Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences member Arzu Kıbrıs became one of the two people in Turkey to receive “ERC Starting Grant” in humanities and social sciences with her project "Exposure to Political Violence and Individual Behavior".

Arzu Kıbrıs, professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, received an ERC Starting Grant, which is one of the most prestigious scientific research support awards of the European Union. Arzu Kıbrıs’ project "Exposure to Political Violence and Individual Behavior" will receive European Research Council funding for five years. 

The project, as its title suggests, investigates the impact of being exposed to political violence on the political, economic and social behavior of individuals in the Turkish example. 

Arzu Kıbrıs’ project is also significant for being one of the first two humanities and social sciences projects that receive ERC funding in Turkey. The EU awards these grants to scholars residing in member or candidate states with the prerequisite that the project is implemented within a country that is also a member or candidate state. The ERC Starting Grant is a highly competitive program and the European Research Council is extremely selective in awarding grants.  Projects must be innovative, interdisciplinary, and possess great potential for contributing to science. 

Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences member Arzu Kıbrıs conducts research on the social consequences of political violence. She is a member of the Network of European Peace Scientists Board of Directors and an editor of the “Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy” journal, one of the key scientific publications in peace studies.

IICEC Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate Honorary Chairman and International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol: "Transforming the energy sector is essential for addressing the climate change."

IICEC Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate Honorary Chairman and International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol, one of the most influential individuals in energy named by Forbes magazine, had a special message from the COP21 Climate Conference:

“Energy production and use account for two-thirds of global gas emissions causing climate change. Therefore, energy needs to be at the heart of the climate agreement coming from Paris. Transforming the energy sector is essential for addressing the climate change.

“As far as I see, we will get a very strong signal from Paris for the energy sector in order to increase our use of renewable energy and using energy more efficiently. And I hope, in addition to those, we will get a long-term goal for the temperature increase which could provide a signal for the energy investors. 

“Is 1.5 °C feasible and possible? I think it is a must for many countries in the world, to survive. But even today, reaching 2 °C requires tremendous amount of political will and huge efforts to transform the energy sector. If all the countries come together and unite for the transformation of energy, we can definitely reach that target if it is set by the governments and if there is an agreement which has a legal basis.”

IEA's special reports for COP21 are available in the link below:

http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/COP21_Resilience_Brochure.pdf

https://www.iea.org/media/presentations/Energy_Matters_brochure.PDF

Please click below for the WEO 2015 Special Report on Energy and Climate Change.

http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/WEO2015SpecialReportonEnergyandClimateChange.pdf

Sabancı University was one of the two Turkish universities accredited for COP21, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 21st Conference of Parties, that ended in Paris on December 12, 2015.

Sabancı University was invited to the Paris Climate Summit (COP21) for its extensive work on energy and climate policies since established. Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum Projects Coordinator and CDP Turkey Projects Manager Mirhan Köroğlu Göğüş was also among the Turkish Official Delegation.

Sabancı University maintains climate policy efforts under IICEC (Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate), IPC (Istanbul Policy Center), and the Corporate Governance Forum with the contribution of expert researchers. Observers from Sabancı University provided public information during and after the summit as a reference institution, and contributed to nongovernmental bodies and decision-making authorities for new policies.

Please click for online application.

Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences member Professor Ersin Kalaycıoğlu and Koç University Faculty Member Professor Ali Çarkoğlu authored a report titled "Citizenship in Turkey and the World" as part of the International Social Survey Program (ISSP).

The ISSP 2014 field survey was conducted between February 13th and April 6th, 2015 with face-to-face interviews with 1509 respondents in 58 provinces. A press conference was held to share findings on citizenship in Turkey, the perception of relationships between the individual and the state, and the attitudes and expectations regarding these. 

Implemented in 43 countries, the survey in Turkey sought to define citizenship and answer questions related to paying taxes, obeying laws, tolerance of differences, support for elections, and solidarity.  A presentation of the report “Citizenship in Turkey and the World” and an analysis of findings were given by Professor Ali Çarkoğlu and Professor Ersin Kalaycıoğlu. The key conclusion of the report can be summarized as follows: 

The definition of a "good citizen of democracy" in Turkey, in the own words and views of the citizens (respondents) seemed to consist of: 

1. Paying special care to take part in the elections,

2. Full payment of taxes, 

3. Seeking to live according to the law, 

4. Being tolerant of ethical values and differences, 

5. Finding it important to aid others in worse financial situation.  

A closer look at political participation, one of the key reflections of the notion of citizenship on politics, reveals a situation vastly different from such consolidated democracies covered in the ISSP surveys as the United States, UK, Switzerland and Scandinavia. The tendency to take part in petitioning, rallies, assemblies, and demonstrations, which define the content of more direct and unconventional political participation, is very low.

A tremendous majority also avoids ways of conventional political participation such as contacting public officials in Turkey, where the behavior that is considered the most congruent with the attitudes summarized above is voting. Among conventional ways of political participation, participation in national, local, Presidential elections is the most prevalent in Turkey, and other ways are significantly less popular compared to consolidated democracies cited above.

The report also reveals that associatiability and generalized interpersonal trust occur at much lower levels in Turkey as opposed to consolidated democracies.  As an example, the number of voting age citizens in Turkey who are active members of voluntary associations is between 4 to 8% of the population, while 90% are not members of any voluntary association. 

Considering social contacts and involvement, there seems to be little interaction among individuals.  These findings correlate to the shallowness of trust-based relationships, and point out that citizenship in Turkey has a very limited capacity of forming social networks and interaction-based partnerships in order to accumulate social capital. As a result, associatiability and establishing partnerships are difficult and such initiatives are short-lived. This leads to a dearth of social capital which prevents political participation from being effective and makes voting the only means of mass participation in Turkish politics. 

An interesting point is that although political involvement is largely limited to consistently voting in elections, the feeling of political efficacy in Turkish citizens is remarkably high and on par with that in consolidated democracies. Given the lack of citizen-politician interaction at a level of diversity and effectiveness that would explain the presence of such a feeling, the report argues that the feeling is there because of constant media focus on election results, romanticizing them as the "national will." Otherwise, it is noted that data that may correspond to the belief that an unfair law could be repealed as a result of an initiative started by a citizen is mostly nonexistent, and there are few respondents who state that such a thing could be possible. 

Consolidated democracies included in the ISSP surveys show a declining emphasis on political parties and elections as institutions of political representation in 2004. While engagement in political parties as the fundamental institutions of representative democracy decreases, engagement and involvement in referendums as a means of direct participation were on the rise in consolidated democracies in Europe, North America and Oceania in 2004. These findings indicate that political involvement grows as representative democracy is weakened and citizens display an inclination towards direct democracy. The report notes that a similar process is in effect in Turkey as of 2014, although not at a rate that is comparable to consolidated democracies in 2004. 

Another key finding in the report is that the number of Turkish respondents who believe that politicians favor their personal interests over public benefit is proportionally greater in Turkey than the respondents in the majority of ISSP member countries. At a time when there is heated debate about corruption issues in Turkey, such responses reveal that these debates do not receive special consideration. This percentage is also low in Brazil, Bulgaria, South Africa, Hungary and Russia, which may indicate that the question does not simply measure the trust in politicians. An interesting contradiction is that the proportion of citizens who believe that politicians only work for their personal gain is higher in Nordic countries, United States, UK, Switzerland, Western Germany, Canada and Australia, where allegations of corruption in politics is relatively less, than the proportion in Turkey and similar countries.  This may be further evidence of a decline in trust of elected officials as the principal actors of representative democracy, even in nations with consolidated democracies. From the perspective of the Turkish citizens who attach great importance to elections, the trust in and regard of administration by officials that are elected as a result are not as low as the levels seen in the UK, Switzerland, France and United States. 

Citizen opinion of the overall effectiveness of democracy reveals a very different view. In Turkey, the number of citizens who believe that the democracy works well is almost equal to those who believe that democracy does not work well (both around 40% of the population).  There is significant improvement (9%) in this perception compared to a decade ago. Nevertheless, not much change can be expected in this indicator when compared to expectations about whether the democracy will be better or worse in ten years. It is fairly obvious that the democracy is not perceived as working very well in Turkey in contrast to ISSP member nations and consolidated democracies in particular. Therefore it should come as no surprise if demands are voiced to improve the quality of democracy in Turkey over the next decade.  

Istanbul Policy Center, Europaische Akademie Berlin and Robert Bosch Stiftung Initiative accept applications for the program entitled Likeminds: German-Turkish Junior Expert Initiative for 2016.

Already in its sixth year, the likeminds: German-Turkish Junior Expert Initiative will bring together binational experts under the title “Searching Security in the Age of Human Needs and Global Necessities.” The program is a result of the partnership of the Istanbul Policy Center and the European Academy in Berlin and is supported financially by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The program is organised and conducted by Prof. Bahri Yilmaz.

Please click here for details and application.

Sabancı University ranks 22nd on the Times Higher Education (THE) “Top Universities in BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings 2016"

Nine Turkish universities were included in the BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings 2016.

Times Higher Education’s BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings include the top 200 universities in Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and 35 other emerging economies, and Sabancı University ranked 22nd. 

Similar to the World University Rankings, the list uses a methodology that covers Teaching, Research, Citations, International Outlook and Industry Income using 13 performance indicators. 

The difference of the BRICS rankings is the greater weight placed on Industry Income and International Outlook as the list includes the best universities in emerging economies. 

Together with Sabancı University in 22nd place, other Turkish universities on the “BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings" are Koç University (13th), Bilkent University (41st), Istanbul University (62nd), METU (64th), ITU (69th), Boğaziçi University (71st), Anadolu University (106th) and Hacettepe University (168th).   

Sabancı University and Fraunhofer IML, one of Germany's leading applied research centers, signed a Framework Agreement for Strategic Cooperation in Logistics. The international cooperation between Sabancı University and Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics will support Turkey's logistics industry towards becoming a global logistics hub.  

The signing ceremony of the framework agreement between Sabancı University and Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics was held at Sabancı University on November 27, 2015. The ceremony was hosted by Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker and attending were Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Dean Professor Yusuf Menceloğlu, Fraunhofer IML Director Professor Michael Henke and Fraunhofer Institute Advisor Professor Mehmet Şükrü Tekbaş. 

Logistics plays a great role in the foreign trade and economy of Turkey and bears great importance as a strategic area where all industries meet. Considering the recent growth in the logistics industry and Turkey's 2023 goals to reach an export volume of USD 500 billion, a GDP of USD 2 trillion and becoming a global logistics hub, the cooperation between Sabancı University and Fraunhofer IML becomes even more significant.

The objective of the Sabancı University-Fraunhofer cooperation is to conduct safe, effective and sustainable logistics operations that will increase the competitive strength of Turkey and provide economic, social and environmental value to the society, develop models that will solve the issues of the logistics industry, and implement effective logistics applications.

The logistics expertise of Sabancı University focuses on supply chain network design, distribution and collection planning, disaster logistics, sustainable transport planning, and development of decision support mechanisms based on optimization methods. In addition, there are efforts on smart transport systems, use of clean fuel-powered vehicles in logistics, and research on energy logistics. The cooperation also aims to establish new mechanisms for reinforcing university-industry partnerships, benefit from the methods and approaches developed by Fraunhofer Institute, and create value for the country by converting academic studies to tangible products and services. Fraunhofer’s mission is to undertake applied research. The cooperation with Sabancı University will enable Fraunhofer to bring its logistics knowhow to Turkey, and contribute to the development of innovative projects and applications in the field. 

Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker said the following about the cooperation agreement: "There is no doubt that logistics is one of the keys to Turkey's development. Logistics is also a primary factor in three key areas that our university finds significant: research and development, civic involvement, and better university-industry partnerships. I believe this cooperation agreement will be an important step for both institutions and countries to achieve their objectives."

Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Dean Professor Yusuf Menceloğlu delivered a short presentation on the international achievements and partnerships of Sabancı University. Menceloğlu discussed the importance of the logistics industry for Turkey, where almost half the population is younger than 30, and said that the proximity of Sabancı University to the leading industrial companies in the area was a great benefit to logistics research.  

Fraunhofer IML Director Professor Michael Henke spoke on the application-oriented logistics research in Germany and drew attention to the potential of the Turkish logistics industry to create value for all other industries.  Henke continued: “As Fraunhofer, our main mission is to act as a liaison between research and application. It is possible to adapt the methods used by our Institute to Turkey. This university cooperation will reveal new strengths in Turkey, create synergy between industry and universities, and become a bridge that enables innovative and practical applications."

Bülent Çatay - Şevket Akınlar

The cooperation between the two institutions will be coordinated by Professor Bülent Çatay from Sabancı University and Dr. Şevket Akınlar from Fraunhofer IML.

“QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Top Universities Under 50" rankings were revealed. The system uses the same methodology as the QS World University Rankings to determine the top universities under 50 years of age.  Sabancı University entered the list for the first time this year and ranked between 61st and 70th.

Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker said: "We are delighted with Turkish universities advancing in world rankings.  These well-deserved advances motivate our entire university community to work in greater dedication.  Therefore, I am confident that we will see better and better results in the years to come."

Reputation has greater weight in the QS system, and reputation accounts for 50% 

of the total score, which enables younger universities to compare their visibility and outreach. Accordingly, the weight of the criteria are: 

Academic reputation: 40%

Employer reputation: 10%

Number of students/faculty members: 20%

Number of citations/faculty members: 20%

Number of foreign faculty members/total faculty members: 5%

Number of foreign students/total students: 5%

There are no Turkish universities in the Top 50; however, Bilkent University ranked between 51st and 60th, and Koç University between 71st and 80th. Three Turkish universities were on the rankings this year. 

Graduate students will be accepted for the 2015-2016 Spring Semester leading to the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in the following programs.
Detailed information on research areas including basic sciences can be obtained at http://fens.sabanciuniv.edu.

Academic inquiries should only be posted to contact names for each program given below; for administrative or procedure related questions please contact to Student Resources Office.
Phone: +90 (216) 483 9093, E-mail: studentinfo@sabanciuniv.edu

Molecular Biology, Genetics and Bioengineering

The program emphasizes the latest developments and technological innovations in this globally emerging field. Areas of specialization include molecular and cellular biology, bioinformatics, and plant biotechnology.

Academic Contact: Batu Erman,
Phone: +90 (216) 483 9530, 
E-mail: batu@sabanciuniv.edu 

Computer Science and Engineering
Research areas; natural language processing, pattern recognition, formal methods, software engineering, cryptography and information security, network security, computer architectures, distributed systems, database systems, data mining, computer graphics and virtual reality, embedded systems, knowledge representation and reasoning.

Academic Contact: Cemal Yılmaz,
Phone: +90 (216) 483 9532,
E-mail: cyilmaz@sabanciuniv.edu

Electronics Engineering 
Research areas; wireless communication, wireless networks, sensor networks, signal, speech and image processing, computer vision, pattern recognition, data networks, RF, microwaves, antennas and propagation, RF MEMS and RF Circuit design, photonics and fiber optic telecommunication, high-speed electronic devices, microsensors and microelectromechanical systems, medical and industrial ultrasonic imaging, medical instrumentation, analog and digital VLSI design, ASIC and FPGA design, computer-aided design and testing.

Academic Contact İlker Hamzaoğlu,
Phone: (216) 483 9577,
E-mail: hamzaoğlu@sabanciuniv.edu

Industrial Engineering 
The program focuses on production and service systems, integrated manufacturing, supply chain management, logistics, joint inventory-pricing decisions, product development process, modeling and analysis of manufacturing processes and equipment, manufacturing and technology strategies, fuzzy systems, combinatorial optimization and operations research approaches to telecommunication and energy systems. Emphasis is given to close collaboration with the industry.

Academic Contact: Murat Kaya
Phone: (216) 483 9622,
E-mail:mkaya@sabanciuniv.edu

Manufacturing Engineering

The Manufacturing Engineering program focuses on advanced manufacturing technologies. The research areas include manufacturing processes and equipment, computer-aided design and manufacturing, integrated manufacturing systems, additive manufacturing (3D printing), biomanufacturing, nano-micro manufacturing, composite and polymer manufacturing, and manufacturing and technology strategies with special emphasis on industrial applications. 

Academic Contact: Bahattin Koç
Phone: (216) 483 9557,
E-mail: bahattinkoc@sabanciuniv.edu

Materials Science and Engineering  
The program focuses on the interrelationships between structure, properties, and processing of materials for advanced technological applications.  Areas of ongoing research include semiconductors, synthetic and biological polymers, ceramics and composites at the nanometer scale, with particular emphasis on applications in nano-technology.

Academic Contact: Özge Akbulut,
Phone: +90 (216) 483 9968 ,
E-mail: ozgeakbulut@sabanciuniv.edu

Mechatronics Engineering  
Research areas;  smart product design, multi-disciplinary design optimization, topology design optimization, metamaterials, microsystems, intelligent control systems, robotics, machine vision, haptics, computer aided engineering, renewable energy systems, embedded systems, process control, hydro-turbines, advanced seals, turbine blade reverse engineering. Two-phase flow, Boiling heat transfer, MEMS, Boiling instabilities in microsystems, Convective heat transfer, Critical Heat Flux, Microchannels, Cavitation, Micro- and Nanofluidics, Micro pin-fins, Cross flow, Electronics cooling, Miniaturization of heat sinks

Academic Contact: Serhat Yeşilyurt,
Telefon: +90 (216) 483 9579,
E-posta: syesilyurt@sabanciuniv.edu

Mathematics  
The program emphasizes the interaction between pure mathematics and its applications, including those leading to interdisciplinary work. The main areas of concentration are number theory and algebra with applications in coding theory and cryptography, analysis and applications.

Academic Contact: Semih Onur Sezer,
Phone: (216) 483 9586,
E-mail: sezer@sabanciuniv.edu

Physics
In condensed matter physics the main research areas are experimental and theoretical semiconductor physics, mesoscopic and nanoscopic physics, and superconductivity. In high energy astrophysics, X-, gamma ray and optical obervations of compact objects (neutron stars and black holes) and their environments are the main areas of interest. Other research fields are quantum information and high energy physics.

Academic Contact: İnanç Adagideli,
Phone: (216) 483 9605,
E-posta: adagideli@sabanciuniv.edu

For Admisson :
Admission Requirements and the Necessary Documents for Graduate School of Engineering and Natural Sciences

Applicants must have completed their previous degree programs by January 18th, 2016

Financial Support:
Financial support is available in the form of a monthly stipend and/or tuition waiver. Decisions on scholarship will be made by the Admissions Committee .

Deadline:
Applications must be submitted by November 20^th, 2015. After initial screening, interviews will be scheduled for potential candidates during November 23^th – December 04^th,  2015. Applicants will be informed by e-mail. It is highly recommended to check e-mails for candidates.

For Online Application: https://admission.sabanciuniv.edu

The Graduate Admissions Calendar

Molecular Biology, Genetics and Bioengineering (MSc. / PhD.)
Interview**: 4 December 2015  13:00-17:00

Computer Science and Engineering (MSc. / PhD.)
Written Exam*: 4 December 2015  09:40-10:40

 Interview**    : 4 December 2015  11:00

(GRE Subject Test: Starting from 2013-2014 Spring applications, the CS program will request a GRE Subject test score from all international applicants. For 2015-2016 Spring semester applicants, please be aware that a GRE Subject Test score would strengthen your application; so submit your score document, if you have already taken the test.)

Electronics Engineering (MSc. / PhD.)
Interview*: -

Industrial Engineering  (MSc. / PhD.)
Interview**: 2 December 2015  09:00-13:00

Manufacturing Engineering (MSc. / PhD.)

Interview**: 27 November 2015  13:00

Materials Science and Engineering (MSc. / PhD.)
Interview**: 2 December 2015  10:00

Mechatronics Engineering (MSc. / PhD.)
Interview**: 1 December 2015  13:00-16:00

Mathematics (MSc. / PhD.)
Written Exam*: -
Interview**     : -

Physics (MSc. /PhD)
Written Exam* : 3 December 2015  09:00
 Interview**     : 3 December 2015  13:00

 ( The written exam covers the topics of the first & second year introductory physics, the third & fourth year classical mechanics, electromagnetic theory, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. Applicants who provide GRE Physics subject test scores may be exempt from the written exam.)


*All candidates are required to attend the admission exam at the given date.

**Eligible candidates are going to be invited via e-mail for the interview

Applications:
Online applications are accepted via http://admission.sabanciuniv.edu/ . Application documents (official exam results, transcript, etc..) should be uploaded on the online system and application packages be submitted either in person or post by mail to the address below. Please note that print-out of the completed application form should also be added to the application package. The packages sent via mail must arrive at the department by the application deadline. Applications sent via e-mail are not accepted.

Warning! All the application documents become property of Sabancı University. It is suggested to keep the original reports of TOEFL, GRE and ALES scores, and apply with the copies of those test scores. But please note that the originals must be produced at the time of registration to Sabancı University.

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Economics 2004 graduate İmge Emine Kaya Sabancı was named among the top 100 most influential woman leaders.

RichTopia, a digital platform offering inspiring content on business and current events, named İmge Kaya Sabancı the 96th most influential woman leader in the world. Other influential women leaders in the list include Hillary Clinton, Dilma Rousseff, Michelle Obama, Christiane Amanpour and Melinda Gates. 

İmge Kaya Sabancı, Regional Director of Ernst & Young's Woman Entrepreneur Empowerment Program, said that being on the list was a great motivation for giving support to even more women.