alpay’s answers to our four questions are below.

What was your initial memory / impression of when you met Sabancı University for the first time?

F.A: Foundational work for the university had begun in 1998 at the Karaköy Contact Office. I joined the university in July of 1998. At the time, the late Tosun (Terzioğlu) Bey was President, and the late Hüsnü (Paçacıoğlu) Bey was Secretary-General.

Everybody did their part in those busy days. The building was home to 120 faculty members doing all sorts of preparation, and the meeting halls, storerooms, and even the galleries to the sides of the foyer were being used as offices.

I remember people assigned to cubicles in storerooms or the foyer, or to windowless rooms, coming up to me to ask, "When can I move to a room with windows?"

Air-conditioning was barely available as it was a historical building. The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at the time was Kemal İnan. He was assigned to a room that would get a lot of sun in the summer. One day, I went into his room to find him working at his desk, bare-chested.

We built this university by working against the odds at every turn.

What are the differences between yourself 20 years ago and yourself today, and how did Sabancı University contribute to that change?

F.A: Working with outstanding Presidents, Secretary-Generals, faculty and administrative personnel over twenty years made great contributions to my way of working and view of the world. It was an exhilarating experience to play a part in the establishment of one of Turkey's best foundation universities.

What comes into your mind when you think of Sabancı University in 20 years? What are your dreams for Sabancı University for the next 20 years? What about yourself?

F.A: In 20 years, I believe Sabancı University will be the highest-achieving foundation university in Turkey that is in full accord with the requirements of the time.

As for me, assuming I'm alive back then, I will be an old man proud to be a founder of such a university.

Where and how would you be now if your paths hadn't crossed with Sabancı University?

F.A: If I hadn't joined Sabancı University, I probably would have become the marketing or sales director of a commercial company. But I am sure I wouldn't be as happy or peaceful in my life.

To celebrate the 20th year of our university, we have prepared a set of four questions to ask faculty and administrative personnel who have been with us since the beginning, and to our first students. They all tell "the story of 20 years" from their own perspectives.

Going in alphabetical order, this week's interviewee for "The Story of 20 Years" is Evrim Uysal.

Evrim Uysal has been a member of Sabancı University since January 4, 1999. She has been an Instructor in the Sabancı University School of Languages for 21 years.

Evrim Uysal’s answers to our four questions are below.

What was your initial memory / impression of when you met Sabancı University for the first time?

E.U: The first thing I remember is the Angel Building, or Minerva Han.

I had always called Minerva Han (Karaköy Contact Office) the Angel Building because I had seen it from the window of a bus for the first time when I was a student, and the angel figures on its balconies, its overall architecture, the tiles on its façade, its side streets and neighboring buildings had left an impression on me. But of course I had never been inside the magnificent building, and my interview being there meant that I could actually walk into my beloved Angel Building and discover it from the inside. 

Then there was rain and the ceremony everyone had been waiting for: It had rained during the opening ceremony of the campus, but we were all smiling nevertheless and helping each other out to have the best possible ceremony. 

Sealing envelopes together: We had the first mock ELAE (English Language Assessment Exam) in a large Sabancı Center meeting room. It was a mock exam because it was our first meeting with the actual target audience where we collected data to do a host of data analyses later on. We had to find volunteer high school students for this. Letters of invitation were being sent out to students from various schools. The entire team was lined up in a room, managers and all, to seal and box the envelopes to be taken to the postal service. We worked until late. 

The opportunity to listen to and get to know each other while working was a great luxury. Wednesday Meetings were unforgettable to me: Every Wednesday, people would make presentations on the ground floor of Minerva Han. We continued the practice on campus for a while. It evolved over time, but still continues to this day. I have always loved these sessions because they brought scientific, artistic, academic subjects to life and made them accessible to everyone. 

What are the differences between yourself 20 years ago and yourself today, and how did Sabancı University contribute to that change? 

E.U: 20 years ago, I was able to enjoy time like people living in small cities can. Now, I am compelled to prioritize. I have discovered, and continue to discover, what I was able to do and how strong I was in many areas.

It is important to me that people I work with are at a level that will develop me professionally as well as personally. It is a great vibe to share the space with young people and learn from them. 

What comes into your mind when you think of Sabancı University in 20 years? What are your dreams for Sabancı University for the next 20 years? What about yourself? 

E.U: My dream for the university is it becoming an organic entity shaped and guided by our graduates. This is also what comes to my mind when I think of the university, and that is exciting. One of my first students had written me a note when I began teaching on the campus. It was a precious and delightful moment that had affirmed my choice of this job. I believe education will be a lot different in 20 years. Considering our present situation, it is not too difficult to predict that it will be a more online, technological education environment. 

My dream about myself is to have more time to spend with things and people I love, and make more time, in good health and spirit, for reading and traveling.  

Where and how would you be now if your paths hadn't crossed with Sabancı University? 

E.U: I would be working in my alma mater or an institution of similar caliber. For instance, I could be training new teachers in the Boğaziçi University Faculty of Education. I was aspiring to go abroad on a scholarship at the time, when life brought me to our campus. And I'm glad it did: it is an immense pleasure to be teaching bright young people on a campus dotted with my favorite: the Judas tree. 

The winners of the “Best Article Competition” organized by the Center of Excellence in Functional Faces and Interfaces for Nano Diagnosis (EFSUN) of Sabancı University have been announced in a Zoom event held on 24 August 2020.

12 finalists consisting on distinguished young scientists from different disciplines publishing articles with high impact on Functional Faces and Interfaces presented their articles in the event.

The winners of the Best Article Competition were selected by the evaluation committee consisting on well-known and active scientists from different disciplines:

1-Dr. Feray Bakan, NRAC

2-Dr. Canan Atilgan, Sabancı University

3-Dr. Emre Erdem, Sabancı University

4-Dr. Ali Kosar, Sabancı University

5- Dr. Ozan Akdoğan, Bahçeşehir University

6-Dr. Koray Balcıoğlu, TÜBİTAK MRC

In the competition where the members of the committee carefully evaluated each article and presentation;

Researcher Gamze Ulusoy Ghobadi took the first place with her article titled “A Robust, Precious-Metal-Free Dye-Sensitized Photoanode for Water Oxidation: A Nanosecond-Long Excited State Lifetime through a Prussian Blue Analogue”;

Researcher Muhammad Zeeshan took the second place with his article titled “Core−Shell Type Ionic Liquid/Metal Organic Framework Composite: An Exceptionally High CO2/CH4 Selectivity”; and

Researcher Sherif Okeil took the third place with his article titled  “Synergistic Physical and Chemical Enhancement Effects Observed on Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Substrates of Silver- Coated, Barrier-Type Anodic Alumina”.

SUNUM Researcher Begüm Yarar Kaplan was awarded the "Young Researcher Award" given to researchers under 35 years of age by the Hydrogen Technologies Association with her published papers, directed and participated in projects about “Development of graphene and carbon-based catalyst layers for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, electrochemical characterization of materials for fuel cells, synthesis of carbon-based hybrid materials for fuel cells and electrospun mats as a PEM fuel cell electrode.”

Young Researcher Award is designed for researchers with at least a master's degree who are under 35 years old as of the date of the next IHTEC conference (that the award ceremony is planned to take place). Candidates might apply directly to this award or they may be nominated. Candidates who apply or who are nominated for this award must have successfully carried out nationally and internationally successful studies on hydrogen energy technologies. Those who have inventions, who develop new applications or unique methods related to hydrogen energy technologies, will be the reason of preference for this award.

Sabancı University Istanbul International Energy and Climate Center (IICEC) has shared its views on Turkey's very important natural gas discovery.

IICEC Research Director Bora Şekip Güray stated that, as a result of intensive work and important steps taken by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources in the recent years, Fatih drilling ship has discovered 320 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas reserves in the Black Sea, which would make a significant contribution to more secure, competitive and sustainable growth of the Turkish energy sector.

IICEC Research Director Bora Şekip Güray

Güray stated that this important discovery that has been the lucrative result of Turkey's technology-oriented exploration and production efforts will be instrumental in finding new reserves in the future. Güray also underscored that this development would strengthen Turkey's negotiation power in the gas import negotiations in the next few years.

Güray emphasized that natural gas plays a key role in the energy sector, in electricity generation, many industrial sectors and heating in buildings and that the benefit to be provided by increasing domestic production in the natural gas supply through this discovery and future discoveries would be very important for Turkey by contributing to macro targets such as reducing the current account deficit stemming from energy imports and strengthening of the energy security.