Sabancı University to be the Turkish implementer of the Human Brain Project

A team led by Sabancı University faculty Dr. Volkan Özgüz and Professor Yaşar Gürbüz and supported by TÜBİTAK will develop neuroinformatic architectures, very low-energy integrated ICT circuits and hardware platforms, empowering scientists to design new information and communication systems based on the architecture and circuitry of the human brain.

Sabancı University will establish a platform in Turkey to understand the human brain and to direct research on health and computing, liaise between new participants and European partners for cooperation opportunities, and bring Turkey forward on a global level.  This will enable scientists in Turkey to take part in a project that is set to shape the 21st century, and collaborate with Nobel laureates in the project group.  The initiative will begin in late 2013.

The European Commission has officially announced the selection of the Human Brain Project (HBP) as one of its two FET Flagship projects. The new project will federate European efforts to address one of the greatest challenges of modern science: understanding the human brain.

The goal of the Human Brain Project is to pull together all our existing knowledge about the human brain and to reconstruct the brain, piece by piece, in supercomputer-based models and simulations. The models offer the prospect of a new understanding of the human brain and its diseases and of completely new computing and robotic technologies. On January 28, the European Commission supported this vision, announcing that it has selected the HBP as one of two projects to be funded through the new FET Flagship Program.

Federating more than 80 European and international research institutions, the Human Brain Project is planned to last ten years (2013-2023). The cost is estimated at 1.19 billion euros. The project will also associate some important North American partners. It will be coordinated at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, by neuroscientist Henry Markram with co-directors Karlheinz Meier of Heidelberg University, Germany, and Richard Frackowiak of Clinique Hospitalière Universitaire Vaudoise (CHUV) and the University of Lausanne (UNIL).

(Insert National part – to be written separately in each country)

The selection of the Human Brain Project as a FET Flagship is the result of more than three years of preparation and a rigorous and severe evaluation by a large panel of independent, high profile scientists, chosen by the European Commission. In the coming months, the partners will negotiate a detailed agreement with the Community for the initial first two and a half year ramp-up phase (2013-mid 2016).  The project will begin work in the closing months of 2013.

SABANCI UNIVERSITY 

FACULTY of ARTS and SOCIAL SCIENCES (FASS)

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

2013 – 2014 FALL EARLY APPLICATIONS

The following programs leading to  MA and PhD degrees are accepting early applications for  2013-2014 academic year Fall semester. Contact names for each program have been provided for academic inquiries only. For administrative or procedure related questions, please contact Student Resources Office.

Conflict Analysis and Resolution (MA) www

Contact: Betül Çelik, (216) 483 92 98, bcelik@sabanciuniv.edu

Cultural Studies (MA) www

Contact: Ayşe Parla, (216) 483 92 63, ayseparla@sabanciuniv.edu

Economics (MA/PhD) www 

Contact: Mehmet Barlo, (216) 483 92 84, barlo@sabanciuniv.edu

European Studies (MA) www

Contact(s): Meltem Müftüler Baç, (216) 483 92 47,  muftuler@sabanciuniv.edu

History (MA/PhD) www

Contact: Akşin Somel, (216) 483 92 78, somel@sabanciuniv.edu

Political Science (MA/PhD) www 

Contact:  Ersin Kalaycıoğlu, (216) 483 93 45, kalaycie@sabanciuniv.edu

Public Policy (MA) www

Contact: İzak Atiyas, (216) 483 92 41, izak@sabanciuniv.edu

Turkish Studies (MA) www

Contact: Halil Berktay, (216) 483 92 37, hberktay@sabanciuniv.edu

Visual Arts & Visual Communication Design  (MA) www

Contact: Selçuk Artut , (216) 483 93 19, sartut@sabanciuniv.edu

Applicants must have completed their previous degree programs by September 1, 2013, at latest.

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements for Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Financial Support

A limited number of scholarships based on academic achievement are available in the form of partial or full tuition waivers and/or stipends.

Click for SU Graduate Scholarships.

Click for Graduate Funding, Other Opportunities and Awards

Please note that those candidates who fail to submit a sufficient English proficiency exam score and thus attend the course of English Language Preparation will receive no scholarship until they successfully complete the course.

Deadline

February 1st, 2013 is the deadline for the early applications. For History, Political Science, Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design Programs, all applicants take a written exam, afterwards eligible candidates are invited for an interview via e-mail. For other programs, after an initial screening, eligible candidates are invited for an interview via e-mail.

Please note that applications from abroad will not be required to take the written exam; they will be interviewed via phone or net meeting (Skype, etc.) if they’re found eligible after the initial screening.

The Graduate Admissions Calendar

Economics (MA/PhD)

Interview** : 15 February 2013 – 9:00 - FASS 2056

European Studies (MA)

Interview** : 13 February 2013 – 10:00 - FASS 2054

Cultural Studies (MA)

Interview** : 19 February 2013 – 9:30 - FASS 2054                                                  

Conflict Analysis and Resolution (MA)

Interview**: 14 February 2013 – 10:30 - FASS 2054

History (MA/PhD)

Written Exam* : 12 February 2013 – 09:00 - FASS G052
Interview** : 14 February 2013 – 10:00 - FASS 2056

Political Science (MA/PhD)

MA Written Exam / PhD Gateway Exam * : 12 February 2013 – 10:00 - FASS G049
Interview** : 15 February 2013 – 14:00 - FASS 2054

Public Policy (MA)

Interview**: 13 February 2013 – 14:00 - FASS 2056

Turkish Studies (MA)

Interview** : 7-8 February 2013 - 10:00 - FASS 2054

Visual Arts & Visual Communication and Design (MA)

Written Exam*: 13 February 2013 – 09:30 - FASS 1001
Interview** : 13 February 2013  – 14:00 - FASS 1080

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

Applicants for more than one program must get in touch with the contact names of those programs and petition to take the entrance exams in a different time period to avoid possible time conflicts. 

 **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.

Student Resources Office
Sabancı University, Orhanlı
34956, Tuzla/ İstanbul-Turkey
www.sabanciuniv.edu
Phone: +90 (216) 483 9093
Facsimile: +90 (216) 483 90 73
E-mail: studentinfo@sabanciuniv.edu

Graphene appointed an EU Future Emerging Technology flagship

The European Commission has chosen Graphene as one of Europe’s first 10-year, 1,000 million euro FET flagships. The mission of Graphene is to take graphene and related layered materials from academic laboratories to society, revolutionize multiple industries and create economic growth and new jobs in Europe.

Sabancı University also the only Turkish institution to take part in the Graphene Project.

A team led by Associate Professor Selmiye Alkan Gürsel as implementer and Dr. Burcu Saner Okan as principal researcher will contribute to the project with research on the energy applications of graphene, particularly its use in fuel cells.  The project will be supported by TÜBİTAK.

Outcomes of the fuel cell consortium will contribute to the scientific and technological presence of Turkey in this field.  The project will augment current Sabancı University work on graphene, creating a center of excellence and paving the way for new partnerships to form.  Sabancı University will also liaise between graphene-related consortia in Turkey and the European partners of the project, and showcase Turkish capabilities on an international level.

Graphene has been subject to a scientific explosion since the groundbreaking experiments on the novel material less than ten years ago, recognized by the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 to Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov, at The University of Manchester. Graphene’s unique combination
of superior properties makes it a credible starting point for new disruptive technologies in a wide range of fields. With today’s announcement Europe is launching a new form of joint, coordinated research initiative of unprecedented
scale. The Graphene Flagship brings together an academicindustrial consortium aiming at a breakthrough for technological innovation. The research effort will cover the entire value chain from materials production to components and system integration, and targets a number of specific goals that exploit
the unique properties of graphene.

Key applications are for instance fast electronic and optical devices, flexible electronics, functional lightweight components and advanced batteries. Examples of new products enabled by graphene technologies include fast, flexible and strong consumer electronics such as electronic paper and bendable
personal communication devices, and lighter and more energy efficient airplanes. On the longer term, graphene is expected to give rise to new computational paradigms and revolutionary medical applications such as artificial retinas. From the start in 2013 the Graphene Flagship will coordinate 126 academic and industrial research groups in 17 European countries with an initial 30-month-budget of 54 million euro. The consortium will be extended with another 20-30 groups through an open call, issued soon after the start of the initiative, which will further strengthen the engineering aspects of the flagship.
The flagship will be coordinated by Chalmers University of Technology based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Director is Professor Jari Kinaret who will lead the research activities together with the leaders of the 15 work packages. The management team is supported by a Strategic Advisory Council that includes the European Nobel Laureates Sir Andre Geim (chairman), Albert
Fert, Klaus von Klitzing and Sir Kostya Novoselov, industrial
representatives from Nokia and Airbus, and two representatives
of the global graphene research community.

“Although the flagship is extremely extensive, it cannot cover
all areas. For example, we don’t intend to compete with Korea on graphene screens”, says the Professor Jari Kinaret at Chalmers
University of Technology, Sweden, Flagship Director. ”Graphene
production, however, is obviously central to our project.”
During the 30 month ramp-up phase, the Graphene Flagship
will focus on the area of communications, concentrating on
ICT and on the physical transport sector, and supporting
applications in the fields of energy technology and sensors.
After the ramp-up phase, the flagship will grow to full size and
include many new groups and activities. The details of flagship
implementation after the ramp-up phase are still open and form
a part of the discussions on the Horizon 2020 research program
of the European Union.

http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/fet/flagship/home_en.html

Two outstanding global achievements by Sabancı University!

Graphene and Human Brain Project win largest research excellence award in history, as battle for sustained science funding continues

Ranked the most entrepreneurial and innovative university in Turkey, Sabancı University now has two more great achievements.

Sabancı University is the only Turkish institution to take part in the Human Brain Project (HBP) and Graphene FET Flagship Projects, two breakthrough initiatives that will usher in a new era in modern science.

The European Commission today announced the winners of a multi-billion euro competition of Future and Emerging Technologies (FET). The winning Graphene and Human Brain initiatives are set to receive one billion euros each, to deliver 10 years of world-beating science at the crossroads of science and technology. Each initiative involves researchers from at least 15 EU Member States and nearly 200 research institutes.

"Graphene" will investigate and exploit the unique properties of a revolutionary carbon-based material. Graphene is an extraordinary combination of physical and chemical properties: it is the thinnest material, it conducts electricity much better than copper, it is 100-300 times stronger than steel and it has unique optical properties. The use of graphene was made possible by European scientists in 2004, and the substance is set to become the wonder material of the 21st century, as plastics were to the 20th century, including by replacing silicon in ICT products.

The "Human Brain Project" will create the world's largest experimental facility for developing the most detailed model of the brain, for studying how the human brain works and ultimately to develop personalised treatment of neurological and related diseases. This research lays the scientific and technical foundations for medical progress that has the potential to will dramatically improve the quality of life for millions of Europeans.

The European Commission will support "Graphene" and the "Human Brain Project" as FET "flagships" over 10 years through its research and innovation funding programmes. Sustained funding for the full duration of the project will come from the EU's research framework programmes, principally from the Horizon 2020 programme (2014-2020) which is currently negotiated in the European Parliament and Council.

European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes said: "Europe's position as a knowledge superpower depends on thinking the unthinkable and exploiting the best ideas. This multi-billion competition rewards home-grown scientific breakthroughs and shows that when we are ambitious we can develop the best research in Europe. To keep Europe competitive, to keep Europe as the home of scientific excellence, EU governments must agree an ambitious budget for the Horizon 2020 programme in the coming weeks."

"Graphene" is led by Prof. Jari Kinaret, from Sweden's Chalmers University. The Flagship involves over 100 research groups, with 136 principal investigators, including four Nobel laureates. "The Human Brain Project" involves scientists from 87 institutions and is led by Prof. Henry Markram of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

The future of computing and science will be driven by collaboration. The FET flagships programme is a world-leading effort to ride this wave. The flagship race has fostered collaboration on a new scale and duration. Instead of the usual two-to-four year funding cycles, the 10 year duration and the massive financial incentive has driven the level of science in the project proposals to a much higher level, which will deliver greater benefits to Europe over the long-term, including new technologies and faster innovation.

Background
Horizon 2020 is the new EU programme for research and innovation, presented by the Commission as part of its EU budget proposal for 2014 to 2020. In order to give a boost to research and innovation as a driver of growth and jobs, the Commission has proposed an ambitious budget of €80 billion over seven years, including the FET flagship programme itself.

The winners will receive up to €54 million from the European Commission's ICT 2013 Work Programme. Further funding will come from subsequent EU research framework programmes, private partners including universities, Member States and industry.

Graphene: this material looks to become as important as steel or plastics in the long-term. Research on graphene is an example of an emerging translational nanotechnology where discoveries in academic laboratories are rapidly transferred to applications and commercial products. Graphene and related materials have the potential to make a profound impact in ICT in the short and long term: integrating graphene components with silicon-based electronics, and gradually replacing silicon or enabling completely new applications. Beyond ICT, graphene research will significantly impact energy and transport, and also health.

Human Brain Project: as a result of this initiative, in neuroscience and neuroinformatics the brain simulation will collect and integrate experimental data, identifying and filling gaps in our knowledge. In medicine, the project's results will facilitate better diagnosis, combined with disease and drug simulation. In computing, new techniques of interactive supercomputing, driven by the needs of brain simulation, will impact a range of industries, while devices and systems, modelled after the brain, will overcome fundamental limits on the energy-efficiency, reliability and programmability of current technologies, clearing the road for systems with brain-like intelligence.

Sabancı University signed the cooperation protocol with the Municipality of Tuzla for joining the Municipality and six other universities within the township of Tuzla to promote national and international projects, events and programs in education, sports and social, cultural and scientific areas.

Attending the signing ceremony, Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker said, “We take part in many protocols and signing ceremonies, but what we do here today is a first in the world.”

The signatories of the protocol are Mayor Dr. Şadi Yazıcı, Gedik University President Professor Ahmet Topuz, Istanbul Medeniyet University President Professor Hamit Okur, Istanbul Technical University Vice President Professor Mehmet Sabri Çelik, Okan University President Professor A. Şule Kut, Piri Reis University Vice President Professor Ömer Belik, Sabancı University President Professor A. Nihat Berker, and Süleyman Şah University President Professor Hüseyin Ekiz.

The ceremony was held at the Tuzla Municipality Civic Center and was also attended by the District Administrator of Tuzla, Mümin Heybet; Tuzla Director of Education, Neşat Yayla; faculty members from universities and students.
First project to be a Water Sports Center

Mayor Dr. Şadi Yazıcı said that the protocol signed with universities would be governed under the City Council, and explained that the first step of the initiative would be the transfer of the now-disused old Galata Bridge to the Kamil Abduş Lake in Tuzla following another protocol with the City of Istanbul.  Mayor Yazıcı said, “We will build a water sports center for university students where the lake meets the sea to begin delivering on our project.”

First Term of the Sabancı University Karaköy Science and Culture Academy Ends

The first term of the Sabancı University Karaköy Science and Culture Academy ended on January 12, 2013.  Seventeen participants received their certificates from Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker and Vice President Professor Sondan Durukanoğlu Feyiz.

The first term of the second Sabancı University Karaköy Science and Culture Academy concluded with a certification ceremony.  Employees of various institutions and teachers from secondary schools in Istanbul attended the first term of the Academy between November 24, 2012 and January 12, 2013.  All contributions collected from participants and sponsors were transferred to the Sabancı University Student Grant Fund.

Sabancı University cooperates with Eşarj for the first recharge station in a university in Turkey

Sabancı University and Eşarj for greener personal mobility
Included in the “UI Green Metric Ranking” for the greenest universities in the world, Sabancı University takes another step for the environment.  Cooperating with Eşarj, an electric vehicle recharge station builder, Sabancı University now has the first recharge station on a university campus in Turkey.

Sabancı University becomes the first university in Turkey to have an electric vehicle recharge station.  Eşarj Electric Vehicle Recharge Systems, in the business to become the most widespread recharge station operator in Turkey, installed a recharge station on the campus of Sabancı University.

Latest research suggests that Turkey shows the greatest interest in electric vehicles among European nations.  Environmental sensitivities and fuel costs drive the demand for electric vehicles and one of the key steps in this direction is the building of an extensive recharge network.  Cooperating with Sabancı University, Eşarj provides services for the installation of private (residential) and commercial recharge stations, building of a recharge station network, and services for industries and institutions that wish to build their own dedicated recharge network.

Sabancı University President Nihat Berker spoke on the cooperation with Eşarj and the efforts of the university for the environment in general:

“Environment has been a priority for our university since establishment.  At Sabancı University, we recycle water for irrigation.  Wastewater is treated and collected in the 35,000-square meter artificial lake on campus, which also receives stormwater from the roofs.  The campus needs 1800 tons of water daily for irrigation, of which 1300 tons comes from the lake.  The remaining 500 tons is recycled from sink, shower and toilet drains at the treatment facility.  The Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum, with the support of Akbank, has been in the lead of the Carbon Disclosure Project Turkey since 2010.  The CDP is a prestigious worldwide project to encourage corporations to share their strategies for greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change with international investors.  In 2011, we established the Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) in the light of the increasing strategic weight of energy and climate change, and the shift of the global energy balance towards the east to serve both decision-makers and the private sector.  Finally, we have been included in the University of Indonesia’s “UI Green Metric Ranking” of the most environmentally-sensitive universities for the last two years.”

Ali Barut, CEO of Eşarj, said that they were delighted to cooperate with Sabancı University, and continued “Universities are where the businesspeople and executives of the future are developed.  The more we inoculate the young generation with an environmentalist attitude, the better our world will be in the future.  Being a visionary and environmentally concerned institution, Sabancı University took the first step in this direction.  We hope this will set an example to other institutions.”

January 2013 ELAE Results

For more information about the work of Devrim Gozuacik, see:

http://myweb.sabanciuniv.edu/dgozuacik/full-publication-list/