Sakıp Sabancı Memorial Ceremony – Thursday, April 10, 13.00pm

The Honorary Chairman of the Sabancı University Board of Trustees, the late Sakıp Sabancı will be remembered on the tenth anniversary of his decesae.

Related speeches will be held at university center, cinema hall (G-030):

13:00-13:15 Nihat Berker Opening Speech

13:15-13:30 Ahmet Evin 

13:30-13:45 Kemal İnan

13:45-14:00 Tosun Terzioglu

All Sabancı University members are invited to the ceremony.

High honor students of Massachusetts Institute of Technology  (MIT) and Freie University Berlin (FUB) visited Sabancı University between March 22 and 30, 2014, enjoying life on campus and in Istanbul.

Sabancı University Performing Arts Center

Eight students from MIT and FUB each attended lectures of their choice during the week, and learned more about our university with the help of our students.

Boza and roasted chickpeas in Vefa

A special tour hosted by the Office of the President allowed visiting students to experience the historical and cultural riches of Istanbul. 

Hangar Cafe

The first group of high honors students from MIT visited Sabancı University for a week in 2012 in an organization led by President Nihat Berker.  High honors students of Sabancı University have been making visits to MIT and FUB since 2010 to experience a different culture and education environment under the guidance of President Nihat Berker and Vice Presidents Sondan Durukanoğlu Feyiz and Hasan Mandal.

Rainbow steps in Fındıklı

Microelectronic Technology, Circuits, and Systems for Space Applications

June 19^th- 20^th, 2014, Sabanci University, Istanbul, TURKEY

http://sumicro.sabanciuniv.edu

Dear Colleagues,

We cordially invite you to participate in our workshop, titled Microelectronics Technology, Circuits, and Systems for Space Applications, which will be held at Sabanci University, in Istanbul-Turkey, on June 19^th and 20^th, 2014.

Our workshop focuses on microelectronics, from technology to circuits and systems perspective, and its applications on sensing and processing electronic systems for space applications and aims to address some of following challenges through invited lectures given by world-renowned experts in their respective fields from academia, industries and research institutions.

Main Topics

1. Radar and Communication Technologies

2. Electro-Optical Imaging Systems: Technology and Applications

3. Micro and Nano Technologies

4. Terahertz Technology and Systems

5. Packaging, Testing, Qualification and Radiation Effect

Online registration is now open and available at http://sumicro.sabanciuniv.edu

(Early registration is also available until May 9^th, 2014)

Each talk includes a brief tutorial, current state of the art and future vision of the respective topic and will be interest to technology leaders/managers, engineers, researchers, academicians and students from around the world.

On Behalf of the Organizing Committee

Prof. Dr. Yasar Gurbuz

Sabanci University

Electronics Engineering
Orhanli, 34956 Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 216- 483 9533  //   e-mail: yasar@sabanciuniv.edu   //   http://people.sabanciuniv.edu/yasar

The new exhibition by Sabancı University Kasa Gallery, It Sounds Like Art, is a collection of sound artworks that explore a variety of environmental, social, aesthetic and conceptual approaches to art.

The artworks by John Drever, the duo Jane Grant and John Matthias, Music for Installations (MFI) and Nigel Helyer will provide an insight into sound art practices.

The exhibition at Kasa Gallery in Istanbul precedes the Sound Art Curating conference in London organized by Kasa Gallery in collaboration with OCR, the Courtauld Institute of Art, Goldsmiths, New York University, the LARM Archive and Aalborg University.

“The content [Inhalt] of a picture is not simply what it portrays but rather all the elements of color, structures, and relations it contains; the content of music is, for instance, as Schoenberg put it, the history of a theme” (Adorno, Aesthetic Theory, 1999: 356).

Sound artists have developed new ways to express thematic content through original aesthetic canons and modalities of interaction that are increasingly diverging from traditional interpretations and are adopting strategies of representation and engagement that continue to redefine the role of sound as an art medium.

It is the content, “as history of a theme,” that is offering the opportunity to sound artists to design and establish sound specific aesthetic practices able to provide experiences, recollections and perceptions of emotions, memories and visions.

No longer encapsulated in strict traditional canons and definitions of materiality vs. immateriality, or sound vs. image, contemporary sound artworks exist according to their own ‘material / immaterial’ cognitive experiences, thematic contexts and aesthetic structures.

Senior Curator: Lanfranco Aceti.

Event Manager: Çağlar Çetin.

Exhibition dates: April 2 – April 26, 2014.

Address: Kasa Galeri Bankalar Cad. No: 2, Karakoy, Istanbul.

Visiting hours: 10:00 – 17:00 every day except Sunday.

Follow Kasa Gallery on the web:

Websitesi: http://kasagaleri.sabanciuniv.edu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kasa-Galeri/77695156678

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kasagaleri

Social and Political Sciences 2004 graduate Melih Özsöz was promoted to Assistant Secretary-General of the Economic Development Foundation (EDF) as of March 2014.

In addition to his duty as Assistant Secretary-General, Melih Özsöz will continue his position as Research Director of EDF, one of Turkey’s most established institutions on the EU acquisition process which has been active for over 50 years.  Özsöz was previously appointed as Research Director in January 2013.

Melih Özsöz is also a founding partner of çöp(m)adam, one of Turkey’s leading social initiatives since August 2008.

Cultural Studies 2008 graduate Tankut Aykut opened his personal gallery with an exhibition called "Characters." 

Tankut Aykut Gallery was inaugurated with a joint exhibition titled "Characters" with curator Elif Gül Tirben (VAVCD 2009 graduate). 

When does character manifest itself; is it hidden in habits, or in reactions to extraordinary events? Is the body a surface that reflects character, or does the body have a character of its own? Does our language reflect our character? Is character fate? What do we mean when we talk about the character of a society, government or forest? 

Character derives from the Ancient Greek "kharassein," meaning to brand, engrave or carve, and was first used to refer to "branding iron," "stamp," "mark" or "sign." In time, the word gained concrete referents like "symbol," "letter" or "typeface," and then started to bear symbolic meanings like "the whole of differentiating, defining properties," "an entity that is part of a narrative" and "an individual with extraordinary attributes." 

What makes character observable as a brand or mark is its manifestation through repetitive actions and conduct, and the comparison with the action and conduct of others. The exhibition is a thought practice on characters - unique personal patterns that gain visibility against the backdrop of society. 

Sevgi Aka has two books in the exhibition: 15.11.11 and 13.3.13, which contain the alphabetical list of all words used by the artists on those two dates, in two different geographical locations and languages. The choice of words by the artist, who becomes a part of different systems by speaking in different languages, is an opportunity for witnessing the fluidity of character through the subjectivity and anonymity of language. 

Bora Başkan discusses the determining aspects of time and place in Track I and II, composed of moments picked from the daily lives of white collar workers. According to Başkan, "The character of an individual desires to be perceived as a whole. But while character tries to maintain its singularity, place slips from under one's foot. Time, then, becomes a track that surrounds the character." 

"Evil Co." is a "business" by Fatma Belkıs and Onur Gökmen, where they re-produce their artistic roles deriving from the similarities between business production and artistic production. "Company of Noses of Companies" is a project that the artists have been working on since they founded Evil Co. in 2012. According to the artists, the owners of the noses that were shipped abroad by Evil Co. in an attempt in tax fraud "describe an entrepreneur who wishes to make a mark on their business." 

Murat Durusoy’s "Portraits for Remembrance" consists of televised images of the main characters involved in the most impactful social events in near history. Manipulated ethereal images recall nightmarish visions of traumatic social events while depicting the character of the society we live in. 

Merve Ertufan's Sketch questions reliability of our processes for understanding and evaluating individuals. The artist asks illustrator Gökhan Okur to make an illustration of her. A recording of the sketching session reveals the consequences of prolonged exposure to the roles of subject and object or observer and observed. With unexpected comments like "your face is so fluid, all the lines are melting into each other," the recording provides the dynamics of perceiving and recording in daily life, which are momentary and therefore immediately forgotten.

Sibel Horada's Fill in the Blanks eliminates four main female characters from four famous paintings to also remove them from the gaze of the viewer. Paintings are multiplied in postcard format, and compel us to think on the representations in the image through a simple gesture. 

Based on Schopenhauer’s idea that “within everything, man perceives himself above all," Reysi Kamhi defines character as a state of conviction. The artist picks images from her Temporality and Vanitas series to express her character through the transitions between natural objects and forms, like crystals and stones, which take thousands of years to achieve the form to which they are imprisoned, and abstract depictions of the sky.  

The main inspiration for this exhibition is Komet's assemblage titled Being a Bird. The absurd character, formed of three ready-made objects and a bunch of strings, is an understatement of all that we have to say but cannot as the world we live in becomes more and more absurd. 

In the series *, Aslı Narin takes pictures of spots on her skin and matches them to a celestial map. As the number of spots grow, they shape the body like the alignment of celestial objects shapes the character. 

Elif Süsler’s video collage Candid consists of short pauses where the presenters or guests of TV talk shows, reality shows and similar programs take a breath. The artist looks for a candid or genuine act in these persons in order to establish a relationship with them. According to Süsler, "short pauses for breath and random exclamations are the most genuine among the throng of words and expressions repeated." 

The forest as a leitmotif and projection of the mental landscape of artist Tuba Yalçınkaya transforms into a threatening living space that reflects the character of the country in Forest II. Trees decorated with pennants that stay erect in the face of the massive whirlpool in the forest floor give us ideas about the character of the forest. 

The Sabancı University Entrepreneurship Council (SUGK) prepares to start the Social Investment Program with the support of the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.

The Social Investment Program will bring together social entrepreneurs who want to receive investment, and funding sources that wish to provide funding to social entrepreneurs.

The program was introduced at a meeting. Taking part in the meeting were Sabancı University School of Management Dean Füsun Ülengin and JP Morgan’s General Manager of Turkey, Emre Derman.

Details were given about Social Entrepreneurship and Social Investment in Turkey, and the new program was introduced by Entrepreneurship Council Academic Director Dilek Çetindamar, Director Kutlu Kazancı, and Social Investment Program Director Anja Koenig. 

Speaking at the event, Füsun Ülengin said: "Since its establishment in 1999, Sabancı University has been in support of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. We are also doing more and more to support social entrepreneurs as they gain significance in the society. The Social Entrepreneurship Conference, organized by INSEAD in various countries around the world, was held at Sabancı University in 2010. We have been offering social entrepreneurship courses at the School of Management for three years. In 2013, we started a one-week training and certification program called Social Entrepreneur Development Program for 20 social entrepreneurs. Based on these, Sabancı University developed the Social Investment Program we discuss today in association with JP Morgan Chase Global Philanthropy to support social entrepreneurs and social investors in finding investors and acquiring funding."  

Emre Derman said the following: “The JP Morgan Chase Foundation is proud of its partnership with Sabancı University for the Social Investment Program. Entrepreneurship helps to level the field for market players and provides new and significant opportunities for individuals. These opportunities are particularly important for social investors who identify unmet social needs and develop innovative solutions for these, considering cost effectiveness and ethical aspects. We are excited to be part of a program that will help to create more employment in the future and develop innovative ways to respond to social needs." 

Reasons for the Social Investment Program

Although Turkey has had considerable economic progress in the recent years, there are significant social and environmental issues in education, gender equality, employment, natural conservation and social peace. A growing number of social entrepreneurs strive to come up with solutions to some of these issues. Social entrepreneurs are positioned to find solutions to issues which the civil society and the government were unable to resolve on their own, and seek to develop the workforce by providing employment opportunities to disadvantaged groups. 

However, a sustainable ecosystem that will support the aspirations of social entrepreneurs with adequate social investment capital is yet to be established. In addition, a lack of awareness, experience and skills in both social entrepreneurs and potential investors cause difficulties in aligning social impact with entrepreneurial business models and investment strategies.  

Sabancı University Entrepreneurship Council developed the Social Investment Program with funding by the JP Morgan Chase Foundation to support current and potential social investors and entrepreneurs on these subjects. The program is aimed towards current and future entrepreneurs, professional investors, philanthropists, business angels, board members and employees of foundations, companies, financial institutions and government authorities who make social and environmental impact an essential element of their business plans.

Objectives of the Program

- Increase the awareness of potential investors and funding providers on the opportunities offered by investing in social impact, providing high-quality training in enterprise philanthropy and social investment strategies customized for the Turkish market

- Help social investors create a sustainable business model for social impact; show ways for repayable investments that they need to improve their strategies and grow their enterprise 

- Nurture the social entrepreneurship ecosystem, increase public awareness of social investment, and help social entrepreneurs and investors to build a network

Who can join? 

The program is open to professionals in different areas of interest and experience: 

- For-profit and not-for-profit social entrepreneurs ready to take their business to the next level, actively looking for social investment opportunities in Turkey and abroad

- Philanthropists seeking ways to increase the impact of their social efforts

- Representatives of philanthropist organizations aiming to put greater weight on entrepreneur philanthropy and develop a new donation strategy

- Finance and investment professionals wishing to expand into new markets or develop new products or social investment instruments

- Angel investors who wish to invest in social impact as well as financial returns

- Directors of development financial institutions, research companies and government institutions, and industry advisors who wish to have more authority in the area 

- All professionals who are drawn to the idea of merging social motives with commercial principles, and explore career or business idea opportunities in this field 

http://syp.sabanciuniv.edu/

March 3, 2014, Istanbul - Following the adoption of the law making a number of changes in education by the Parliament, the Education Reform Initiative (ERI) draws attention to the urgency of the National Teacher Strategy currently under discussion in the Cabinet, and the risks associated with further delay in the implementation of steps towards a more democratic, high-quality and egalitarian education system. 

Changes implemented since 2012, although radical, have had weak focus on quality and equality in education, and do not promise the potential to respond to the critical needs of all education stakeholders, most importantly children. Education policies for providing quality education for all in Turkey must be designed implemented with no further delay, in a medium-term and mutually supportive plan and setting. It is essential that these policies are based on a complete and participatory strategy, and are implemented in a student-focused way to improve education quality and alleviate inequalities. It must also be ensured that the new law does not hinder a number of ongoing projects and programs, and cause a loss of knowledge and experience within the Ministry.

The fact that the National Teacher Strategy, the first draft of which was issued in November 2011, is still not implemented thwarts efforts towards increasing education quality. The implementation of the strategy with the support of teachers and faculties of education must be a top priority in the education agenda. Additionally, the urgent completion of Teacher Competencies, School-Based Professional Development and Primary School Standards programs and projects, which promise great potential towards increasing the quality of education in Turkey, are critically important to provide tangible and observable contributions to the learning processes of children.

For as long as we are unable to provide quality education in a democratic environment in Turkey and fight against inequalities in education, we are not only unable to respond to the basic needs of children, but we are also creating immense social and economic risks for our future. It is imperative that education is rescued from the turbulent environment of increasing political divides, and steps are taken to ensure national consensus on this subject. ERI's expectation from decision-makers is the development of policies for urgent issues in education through fact-based and participatory processes, and ensure effective implementation. It will be necessary and important for the public to maintain a strong and continuous demand for quality education for all. 

Following the elections of June 2011, ERI had shared the Critical Issues in the Education System of Turkey brief with all members of parliament, and had met with some ministers and political party administrators for one-on-one discussions about the issues. The top issues identified by ERI in the brief were 1) Lack of a democratic education environment that safeguards the rights of all children in education; 2) Inequalities in education; 3) Low levels of learning in schooled children; 4) Inability of secondary education to retain youths; 5) Insufficient public education funds to provide quality education to all.

About the Education Reform Initiative:

Education Reform Initiative (ERI) mobilizes a wide range of stakeholders in research, advocacy, and training to attain its goal of “quality education for all.” Launched within  Istanbul Policy Center at Sabancı University in 2003, ERI aims to improve education policy and decision-making through participatory and fact-based education policy processes. ERI hosts the Best Practices in Education Conference, and issues an annual Education Monitoring Report to assess developments in education and share findings with the public. ERI is supported by Mother and Child Education Foundation, Aydın Doğan Foundation, Bahçeşehir University, Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation, Elginkan Foundation, Enerji-Su, Enka Foundation, İstanbul Bilgi University, İstanbul Kültür University, Kadir Has Foundation, Mehmet Zorlu Foundation, MV Holding, Nafi Güral Education Foundation, Sabancı University, The Marmara Collection, Association of Private Education Institutions, Vodafone Foundation of Turkey, Vehbi Koç Foundation and Yapı Merkezi.

ERI shared the Observation of Fundamental Education Stages Research Report and Policy Note with the public

March 10, 2014, Istanbul - Education Reform Initiative (ERI) and the Education Volunteers Foundation of Turkey (TEGV) completed the observation and assessment study on the new "4+4+4" fundamental education stages scheme implemented by the law numbered 6287.The report titled Observation of Fundamental Education Stages, and the associated policy recommendations by ERI analysts was shared with the public at a press conference on Monday, March 10.

Issued by ERI in association with TEGV, the report compares the education outputs and school environment of 5th grade students currently in the 8-year continuous education program, and other 5th grade students in the new 4+4-year, interrupted program. The report also discussed the election process for elective courses available in 5th grade curricula. Quantitative research was based on a population of 1894 students from 33 provinces. For qualitative research, 63 students from 9 Turkish provinces were interviewed. Interviewees were asked about the changes from the 4th grade to the 5th grade, how such changes affected them, and their experience and perception of elective courses.

ERI recommends four policy pillars based on research findings:

• Adaptation programs in the 4th and 5th grades to introduce students to the changes ahead (change of school, working with branch teachers, and elective courses) will help to reduce issues during the transition phase. Ministry of Education's plans to start a similar pilot study for 5th grades in the 2014-15 academic year is an important step. A similar program must urgently be designed and implemented for branch teachers as well.

• MoE's investment budget must be increased in order to enable full-day schooling in all schools and to fund the need for additional classrooms that will arise as a result. The current MoE investment budget set forth in top-level policy documents appears far from adequate to allow primary and secondary school students to receive education in discrete environments.

• School meals must be considered in public schools. The new stages extend class hours in secondary schools and expand the implementation of morning and afternoon sessions, which result in fewer students being able to eat lunch or breakfast.

• At least 26,000 additional personnel must be appointed to secondary schools. While class hours in secondary schools increased by 23% in the 2012-13 academic year, the number of full-time primary school teachers increased only by 6%. Even though weekly class hours were reduced from 37 to 35 in the 2013-14 academic year, the current number of full-time teachers is far from meeting the additional demand. 

ERI Chairperson Professor Üstün Ergüder said the following about the policy note: "Policymaking processes in education are in need of revision.     It is imperative that the political preferences of the government are blended with participatory processes and fact-based findings by the bureaucracy. The lack of exhaustive discussion on the government's objectives for introducing stages to compulsory education, and limited use of research findings during the process for adopting the law numbered 6287 caused predictable and avoidable issues in implementation. Based on the policy note, this research report presents a critical issue, and points out that socioeconomically-disadvantaged children were more severely affected by the issues that arose during the 2012-13 academic year. It is critical that the improvement efforts of the Ministry are planned with consideration for gender, socioeconomic status, students with special needs, and other risk groups." 

TEGV Chairperson Oktay Özinci said the following about the research: “Turkey made great investments in education in the last decade. We had considerable success in areas like the access of children to school. However, similar improvements were not observed in quality of education and learning outputs. Our education system does not improve simultaneously with our efforts to become one of the most developed economies of the world. Equality is another issue. We are unable to distribute the right and opportunity for quality education equally between social segments, regions and schools. We must lose no more time in building an education system that will equip our children with the knowledge, skills and values they will need to become competitive, happy and lifelong-learning individuals in the 21st century. TEGV's mission is to contribute to fundamental education in Turkey and enable children to make use of equal and quality education opportunities. We strive to accomplish this mission through education services provided by education offices throughout the nation. Furthermore, we provide support to education through projects such as these. In conclusion, we believe that such research provides important input to the development of the education system in Turkey."

About the Education Reform Initiative:

Education Reform Initiative (ERI) mobilizes a wide range of stakeholders in research, advocacy, and training to attain its goal of “quality education for all.” Launched within  Istanbul Policy Center at Sabancı University in 2003, ERI aims to improve education policy and decision-making through participatory and fact-based education policy processes. ERI hosts the Best Practices in Education Conference, and issues an annual Education Monitoring Report to assess developments in education and share findings with the public. ERI is supported by Mother and Child Education Foundation, Aydın Doğan Foundation, Bahçeşehir University, Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation, Elginkan Foundation, Enerji-Su, Enka Foundation, İstanbul Bilgi University, İstanbul Kültür University, Kadir Has Foundation, Mehmet Zorlu Foundation, MV Holding, Nafi Güral Education Foundation, Sabancı University, The Marmara Collection, Association of Private Education Institutions, Vodafone Foundation of Turkey, Vehbi Koç Foundation and Yapı Merkezi.

Sabancı University Center for Academic and Individual Development’s Academic Support Program Coordinator Dr. Huriye Arıkan and second- and third-year undergraduate students Didem Koçhan, Begüm Özemek, Beyza Mumcular, Alper Güner, Berk Çirişçi and Anıl Akarsu working in the program participated in a panel discussion on Friday, January 31st, 2014 as part of the 3rd CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH.

The event brought over 300 academics from 30 countries to the Near East University, where the Sabancı University Academic Support Program team made a presentation titled 'Millennium Students Verbalize Their Demands.'  The students defined the ideal learning environment and teacher-student relationship, explained the expectations of faculty and students from each other, providing the grounds and outcomes of these expectations.  Students emphasized the importance of academic integrity principles, and said that their most important demands are to be heard and be treated with respect.