Sabancı University School of Management Dean Nakiye Boyacıgiller was featured in the “Ten Questions” section of the Financial Times.  Compiled by Charlotte Clarke, the questions focused on Boyacıgiller’s work and career.

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The questions and Boyacıgiller’s answers are below:

When did you know you wanted to be dean of a business school?
Like many of my business school dean friends, I did not plan to be a dean. However, when I was asked to become the dean of the business school at Sabanci University, I viewed it as an incredible opportunity, since it was only four years old at the time and there was a chance to make a difference.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Helping develop people and celebrate the achievements of my faculty and students - I am one who actually enjoys graduation ceremonies.

What is the average day of a dean like?
Almost non-stop meetings! If you don’t enjoy working with people, don’t even think of being a dean.

What is the best piece of advice given to you by a teacher?
Don’t say yes, unless you really want to do something. The 10 minutes of discomfort you will feel while saying no beats the hours of misery you will feel if you say yes for the wrong reasons.

What advice would you give to women in business?
Never believe that you have less to contribute then men or bring less to the table. Never think you have to make a choice between having a family and having a career.

How do you deal with male-dominated environments?
First and foremost be myself. I believe that the best way I can make a meaningful contribution is by bringing my entire self to any work situation. My education, my bi-cultural background and the fact that I am a woman, all of these influence how I approach situations, depending on the problem at hand. Also, I treat everyone with respect and expect the same from others.

What is the last book you read?
Timur Kuran’s The Long Divergence: How Islamic Law Held Back the Middle East

What are your future plans?
Who knows? I honestly am working too hard to give it that much thought. Luckily, I get to go on sabbatical when my deanship is up. I will figure out the next stage of my life then. But while I will undoubtedly continue at the Sabanci School of Management, I also expect to get even more involved with NGOs, working to empower women in Turkey and around the world.

If you could do it all again, what would you do differently?
Make sure my research skills were impeccable. Publish more. Take dancing and singing lessons. Have another child (because the two I have turned out so great).

What is your life philosophy?
Work to make a difference. Treat all with kindness and respect. Show your love and appreciation for your family and friends. Embrace the joy in life.

Climate Change Forum at Sabancı University:
Regional and Global Climate Change: Physical Observations and Policy Choices

The Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) held the Climate Change Forum titled “Regional and Global Cimate Change:  
Physical Observations and Policy Choices,” its second event in the wake of the inaugural Global Energy Forum.

The forum was hosted by Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker and International Energy Agency Chief Economist and IICEC International Board of Advisors Honorary Chairman Dr. Fatih Birol.

President Nihat Berker delivered the opening message of the Sabancı University Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı.  In her message, Güler Sabancı stated that climate change was a serious and growing threat and the international interest in this important conference was a recognition of that fact.  Güler Sabancı continued:

“As announced by the OECD, ‘the impact of climate change on our environment, our economies and our security is one of the defining issues of our era.’  Physical observations in recent years point to important signals that climate change has become a truly global challenge which threatens our lives. Rising sea levels jeopardize coastlines. The continents are exposed to danger by powerful storms and floods.  Families are being forced to leave their homes as climate refugees from shrinking islands.”

Güler Sabancı: Humanity has been slow, for too many years, to respond to the magnitude of the climate change threat.
Güler Sabancı mentioned the United Nations report which projects that by mid-century, water availability in already dry areas will decrease by 10 to 30 % just due to climate change, and the World Health Organization data which estimates that climatic changes already cause over one hundred and fifty thousand deaths each year.  Sabancı claimed that humanity had been slow, for too many years, to respond to the magnitude of the climate change threat, and that the time we had to reverse this trend was running out.  Sabancı said that distinguished experts coming from different sectors and countries were there to share their views as to how we could reverse this trend by facilitating the right policies, investments and technologies.
Concluding her message, Sabancı said that the decision to form the Istanbul International Centre for Energy and Climate was backed by the growing role of Turkey in the energy landscape, the regional shift of international energy production and consumption to the developing countries, and the strategic position of Istanbul.  Sabancı continued that there was a need for an international approach with international resources, and a globally recognized networking center, and that IICEC would be fully independent to study, report on and contribute to the future of energy and climate topics, globally.  Sabancı underlined that the conference was one of the important steps by Sabanci University on the road to the founding of this center.

Observations on energy and climate by Fatih Birol
Following the first session was a press conference by International Energy Agency Chief Economist and IICEC International Board of Advisors Honorary Chairman Dr. Fatih Birol and Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker.

In his speech titled “Energy and Climate–is our climate path already locked-in?” Fatih Birol discussed fresh challenges that add to already worrying trends.  According to Fatih Birol, these challenges were economic concerns diverting attention from energy policy and limiting the means of intervention; the uncertainty surrounding nuclear energy in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster; turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa raising questions about region’s investment plans; and the rebound of CO2 emissions to a record high.

Fatih Birol said that energy efficiency was crucial for energy security and reversing climate change, and argued that global energy efficiency development was going in the wrong direction, that EU’s oil and gas import bills recorded historical highs, and that high oil price was a burden for the vulnerable EU economy, while a weaker Euro would exacerbate its negative impact.

Birol asserted that emerging economies continued to drive global energy demand, and that global energy demand would increase by one-third from 2010 to 2035, with China and India accounting for 50% of the growth.

Fatih Birol: Energy is at the heart of the climate challenge.  There is urgent need for bold political action.
Birol said that energy was at the heart of the climate challenge and that the overall value of subsidies to renewable energies was set to rise.  According to Fatih Birol, the subsidy granted to renewable energies was $66 billion in 2010,  compared with $409 billion for fossil fuels.  Birol said, “This needs to climb to $250 billion in 2035 as rising deployment outweighs improved competitiveness.  By 2035, cumulative CO2 emissions from today will exceed three-quarters of the total since 1900, and China’s per-capita emissions will match the OECD average.  Without further action, by 2017 all CO2 emissions permitted in the 450 Scenario will be ‘locked-in’ by existing power plants, factories and buildings.”

Birol said that all countries had agreed to implement a new framework to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in Durban, and concluded with some words of caution: “A protocol has to be agreed by 2015 and enacted by 2020 – the timeframe increases dangerously the risk of a lock-in into a high carbon infrastructure.  By 2017 only 15% of global emissions will be covered by a carbon price.  Energy investments have not become less carbon-intensive since Durban.  There is urgent need for bold political action.”

GGK invites you to come WanTTed Program

TURK TELEKOM is looking for people working for them. For this reason, GGK invites you to come WanTTed Program.
 
There is a chat by TURK TELEKOM ( at FMAN 1099 at 13:00-14:30 on 21th March)
 
The famous showman GEVEZE will be with you during the chat.
 
Your CV's will be collected there as well.
 
Pre-Application Form
 
Facebook Event
 

The most advanced nanotechnology research and application center cooperates with the industry

Dignitaries from the government, industry and academia gathered at the Sabancı Univer-sity Nanotechnology Research and Application Center – SUNUM for the “Operational Model, Industry Participation, Early Results” meeting.  The meeting was hosted by Sabancı University President Nihat Berker, and attended by Minister of Science, In-dustry and Technology Nihat Ergün and Minister of Development Cevdet Yılmaz. 

Sabancı University President Nihat Berker said that the objective of SUNUM was to pro-vide the innovative creativity and development expected of universities and required for competition in the industry.  Berker thanked Minister of Science, Industry and Technolo-gy Nihat Ergün and Minister of Development Cevdet Yılmaz for their contribution to re-search in nanotechnology which, according to Berker, played a very important part in Turkey’s progress.

President Nihat Berker continued: “It is our pleasure that, pursuant to the resolutions adopted in the December 2010 and 2011 meetings of the High Council of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology and the Ministry of De-velopment are taking the necessary steps to ensure that the research centers in Turkey op-erate 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.  These efforts are important in many ways, not the least of which is the efficiency of these centers.

“I would like to stress another issue of paramount importance: people are the most im-portant element in ensuring sustainability.  With your support, we have arrived at a point where renewal and maintenance investments in infrastructure and technical resources are as important as investing in human resources.  We hope that the investment support and incentives of the government continue and increase to ensure the sustainability of human resources in the future.”

President Nihat Berker also said that the most important difference of SUNUM, for which the groundbreaking ceremony was held in June 2010 with President of the Repub-lic Abdullah Gül and opening ceremony in July 2011 with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, from existing research centers was its principle to develop solution alternatives to the issues of the society and contribute to increasing national welfare.

Nihat Berker said that a founding principle of Sabancı University was to create and de-velop together in order to become a global university, and that today’s meeting would ensure that Sabancı University faculty create the best service models with the input from stakeholders in the industry.

Also speaking at the meeting, Minister of Development Cevdet Yılmaz said that the vi-sion for 2023 called for an increase of the share of high-technology products in national exports, to which purpose R&D was being prioritized.  Said Yılmaz, “The ratio of public and private R&D spending to national product was 0.53-0.54 in 2002; as of 2010, this ratio had become 0.84.  This is a great leap.  Considering that the national product rose from 230 billion dollars to 736 billion dollars, this is a threefold increase.  Meanwhile, the ratio rises from 0.53 to 0.84.  In dollar terms, this is an increase from 1.2 billion dollars to 6.2 billion dollars of R&D spending.  This is exhilarating.  In the past, Turkey’s spending was more than only 3 or 4 OECD and European countries; today, our spending exceeds that of 9-10 EU countries, in terms of ratio to national product.  As important is the private R&D spending.  We have an R&D target for 2023: we want to increase R&D spending to 3% of the national product.  We want the private sector to account for two-thirds of this, and the public sector for one-third”

Yılmaz said that the most important aspect of converting R&D spending to added value and innovation was increasing R&D spending in the private sector, explaining that private R&D spending was in excess of 40% with an expectation to exceed 60%.  Yılmaz also said that while the R&D business had 74,000 employees as of 2010, the target for 2023 was 300,000.
Cevdet Yılmaz concluded by saying that universities could play an important role in off-setting the regional imbalance of development levels in Turkey by contributing more to the development process.

Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Nihat Ergün said that an amendment of the Patents Law would enable universities to apply for institutional patents, while Technolo-gy Transfer Offices to be established within universities would be authorized to license patents, which will add patent revenue to university resources.

Ergün emphasized that the Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM) was a very important role model in advancing cooperation between the university and the industry, and that it was an inspiration to all decision-makers.

Ergün said that universities were responsible for leading advancement in knowledge-intensive industries, and that the Sabancı University Nanotechnology Center was a prime example of collaborating with the industry to convert knowledge into an end-product, making the institution very important.  Ergün explained that the government would al-ways be in support of universities, academics and the industry collaborating in this area, and said, “We know very well that any high-quality project that will increase production, export and employment will be a stone in Turkey’s path to 2023 targets.”

After the opening speeches, SUNUM Director Volkan Özgüz discussed the current pro-jects and future objectives of the center. Özgüz explained that they were on the path to building an “Innovation Ecosystem” where academic researchers, students, industry researchers and manufacturers would work in close contact within a defined area, and said, “SUNUM blossomed on the foundation laid by the scientifically and technically competent faculty of the Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Social Sciences.  On top of this foundation, we erected this excellent research building and equipment park with the contributions of the Ministry of Development and the Sabancı Foundation.  We built state-of-the-art laboratories.

“By making this wealthy base of people and technical facilities available to all academic and industrial users, SUNUM aims to increase the competitive edge and create knowledge-based value.  All users that meet specific requirements may use our center.”  Volkan Özgüz added that there were cooperation agreements with many leading centers, both in Turkey and abroad.

Volkan Özgüz continued, “We consulted with stakeholders in the industry to identify the people-focused areas with high value for SUNUM.  These areas include the energy, envi-ronment, water and defense initiatives of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Scienc-es, which will be accelerated with the help of the new infrastructure at our center.  Our short-term application area is structural elements, where we will focus on composite pan-els and medical equipment utilizing nanotechnology.  The medium-term area of applica-tion is food and agriculture, and the long-term area is health and nano-biotechnology.  Our R&D efforts continue on every level from building blocks to industrial implementa-tion.  We work within strategic partnerships and pre-competition consortia to obtain re-sults within a schedule that meets the needs of the industry.  Early results are here.  In addition to a dozen scientific publications, we have made two patent applications.”

Speeches were followed by a panel discussion on “Nanotechnology R&D Efforts of Stakeholders” moderated by Vice-President of Sabancı University and Director of Re-search Graduate Policy Hasan Mandal.  Speaking at the panel were representatives of the Gebze High Technology Institute, Akkök Group and Eczacıbaşı Yapı Ürünleri, which are the first research partners in SUNUM.

Later, Sabancı University President Nihat Berker and SUNUM Director Volkan Özgüz gave a tour of SUNUM laboratories to Minister of Development Cevdet Yılmaz, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Nihat Ergün and the other guests.

Solo exhibitions by two of our VAVCD graduates, Meltem Işık and Hande Varsat

Recent works by Meltem Işık (2011) and Hande Varsat (2055) are on display in Istanbul centrum art galeries. Meltem's works can be seen at Galeri Nev whereas Hande's works are at Galeri Apel, both located in the Beyoğlu area.

MELTEM IŞIK - AYNI NEHİRDE BİR DAHA / TWICE INTO THE STREAM
Galeri NEV 02.03.2012 - 31.03.2012

HANDE VARSAT - "daima yüklü / ever-laden"
 Galeri Apel 08.03.2012 - 07.04.2012

Artist and researcher, Tayfun Serttas will be giving an artist's talk about his project Foto Galatasaray which was recently exhibited at SALT Galata on Thursday, 15th of March between 16.30-17.30 pm The talk is part of the VA 442/542 Visiting Designer Studio class taught by Pinar Yolacan and it is open to univesity students and faculty.

Time: SSBF 1014
Place: 16.30-17.30
More info:

Sabancı University MBA Club hosted the representatives of leading companies at the “Social Media Summit”

The second Social Media Summit held by the Sabancı University MBA Club discussed the recent trends in social media, the use of social media in business and the importance of social media for companies.  The event took place at the Sabancı University campus in Tuzla on February 25, and speakers included representatives of the leading companies in Turkey.  Speakers emphasized content and delivery in social media.

Sabancı University MBA Club held the second Social Media Summit on February 25, 2012 at the Sabancı University campus in Tuzla to discuss social media as one of the key communication means today.  Held by one of the most active student clubs in Turkey, the second Social Media Summit discussed the use of social media in business and the importance of social media for companies.  The Summit was attended by university students as well as representatives of corporate social media departments and social media agencies.  The event became a trend topic on Twitter.

The event brought together a variety of industries from transportation to communication, advertising and banking, discussing how companies utilize social media, how advertising agencies help companies achieve their objectives, the status of social media in Turkey, the benefits of social media for implementing business plans, and what the future holds for social media.

The Main Sponsor of the event was GncTrkcll with NTVMSNBC as the Media Sponsor.  Speakers included Aylin Daylan, Director of Interactive Communication and Design Team at Garanti Bank; Neşet Dereli, Turkish Airlines Brand and Digital Advertising Manager; Cem Çınlar, General Coordinator at Tick Tock Boom; Ahmet Yeşiltepe, NTVMSNBC Editor-in-Chief; Can Yıldızlı, Gnctrkcll Digital Communication Specialist, and Alemşah Öztürk, Founder and Director at 41?29!.

Aylin Daylan explained how social media was being used in the banking sector, and provided examples from the Garanti Bank case.  Neşet Dereli discussed Turkish Airlines’ “Socially Yours” slogan that was a spinoff of the “Globally Yours” initiative, and explained their social media efforts.  Cem Çınlar provided a comparative overview of new trends in social media.

Ahmet Yeşiltepe talked about the development of Web 2.0 and social media, and its implications on news reporting.  Yeşiltepe mentioned the importance of infographics for internet reporting and the crucial need for delivering the right content.  Yeşiltepe said, “Social media is not an instrument, but rather a means of communication with your users.  Building good relations and achieving brand loyalty takes time.  Be the point of contact; do not remain indifferent; follow and give back more than what you have taken.  Not all customers are your followers; listen to your followers.”

Can Yıldızlı said that social media evolved every individual into a medium, and that the more active individuals became more valuable assets for social media.  Yıldızlı said that small and large companies alike existed under the same conditions in social media.  Discussing the importance of adaptation to changing technologies, Yıldızlı said that social CRM posed a difficult adaptation process.  Can Yıldızlı emphasized the importance of delivering the right content to followers, and concluded, “We are discussing the future of media and we must think about how we will adapt to this.”

In the final speech of the day, Alemşah Öztürk provided an agency’s perspective of social media.  Öztürk said that marketing needed to utilize every medium according to its own needs, and that innovation by brands would polish the overall image of the brand.  Reminding that users always adopt new developments faster than brands, Öztürk argued that brands have to keep up with their consumers at a minimum.  Alemşah Öztürk said that social media was not far from emotions, sociology and psychology, and that all brands needed to exist on an appropriate social medium.

Üniversitemizin yarı popüler kültür dergisi SUdergi 13. sayısında da birbirinden keyifli konu başlıklarıyla siz değerli okurlarıyla buluşuyor.

"Kendilerine ait odaları düşleyen kadınlar" SUderginin yeni sayısının kapak konusunu oluşturuyor.

Derginin yeni sayısında ilgiyle okunacak 14 keyifli konu var. SUdergi'yi tüm mobil cihazlardan iSabancı Media ile takip edebilirsiniz.

SUdergi nereden alınır?

SUdergi’nin yeni sayısını Üniversite Merkezi’ndeki dergilikten alabilirsiniz.

Dergi, servis ve shuttlara, café, banka ve sağlık merkezi gibi kampüsiçi uğrak mekanlara okumanız için bırakılmaktadır. Ayrıca yurt ve fakülte odalarına da SUdergi dağıtımı yapılacaktır.

Beth Comstock was invited by the Sabancı University MBA Club for the club’s Executive Talks event.  Beth Comstock spoke on Innovation and Cooperation, and made remarks about Turkey.

Beth Comstock, GE’s (General Electric) Vice-President of Marketing was the first guest of the Sabancı University MBA Club’s “Executive Talks” series of events in 2012.  Beth Comstock spoke on “Innovation and Cooperation” on Thursday, February 23rd, at the Sabancı Center Hacı Ömer Sabancı Conference Hall to an audience of 250 listeners.

Beth Comstock began by telling about GE’s global fields of operation, and said that Turkey was an important market to the company.  Giving information about the innovation and cooperation policies of the company, Beth Comstock emphasized that they support the startups within the company.  Comstock said that by investing in entrepreneurs and startups with innovative and creative business ideas, they supported them on the one hand, and boosted the innovative approach of the company on the other.  Comstock explained the difficulties of establishing a startup within a vast company like GE, meanwhile noting that it was not easy either to cooperate with independent entrepreneurs and startups.

Beth Comstock said that large enterprises should collaborate with smaller businesses, and that creative people were an asset to every company.  Comstock emphasized the importance of profitability against a joint commitment in business mergers, and argued that local needs should be observed in new business ideas and cooperative efforts.

Reflecting on Turkey’s third place among the most optimistic countries, Beth Comstock said, “If Turkey wants to be among the most innovative countries, it must invest in technology and entrepreneurship.”  Beth Comstock explained the importance of MBA education for GE, saying that the company provided employment to 150 MBA students every year in various projects.

Giving advice to MBA students, Beth Comstock said, “Read different books, renew yourselves and keep up to date.”  Following her speech, Beth Comstock answered questions from the floor.

At the end of the conference, Sabancı University Director of Executive MBA Mahmut Beyazıt presented a commemorative brick to Beth Comstock.

Digital Media Student Exhibition consists of the works of Sabancı University VACD students in 3D Modelling and Video classes in fall semester. The exhibition is opening on 5th of March, Monday at 5.00 pm. It can be visited until 21st of March at Fassart Gallery.