Our current Fitness Center's capacity has been increased and it's wellness function has been improved with the renewal of all fitness equipment in scope of developing fitness technologies.

It will be our pleasure to have you join us for the “Opening of The New Fitness Center” on Wednesday, December 15th at 4 pm.

The competition is open to all scholars in the social sciences with special interest on contemporary Turkey. The essays submitted to the competition should address the issues and challenges that are related to Turkish attempts to position and re-evaluate Turkish foreign policy to the increasingly fluid environment of world politics that involves shifts and transitions of power. In particular, the authors should assess the benefits and challenges of Turkey’s newly discovered pro-active foreign policy that may lead to realignments and revaluation of Turkey’s traditional positioning in world politics.

The deadline for submissions is March 31st, 2011.

The Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award includes $20,000 for the first prize, $10,000 for the second, and $5,000 for the third. An independent, international jury will select the prize winners.

Conditions for the competition are:
•    All entries must be new and original works, not published previously in any form.
•    Essays must be approximately 13.000 words, including title, citations, and endnotes. (References should be shown in the form of endnotes.)
•    An abstract of 500 words embedded to the original essay and a short c.v. of the applicant are required.
•    Entries must be submitted in English, in the form of an attached Word document to the following address:

http://award.sabanciuniv.edu/submityourentry/
For further information: http://award.sabanciuniv.edu

The conference prodeedings of Sabancı University 4. Year Mechatronics Engineering undergraduate student Ebru Demir, which were co-authored by the Faculty Member of Mechatronics Engineering Program Dr. Ali Koşar and her research mates Muhsincan Şeşen,Nazlı Kaplan, Evrim Kurtoğlu and Hadi Çağdaş Erk were recently accepted to the one of the most attended and popular Mechanical Engineering international conference IMECE 2010.

The conference proceedings of titles "Jet Impingement Cooling of Nanostructured. Plates” and "The Effect of Micro Pin-Fin Shape on the Heat Transfer Performance of Micro Pin-Fin Heat Sinks"were successfully presented in the conference place Vancouver, Canada and attractedmuchattention of the Micro & Nano Technology community. These proceedings will be alsopublishe in the Conference Proceedings Book of the conference. In addition, Ebru Demirsuccessfull presented her poster in the very well attended ASME Society-Wide Micro & NanoTechnology Forum as part of IMECE 2010 conference, where new research directions, cutting edgere search and new developments on nanotechnology were included.

Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker:
The functions of Sabancı University, the international events we host, and the achievements of our students and alumni carry us into prestigious lists.  It is also noteworthy that Sabancı University, with a total fund allowance of more than TL 50 million for hundreds of research projects undertaken since 2000, ranks first among universities in Turkey in terms of EU research funds per faculty member.

Sabancı University was included among the top 200 universities in Europe on the QS List.*  With its top ten dominated by British universities, the list was based on points in “Peer Review”, “Employer Review”, “Faculty Students”, “Citations Faculty”, “Internatianal Faculty” and “International Students” categories.

At the University Ranking by Academic Performance** (URAP) laboratory founded at the Middle East Technical University and governed by 7 former university presidents, Sabancı University was ranked second among private universities and 11th among all universities in Turkey.  The URAP study detailed the academic performances of 125 universities in Turkey and considered field and publication numbers in open and reliable sources such as YÖK, ÖSYM, ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar, number of publications per person, number of references per person, number of Google Scholar publications, number of Google Scholar publications per person, number of doctoral students, percentage of doctoral students, and number of students per person – all measures of scientific productivity.

Sabancı University among the top 2000 universities of the world
Sabancı University was among the “Top 2000 Universities of the World” list*** created at the “International Ranking by Academic Performance Symposium” held by URAP.  When creating the ranking system, performance data was collected for 2500 institutions and each institution was graded in accordance with the announced criteria.  The top 2000 institutions comprised the list.  The URAP ranking is regarded as one of the most comprehensive rankings available.

“We aim higher in global and European rankings.”
On global and European rankings, Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker said, “as of the inaugural 1999-2000 academic year, Sabancı University has transformed higher education in Turkey.  In as little time as a decade, we became one of the top universities in Turkey and across Europe.  We are among the top 200 universities in Europe in the QS ranking.  We believe that we will climb this ladder in the years to come.”

President Berker added, “One of the core features of Sabancı University, in addition to the success of the publications by its faculty, is its social and global initiatives.  Functions such as the Istanbul Policy Center, the Nanotechnology Research and Application Center and the ongoing work for the Istanbul International Energy and Climate Center, the international events that we host, and the worldwide achievements of our students and alumni carry us into prestigious lists.  President Berker explained that it was also noteworthy that Sabancı University, with a total fund allowance of more than TL 50 million for hundreds of research projects undertaken since 2000, ranks first among universities in Turkey in terms of EU research funds per faculty member.

President Berker noted that the URAP was an important effort to strengthen the position of Turkey on the international academic platform, and that it would lead to better and more productive cooperation among universities in Turkey in addition to transparent, free competition – which reflects the philosophy of the Competition Forum managed by Sabancı University and TÜSİAD.

* Top 200 European Universities 2010, August 2010
** University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP), Ranking of All Universities and Ranking of Private Universities, October 2010
*** URAP “Top 2000 Universities of the World”, December 2010

IC Movie Night is again bringing us together with a popular movie. We will be watching "Five Minarets in New York" together.

Nihat Berker will be meeting you at the PAC before and during the intermission.

Popcorn and beverages also will be offered during the movie.

Have a good time in advance...
Information Center

Date: 14 December 2010
Time: 20:00
Location: Sabancı University Performing Arts Center

Title: Five Minarets in New York
Plot Summary: Leader of a radical islamic organization, Anti Christ whose name turned out to be a phenomenon that was sought with red notice by Interpol was reported to have been taken into custody in the USA. In order to fetch the convict, the most successful policemen of the Turkish Police Department fly to the USA. Everything from then on seems easy but things are never the same as they seem. The story taking place within İstanbul, New York, and Bitlis triangle challenges the recent-era Turkey and underlines America's paranoia with the islamic world after 9/11.
Director: Mahsun Kırmızıgül
Writer: Mahsun Kırmızıgül
Cast: Haluk Bilginer, Engin Altan Düzyatan, Ali Sürmeli, Danny Glover, Mahsun Kırmızıgül, Onur Ünsal, Salih Kalyon, Robert Patrick, Zafer Ergin, Gina Gershon, Hüseyin Avni Danyal, Mustafa Sandal
Genre: Action
Duration: 110 minutes
Official web site: http://www.newyorktabesminare.com

* Latecomers will not be allowed into the auditorium once the intermission has begun. Latecomers are seated in available seating at the balcony.

** Ring service will be available from PAC to shuttle area after the Event.
 
For more information
E-mail: reference@sabanciuniv.edu

Phone: 0216 483 92 27-28

Claudius Schulze, a graduate of the MA program in Conflict Resolution in 2009, is at news in Hürriyet Daily News.

"The offer of a full scholarship for a master’s program from a prestigious university (Sabancı University) brought photojournalist Claudius Schulze to Istanbul. After a nine-month period in which he gradually got to know the city, Schulze sought to see past the obvious and capture more original and personal shots of a multi-layered city in continual flux. His current work takes him as far afield as Diyabakır and to the camel-wrestling championships in Selçuk."

for the rest of the news, click here

International solo exhibition of Hande Varsat (VAVCD 05)

Hande Varsat, a graduate of Sabancı University FASS-VAVCD program 2005, is opening her first solo international exhibition, Tradition’s Triangle, in El Punto del Carmen gallery, Valencia, Spain on December 17, 2010.

Born into a conservative family which migrated from Central Anatolia to cosmopolitan Istanbul, Hande has gone through an education which emphasizes individualism and perhaps even glamorize the ‘uniqueness’ of each person to an unrealistic degree. Instead of rejecting one of these two realities, she accepted the challenge of being pushed and pulled around between two conflicting modes of thinking and the tension this choice brought along with it to all fields of her life. Within the cocoon woven by these contradictions, she is able to breathe through the space of freedom her art provides her with. In her words, “In order to manifest our existence and feel worthy of respect, we sometimes may feel the urge to deny those values which are imposed upon us by the society in which we live. Proving our internal strength in such a manner may seem as if it’s a way out of this existential conundrum and a first step towards defining ourselves in a ‘consistent’ manner. Rather than being pulled and pushed between two extremities, we find it easier to reject one side completely. What if we chose not to reject either side?”

Now 27, Hande is composing her first solo exhibition by generalizing to Turkish women the lifetime tension she experienced between tradition and individualism. Her journey of self discovery unfolds before the viewer as she intends to differentiate the textures of her own inner being from both the drive of individualism and the pressure of tradition. For disclosing her inconsistencies, her choice of space is appropriate: The vital space of the Moorish Wall, functioning as a historical monument in the modern and individualist West, Valencia. When we consider the relationship between religion and conservatism, the space in which Tradition’s Triangle is positioned gains a broader meaning. It is in this triangular space which refers to the Devil’s Triangle and therefore embodies the assumption of failure that Hande Varsat’s quest for self discovery and her internal questioning transform into a historical encounter.

Honor, virtue, intimacy, virginity, prejudice, pressure, individual, woman, girl, mother, home, family, labor, patience, trousseau and embroidery are the keywords that guide Varsat in recreating snapshot stories centered around Turkish women. With these small stories, what we label as ‘inconsistencies’ reconstruct themselves, leaving the spectator with a feeling of bitter admiration.  

Deloitte Academy organizes the the third Scientific Analysis Competition'10 with the aim to lead university students to make economic and social researches. This year the competition will be about Work Life and Sustainable Development in Turkey.

For the details about competition, please visit.

Application deadline for scientific analysis is February 4th, 2011 at 17.00.

Career Office
Phone: 216 483 9354
career@sabanciuniv.edu.

The Atlantic Council of the United States (ACUS), in partnership with the Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) at Sabanci University, is administering a dynamic State Department sponsored exchange program designed to connect and build constructive relationships between future leaders (age 25-35) from the United States and Turkey. This initiative is intended to help renew and reinvigorate the important bilateral relationship between the two nations.

ACUS and IPC will recruit participants from each country, targeting individuals who have started careers in the fields of foreign policy, business and journalism, possess a strong passion for international engagement, and have demonstrated leadership abilities. 

Applications are due on December 17, 2010, late submissions will not be considered.  The application form and more information about the program can be found at http://youngatlanticist.org/ytyahome.html
 
The exchange will take place in mid-2011, and will last for nearly one month, with two weeks in the United States (February/March) and ten days in Turkey (June/July).  Most of the two-week U.S. segment will be held in Washington, DC, and will also include a visit to a major regional center with strong international connections, such as Atlanta, Georgia.  The Turkey session will include time in Ankara and Istanbul, with the possibility of visiting a third destination.
 
 We are currently seeking applications from exceptional Turkish and American young professionals, aged 25-35.  We are targeting individuals who have started careers in the fields of foreign policy, business and journalism, who possess a strong passion for international engagement and have demonstrated leadership abilities.  All travel, room and board costs will be covered by ACUS and IPC.

The main objectives of the Young Turkey/Young America initiative are to:

• Cultivate understanding and lasting ties between American and Turkish participants;
• Develop critical leadership and conflict management skills to empower participants to become leaders in their respective professional fields;
• Facilitate ongoing collaboration among participants through joint projects to be carried out following program completion;
• Use Web 2.0 technologies to build a virtual forum where participants can share their views and experiences with a global audience;
• Build an expanding network of future leaders committed to advancing U.S.-Turkish cooperation through collaboration and ongoing projects.

The last panel held within the Global Entrepreneurship Week activities at Sabancı University took place on Thursday, November 11th.  Speakers of the panel titled “Resources for Entrepreneurs: Contests and Funds” were Galata Business Angels Secretary-General Kutlu Kazancı, Inovent General Manager Serhat Görgün, MIT EF Director Richard Kivel, MIT EF Turkey Representative Bülent Hiçsönmez and Sabancı University Faculty Member Ziya Boyacıgiller.

The last panel of the Global Entrepreneurship Week events at Sabancı University was held on Thursday, November 11th, and was titled “Resources for Entrepreneurs: Contests and Funds.”  Speakers of the panel were Serhat Görgün (Inovent General Manager), Kutlu Kazancı (Galata Business Angels Secretary-General), Richard Kivel (MIT Enterprise Forum Director), Bülent Hiçsönmez (MIT Enterprise Forum Turkey Representative) and Ziya Boyacıgiller (Sabancı University Faculty Member).

Speakers explained various means for entrepreneurs to secure the resources they need when realizing their business plans, and provided information on noteworthy resources, competitions and funds across the world.

Serhat Görgün spoke about the establishment and activities of Inovent, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sabancı University.  Görgün explained that while Inovent had been initially established to support business ideas of Sabancı University students and faculty, it expanded to seek out and support innovative business ideas across Turkey.  Görgün said that 16 start-up companies had been founded within Inovent so far, 8 of which were founded by Sabancı University students, and that the company phased out of two such establishments to date.  Serhat Görgün concluded by extending invitations to all students with innovative business ideas.

Kutlu Kazancı began his speech by explaining that business angels were individuals that have the time and experience to devote to young entrepreneurs.  Kazancı explained the structure of Galata Business Angels, and added that they support start-up internet and technology companies.

Ziya Boyacıgiller spoke from an entrepreneur’s standpoint, explaining why entrepreneurs need investors, and emphasized that investors provide financial support in addition to the ability to act rapidly, and bring the network, experience and credibility that entrepreneurs require.  Boyacıgiller cautioned entrepreneurs against several issues: All investors invest in businesses that they know; the experience level and know-how of investors are important; the networking abilities of investors matter greatly; investors prioritize results and fast exit strategies; the growth potential of the market matters; and do not transfer the majority of your shares to investors.  On ways to secure funds, Ziya Boyacıgiller explained that state institutions like TÜBİTAK and the Ministry of Industry and Trade have various enterprise funds, while many investors from Europe and the US have a wish to invest in Turkey.  Boyacıgiller concluded by saying, “Make short-term plans.  Try to convert your idea to production with small investments.  Risk investors and business angels look for tried and true ideas.”

An entrepreneur himself, Richard Kivel explained that the MIT EF was founded 30 years ago by two entrepreneurs, and was now operating in 22 countries of the world, which would provide a global network to entrepreneurs in Turkey.

Bülent Hiçsönmez spoke about the MIT Turkey 50K Business Plan Competition (“50K BPC”) held with the cooperation of MIT EF Turkey and Toyota Turkey to support innovative start-up companies, giving cash prizes of USD 50,000 to the winner, USD 15,000 to the second place, and USD 5000 to the third place.

Bülent Hiçsönmez said that the purpose of the competition transcended the cash reward; the consultancy and mentoring services provided throughout the competition would realize the true potential of the projects, and cultivate an environment in which project owners could meet potential investors.  Bülent Hiçsönmez said, “Applications will be accepted online from teams of three or more, two of whom must be Turkish nationals.  The 50K BPC organization committee will support the teams with workshops on entrepreneurship in addition to the independent research and efforts the teams are expected to undertake with respect to their business plans.  During the business plan preparation phase, the Committee will bring the teams together with volunteer experts of their respective industries, while the mentors assigned to the teams will help them make the best of their project presentations before the jury.”