Sabancı University School of Management faculty member Can Akkan won the CEEMAN Teaching Award given to one person every year since 2010 to recognize outstanding individuals. As the first and only Turkish faculty member to win this recognition, Can Akkan received his award at the CEEMAN Conference held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on September 25, 2015.

The award is given to an original innovative teaching process or methodology which has been already used, has yielded special benefits, and has potential transferability to other CEEMAN institutions. The judges consider these methodologies with a special eye for how it is especially relevant to the needs of students and/or executives, and how the achievement contributes to the institution’s overall vision and strategy.  Other factors in the selection are a record of the nominee's recent teaching evaluations and how these compare to the averages in the institution or department, and the assessments of the nominee's dean in the letter of nomination.  Can Akkan was chosen for this award for developing computer-assisted active learning methodologies for the MGMT201 and the following MGMT203 courses, disseminating this methodology among other faculty members in the university, and implementing this methodology in MBA and Executive MBA courses as well as trainings provided by Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU.

Speaking on the award, Can Akkan said “CEEMAN is an institution that aims to improve management education in Central and Eastern Europe. The objective of the awards is to increase the prominence of individuals serving this mission and to disseminate innovative education to other schools in the region. Having made significant efforts to implement an active learning approach that is student-centered and ensures more participation and better learning in courses since I started at Sabancı, I am delighted that my work has been recognized outside our university as well."

Sabancı University School of Management Dean Füsun Ülengin said, “The School of Management is composed of extraordinary faculty members who are aware that research and teaching must have equal weights in our quest to become one of the top 40 business schools in the world within the next five years. I congratulate Can Akkan for winning the CEEMAN Teaching Award as a solid sign that we are on the right path, and I am proud of his achievement."

The winners of the Hakan Orbay Research Awards given by the Sabancı University School of Management in honor of faculty member Hakan Orbay who passed away in 2011 were chosen. The award is designed to support young researchers of finance and microeconomics in creating original work.  This year's first prize went to Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Texas at Dallas faculty Ümit Gürkan Gürün with his paper “Resident Networks and Firm Trade.”

Mehmet İhsan Canayaz from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford came second with “Is the revolving door of Washington a back door to excess corporate returns?” and Koç University faculty Cem Demiroğlu came third with “Indicators of Collateral Misreporting.” 

This year's jury panel consisted of Istanbul Bilgi University Faculty Member Zeki Orbay, Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences members Eren İnci and İzak Atiyas, Sabancı University School of Management faculty member Koray Deniz Şimşek, Aziz Şimşir, Yiğit Atılgan, Melsa Ararat and Nakiye Boyacıgiller.

Winners will receive their prizes at an award ceremony to be held by the faculty in December. 

About Hakan Orbay

Hakan Orbay finished the Ankara High School of Science in 1979 and received a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and Physics from Boğaziçi University between 1979 and 1983.  He completed a master's in Electrical Engineering at the University of Calgary in 1986, after which he returned to Turkey and worked in information technologies in the banking sector from 1988 to 1991. Having never lost his interest in academic studies, Orbay went back to the US in 1991 for a PhD in Economics in the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, which he completed in 1995. Orbay was a member of Koç University faculty from 1996 to 1999, when he joined Sabancı University as one of the founding faculty members.  He continued his endeavors in the School of Management until his passing in 2011.

Times Higher Education (THE) reveals 2015-2016 World University Rankings. 800 universities were evaluated this year, and Sabancı University was within the 351-400 bracket. 

Times Higher Education (THE) revealed the 2015-2016 World University Rankings. 11 Turkish universities entered the rankings this year. The Turkish universities and their respective brackets are: Koç University, 251st – 300th; Sabancı University and Bilkent University, 351st – 400th; Boğaziçi, METU and ITU, 501st – 600th; Ankara, Erciyes, Hacettepe, Istanbul and Yıldız Technical Universities, 601st - 800th.

For this year's THE World University Rankings, 1126 universities from 88 countries were assessed and universities from 70 countries made it in the top 800. 29 new countries joined the Rankings this year. 

THE Rankings Editor Phil Baty said: "Turkey doubled its research budget in the last decade, and is positioned to challenge Asian countries in the rankings provided that investment in universities and research continues. In previous years, some universities in Turkey were achieving higher positions particularly due to their presence in physics experiments. The impact of articles in this field was reduced this year, which led to some Turkish universities losing points."  Another difference compared to previous rankings is the use of the Scopus database, where Turkish universities have limited data and non-English articles are also counted, instead of the Web of Science. 

The expansion of the list means that the dominance of US and UK universities is diluted with new additions from Middle Eastern and Asian countries such as Lebanon, Morocco, Jordan, Qatar, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

The methodology of the rankings is based on the key indicators of research-focused universities around the world. Institutions must have made at least 200 publications per year over the course of 5 years to be included in the list. 

Rankings are based on scores in 13 parameters collected under 5 categories. The THE rankings are the only global university performance tables to judge universities across all five of their core missions.

The five categories assessed by THE are learning, research, citations, industry support and international outlook.  THE officials note that while all criteria need to be balanced, the number of citations and international recognition of the university play a larger part in determining the rank of the university. 

When preparing the 2015-2016 rankings, more than 100,000 pieces of data from 1128 institutions in 88 countries were assessed. The invite-only "Academic Reputation" survey was sent to more than 10,000 senior academics. 

THE rankings collect the said 13 parameters under five categories whose scope and weight are provided below:

• Learning: the learning environment (worth 30%)

• Research: volume, income and reputation (worth 30%)

• Citations: research influence (worth 30%)

• Industry support: innovation (worth 2.5%)

• International outlook: staff, students and research (worth 7.5%)

World Economic Forum reveals Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016. Turkey declines 6 places due to issues with the macroeconomic environment and institutions, becoming 51st among 140 countries.

Key Findings:

1. According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016, countries need to increase efficiencies to combat the decline in growth worldwide and high unemployment.

2. Report findings suggest that the failure to improve competitive strength causes countries to be vulnerable against stagnation and other shocks.

3. Switzerland, Singapore and the United States continued to support innovation, topping all 140 economies studied.

Switzerland-based World Economic Forum revealed the results of the Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016 compiled in association with the TÜSİAD – Sabancı University Competition Forum. 140 countries were assessed in terms of competitiveness this year, and Switzerland took first place once again. Singapore and the United States were second and third, respectively, same as the previous year. The top 10 competitive countries are listed in the table below. 

The largest emerging market economies of the world continue facing challenges in improving competitiveness. Saudi Arabia ranked 25th, Turkey 51st, and Brazil 75th, all having declined since last year. India put an end to 5 years of decline and made a significant leap, ascending by 16 positions to 55th place. 

China remained in 28th place this year, being the highest-positioned of the BRICS countries.

Comments on Turkey:

The comments of the report on Turkey point out that Turkey has a GDP of 806.1 billion US dollars according to 2014 purchasing power parity, a per-capita income of 10,482 US dollars, and that Turkey's GDP accounts for 1.40% of the global total.

According to the Global Competitiveness Index 2015-2016 calculations, Turkey ranks 51st among 140 countries. Turkey was 45th among 144 countries in 2014, and 44th among 148 countries in 2013. As in the previous year, Turkey's best performance among the pillars of the Global Competitiveness Index was in the Market size component with 16th place.  Turkey's largest drop was in the Institutions index where it ranked 75th. According to the report, the volatile political environment (June 2015 elections) and geopolitical strife merged to create an environment of uncertainty, which led to the decline of private investments, particularly international investments, which play a large part in the development of Turkey. Investments slowed down also because of high inflation rates and decreasing effectiveness of and confidence in the local financial sector. Turkey's loss of position was in part due to an adverse macroeconomic environment.

The table below shows Turkey's position in some of the pillars used in the calculation of the Global Competitiveness Index. As seen in the table, there is sharp decline in competitiveness index components, with the only increase being in Labor market efficiency, and the Market size component staying the same.

RePEc (Research Papers in Economics), the leading academic index in economics, included Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Faculty Members Eren İnci, Remzi Kaygusuz and Hakkı Yazıcı in the “Top 40 Economists Under 40” rankings this year. 

Known for world-leading studies on the impact of parking spaces in the economy, Eren İnci focuses on urban landscape, transportation and public economies, and industrial organization.  Remzi Kaygusuz is a leading economist working in macroeconomics, and Hakkı Yazıcı in macroeconomics and public economy. 

About RePEc: 

RePEc (Research Papers in Economics) is a collaborative effort of hundreds of volunteers in 85 countries to enhance the dissemination of research in Economics and related sciences.   Over 1,750 archives from 84 countries have contributed about 1.7 million research pieces from 2,100 journals and 4,000 working paper series.

Recognized as Turkey's most entrepreneurial and innovative university, Sabancı advanced 30 places on the QS World University Rankings of the most prestigious institutions in the world, and ranked between 441th and 450th place.  Sabancı University is the 3rd best Turkish university on the QS World University Rankings.  Sabancı was the highest-advancing entrant on the QS World University Rankings this year.

Sabancı University ranked between 441th and 450th on the QS World University Rankings, one of the world's most prestigious university rankings. QS World University Rankings evaluates more than 800 universities worldwide on six indicators based on four criteria determined to be relevant to prospective students, namely research, teaching, 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.

Other Turkish universities featured in the top 500 of the QS World University Rankings are Bilkent University, Middle East Technical University, Boğaziçi University and Koç University.

Click for the complete list of QS World University Rankings.

Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences member Ali Koşar received the Young Scientist of the Year Award given by the Heroes of Science Society for contribution to science, the dissemination of science, and the use of science for public benefit in Turkey.

The Heroes of Science Society gives the Young Scientist Awards every year in collaboration with the presidents of three different universities. The objective of the project is to publicly recognize young scientists to encourage them, inspire future young scientists, and show the unifying power of science to all stakeholders in the society.

Ali Koşar will receive his award at a ceremony to be held on May 28.

Sabancı University School of Management among the top 3 in Eurasia and the Middle East

Sabancı University School of Management was voted to be among the Top 3 Management Schools in Eurasia and Middle East by the Eduniversal International Science Committee. 1000 business schools from 154 countries were considered and Sabancı University received the Deans' Vote. Sabancı University only needed 50% affirmative votes, but received 67.3% of votes instead.

Sabancı University will receive the award at a ceremony to be held in the United States on October 12, 2015. 31 business schools chosen by Eduniversal from 9 regions will also receive their awards. In the Eduniversal system, schools are rated within one of 9 zones depending on their geographical location: Africa, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Eurasia and Middle East, Far East, Latin America, North America, Oceania, and Western Europe.

Sabancı University School of Management Dean Professor Füsun Ülengin said, "We owe this success to the extraordinary faculty and administrative members of the Sabancı University School of Management. I am proud of my school. Our objective for the School of Management is to be among the top 40 business schools in the world."

About Eduniversal

Headquartered in Paris, Eduniversal is a global ranking and rating agency specializing in higher education. The company has established strong expertise in evaluating academic institutions and programs in France since 1994, and internationally since 2007.

Eduniversal produces two annual global rankings: The Best 1000 Business Schools in 154 countries, and the Best 4000 Masters and MBA programs in 30 fields of study in 154 countries.

These rankings are designed to provide information to prospective graduate students that will help them in their search for their future studies in the following zones: Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Eurasia & Middle East, Far East Asia, Latin America, North America, Oceania, Western Europe.

Eduniversal Methodology – Palme Leagues

For the ranking of top 1000 business schools, the Eduniversal system first determines which 1000 will be selected for the ranking. The system ranks schools based on international influence and geographical location on national and global levels. These schools are then classified in each country by Palmes of Excellence according to a set of criteria.

Palme classification depends on international influence criteria developed by the International Scientific Committee. International influence includes elements like accreditation, business school rankings, and memberships to national and international academic institutions. In the last stage, selected schools are ranked by Deans' Votes.

The Eduniversal system evaluates schools in each country within its own Palme League levels. There is a further ranking within each of the 9 zones.

Schools are ranked under 10 categories depending on their subject of education. These categories are: Accounting and Auditing; Agribusiness / Food Industry Management; Arts and Cultural Management; Business and Commercial Law; Business Intelligence, Knowledge and Security Management; Communications; Corporate Finance; E-Business; Economics; Engineering and Project Management; and Entrepreneurship.

Gender and Peace in the Middle East

Sabancı University Gender and Women's Studies Forum held a panel titled "Gender and Peace in the Middle East" on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at the Karaköy Minerva Palas. 

The moderator of the panel was Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences member Ayşe Gül Altınay, and speakers were Nadje Al-Ali, Nükhet Sirman and Ayşe Betül Çelik.

Nadje Al-Ali spoke on “Militarism, Authoritarianism, Sectarianism: The Uphill Struggle of Iraqi Women for Peace”; Nükhet Sirman on “Working for Peace” and Ayşe Betül Çelik on “Kurdish Women's Perception of Conflict and Peace.”

The first panelist, Nadje Al-Ali, spoke about the difficult struggle of Iraqi women for peace. Commenting on militarism and sectarianism, Al-Ali reminded listeners of the brutality that ensued after DAESH's kidnapping of Ezidi women, saying "It was unbelievably violent. I never believed that violence on such a scale was possible today. No one did anything. No one assisted those fighting against DAESH."

Al-Ali said she was attempting to document gender-based violence in Iraq, explaining how this became instrumentalized. "When people talk about Iraq, it is as if everything would be fine if DAESH were to go away, but it won't be fine. Violence in Iraq is rooted in gender" said Al-Ali.  She noted that gender- and sect-based violence in Iraq was inevitable after the occupation.

Nadje Al-Ali said that over the last 10 days, tens of thousands of Iraqis took to the streets against corruption and sectarianism, and that women were not only a part of this movement, but on the front lines as well.

Arguing that gender-based violence is not different from sectarianism, Al-Ali suggested that both base their politics on the female body. 

Speaking next, Boğaziçi University Professor Nükhet Sirman elaborated on her studies on peace. Sirman said that the word "peace" suffered from a progressive deterioration of value, continuing "Those who speak of peace are made to look like criminals." Explaining that as an anthropologist she worked hard for peace, Sirman said that the Kurdish women arrested during the crackdown against the KCK organization in 2009 were fighting not only male dominance, but the militarist hegemony of the state as well.

Sirman said that the Women For Peace Initiative meant they could fight a common cause with Kurdish women, and called for more serious treatment of women struggling for peace, and peace itself. Sirman concluded by saying that working for peace was a learning process for her, and advising that peace must not fall victim to militarism.

Finally, Sabancı University faculty member Ayşe Betül Çelik discussed the perception of conflict and peace in Kurdish women. Speaking on the trauma of mass migration suffered by Kurdish women in the 90s, Çelik said that migrant women felt anger and longing. Çelik said that Kurdish women adopted the peace process slogan of "Let no mother cry" to call for peace.

For the 9th September 2015, ELAE RESULTS click here.

Exam result code explanations are as follows:

SL (Satisfactory in the ELAE): indicates students who have received the required grade or above in the September 9thELAE  and who have gained the right to start their faculty studies as Fall (regular) Freshman in the 2015-2016 Fall Semester.

EL: (Exempt from the ELAE): indicates students who are exempt from the September 9thELAE. These students have already gained the right to start their faculty courses in the 2015-2016 Fall Semester.

UL (Unsatisfactory in the ELAE): indicates students who have not been able to obtain the required grade in the ELAE on the 9th September, 2015.

NA (Non-attendance): indicates students who did not attend the exam and is equivalent to a “UL” grade*.

Grade bands are as below:

Postgraduate candidates who have taken the September 9thELAE will be informed of their results by their faculties. 

We wish you success in your studies,

The School of Languages Directorate