Sabancı University Mechatronics Engineering doctoral student Rana Altay's work titled "A HYBRID SPIRAL MICROFLUIDIC PLATFORM FOR SEPARATION OF CIRCULATING TUMOR CELLS", prepared with FENS/SUNUM faculty members Ali Koşar and Murat Kaya Yapıcı has been accepted to the 25th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (MicroTAS 2021).
Our student Rana Altay has been announced by the Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society in Palm Springs, CA, USA committee as a student who won a scholarship for her participation in the conference.
This study is a nice example for the interdisciplinary research being conducted in the EFSUN Center of Excellence.with the use of the infrastructure of the Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM).
Transfer applications to Sabancı University from other universities are evaluated by the relevant Faculty Boards upon the pre-evaluation of the Commision within the scope of the rules determined by Sabanci University and the quota, in compliance with "Instruction Letter for the Transfer among the Higher Education Institutions at the Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degree Programs and the Rules for Double Major, Minor and Credit Transfer between Institutions" published by the Turkish Higher Education Council (YOK). Online applications have to be completed without any missing documents until 28 July 2021. Interviews for applicants, who meet application requirements, will be held on 4 August 2021; and the applicants to be admitted to the programs will be decided after the Faculty Administrative Board evaluates the application documents.
General Rules for the Application Requirements:
1.YOK Equivalency: For the applications made from abroad; the institution, that the applicant will leave, have to be among the institutions of which equivalency is recognized by YOK.
2.Program Equivalency: Institution and the program which the candidate are to leave should be the equivalent of the Undergraduate Programs of SU.
3.Term: Students who had completed first two semester of the undergraduate diploma programs can apply. Last two semester of the diploma programs can not be applied.
4.Grade Point Average : Applicants must possess a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 60 out of 100 or 2.29 out of 4.00. Candidates, applying from the universities implementing the grading system other than x out of 4.00 or 100, should submit an official document explaining the grading system and conversion table for the grades.
5.To Be Registered: Applicants must be registered in the current higher education institution as a student.
6.English Proficiency: The students certifying that they have passed one of the national and/or international foreign language examinations at a level determined by the university (**) and the ones who have graduated from a higher education institutions where the medium of instruction is English are exempted from English Language exam. Applicants, who do not meet these criteria, are required to be successfull in the English Language Assessment Exam (ELAE) held by Sabancı University, to be able to start to study in the program.(**) Exams and Scores for Foundation Development Year Exemption
7.Education Period: The total periods required to complete the program and those formerly passed must not exceed the maximum education period of 14 terms.
8.OSYM Score: For students with Turkish citizenship, who are registered in a university abraod; it is required to meet ranking condition stated in OSYS guidebook for the related year for applications to Faculty of Engineering and Natual Sciences. For Management Programs and Arts and Social Sciences Programs, it is required to have an equal or above central placement score from the relevant score type in the year that the student took OSYS/YKS exam, than the minimum required score for the equivalent diploma programs in Turkey to the program that the student intend to transfer.
Application Documents:
All documents must be offically prepared in English or Turkish languages. It is necessary to attach the Turkish or English notarized translations besides the original documents prepared in other languages.
675 TL application fee must be paid to the the account of which details will be sent to you with an e-mail right after you submit the application. Application fee is non-refundable.
Whether the applicants will be placed in a program or not will be determined according to the number of the semesters and credits.
2.The Certificates of Examination Results
There must be a copy of OSYS certificate (indicating the score and the higher education institution placed) used for the admittance to the institution the applicants are to leave for the applicants from domestic universities, including higher education institutions in KKTC and those mentioned in the OSYM guide; OSYM certificate showing obtained scores from all score types is also required.
Applicants who are registered in a higher education institution abroad are required to meet the conditions in the Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide.
For T.C. nationals registered abroad; OSYS certificate (Student Pleacement Exam) and OSYM certificate showing obtained scores from all score types is also required.
In order to be able to transfer from a higher education institution abroad to a program in our country for which success ranking is required;
a) In the year a student starts his/her higher education, the university he/she is registered in must be in the first four hundredth percentile in the world rankings determined by the ranking institutions based on the Higher Education Council and meet the term/class and success requirements,
b) In case of being registered in a university other than the first four hundred percentile;
1.Those who have completed their secondary education in Turkey must take the central placement exam and meet the requirement of success ranking in the relevant score type of the program for which the success ranking is required as of the registration year,
2.Those who have completed at least the last two years of their secondary education abroad must have successfully passed at least four semesters of the diploma program they are enrolled in excluding the preparatory year.
It is required for the international applicants or the ones who complete entire high school education outside of Turkey, to submit one of the exam or diplomas stated in the list
3.Transcript
An official document, demonstrating all courses, grades, and GPA's, issued by Student Affairs Office of the higher education institution the applicant is enrolled in. If the grading table is not on the transcript, an official letter explaining the grading system must also be submitted along with the transcript.
For international applications; those who have completed at least two years of their secondary education in an institution abroad must also submit their high school transcripts (report card).
4.Detailed Description and Contents of The Courses
There must be documents with the contents and detailed descriptions of the courses indicated on the candidate's transcript. It will be useful for the overseas applicants to attach catalogs giving information about the foreign institutions or documents like these. It is required for each course which is succesfully passed. Courses which are found equivalent by the Faculty Administrative Board will be substituted with their grade.
5.English Proficiency Exam Result
·The document certifying that the student has passed one of the national and/or international foreign language examinations at a level determined by the university (*)
·An official document indicating the program's education language prepared by the Student Affairs Office of the university the applicant is enrolled in (for the institutions of which medium of instruciton is fully English). If the information is indicated on the transcript, no additional document is required.
The document demonstrating that the applicant is a student of the institution, prepared by the Student Affairs Office of the university the applicant is registered in.
7.Certificate of Disciplinary Standing
The document indicating the disciplinary standing for the domestic applicants prepared by the Student Affairs Office of the university that the applicant is registered in.
8.Letter of Recommendation
It is not mandatory; can be submitted optionally.Minimum 2, preferably 3 letters of recommendation
High school diploma copy attested by the university, for the applicants graduated from a high school in Turkey
For the applicants graduated from overseas high schools, it is required to attach notarized Turkish translations of their high school diploma and diploma equivalency certificate obtained from Turkish Ministry of Education, along with the high school diploma
10.The Passport Pages
Those pages with photo and identification information and approved notarized photocopies of the pages related to the years of education in the foreign higher education institutions for the overseas applicants.
"Yurda giriş-çıkış belgesi” from e-devlet for students who have Turkish citizenship. As of March 2020, entry and exit inquiries are not mandatory due to the pandemic.
11.The Document of Return from Abroad
The official writing indicating the state of the applicants whose parents have returned to Turkey upon completion of their offical duty or their working lives abroad.
12.Copies of certificates, courses, internships, sports competitions with rewards taken before.
Which of the courses taken before to be substituted; and which course will be substituted with which one will be indicated in the Faculty Administrative Board resolution, after the transfer application is accepted.
Sabancı University’s 19th undergraduate and 22nd graduate classes’ commencement ceremony was held physically on the campus in Tuzla. Realized with the participation of Güler Sabancı, the Founding Chair of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı University and Sabancı University President Yusuf Leblebici, the 2021 commencement ceremony included Professor Uğur Şahin and Doctor Özlem Türeci, founders of the BioNTech company, as guests of honor.
Sabancı University’s 19th undergraduate and 22nd graduate classes’ commencement ceremony was held physically on the university’s campus. During the ceremony, the top-ranking students deserving of a special award were announced. These awards are fully funded annually by the Sakip Sabancı Fund set up in the will of Sakıp Sabancı. The top-ranking students in the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and the Sabancı Business School were Deniz Şahin,Selin Alara Dalgıç, and Orkan Mamado, respectively. Şevval Özkaymak delivered a speech on behalf of undergraduate students, and Alara Buyuran delivered her speech on behalf of graduate students.
During the ceremony, upon the invitation of Güler Sabancı, a big round of applause was given to Professor Uğur Şahin and Doctor Özlem Türeci for their work for humanity, andtohealthcare professionals for their services to people during the pandemic.
Realized with the participation of Güler Sabancı, the Founding Chair of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı University and Sabancı University President Yusuf Leblebici, the 2021 commencement ceremony had Professor Uğur Şahin and Doctor Özlem Türeci, founders of the BioNTech company, as guests of honor. They joined the ceremony by videoconference and told young people that the pandemic showed the whole world how science and research made a difference for humanity.
Güler Sabancı, the Founding Chair of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı University stated that, unlike some other universities, Sabancı University held the 20201 Commencement Ceremony physically on the campus, considering the acceleration of normalization and vaccination processes and taking all the necessary measures. Telling the alumni they would be ready for the post-pandemic world thanks to the education they received from Sabancı University, Güler Sabancı continued, “I am fully confident that you will overcome these challenging conditions. You will be the leaders who provide solutions to new problems of the new world and contribute to society.” Referring to Rumi’s famous quote “everythorn that pricks your feet heralds the rose that you are searching for”, Güler Sabancı emphasized that it was again young people that would make this world a better place.
Expressing the idea that people faced a totally different world due to the pandemic, Güler Sabancı said the following: “It takes versatile and fluent leadership to succeed in this period when everything is revisited, the roles of all institutions and organizations are redefined, change cycles are accelerated, and strategic perspectives require agility. To overcome challenges, the ability to find quick and rational solutions, in other words, skillfulness and emotional resilience become more important. It is important to become individuals that adapt to change, embrace change, and produce solutions instead of complaining. Remember that ability to adapt to change is an indicator of intelligence”.
Pointing out that Sabancı University always aimed to be ahead of its time, Güler Sabancı noted that they set out to establish a world university and raise world citizens, and went on to say the following: “Today, you have all the competencies to become successful ‘world citizens’! During your academic life, you have received education from the strongest academic staff in Turkey under the best conditions. As universal values point to and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk has said, you grew up as world citizens with free thought, free understanding and free conscience. You will build the rest of your lives on these foundations through your knowledge and your choices. We will be most proud of you when you become individuals who benefit their country, community and humanity.”
WE HAVE CONTINUED TO INVEST IN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE DURING THE PANDEMIC
In his speech at the 2021 Commencement Ceremony, Sabancı University President Yusuf Leblebici highlighted the fact that Sabancı University was one of the best universities in the country in terms of both the quality and originality of education programs, and of research outputs, which represent the University’s contributions to the world of science, and said, “we have always been guided by the light of reason and science”.
Underlining that their objective was to become a well-known and appreciated university not only in Turkey but also all around the world, Yusuf Leblebici pointed out that Sabancı University ranked among the top three universities in Turkey in terms of project contribution to ongoing research studies. Specifying that they uninterruptedly took steps to further enrich education and research infrastructure during the pandemic, Leblebici said that the main campus, equipped with modern distance learning infrastructure, had been made ready for hybrid education in the real sense of the word for the next academic year, and that the university was ready to welcome all the students back to the campus.
LIFELONG INSPIRING MESSAGES FROM SCIENTISTS
Professor Uğur Şahin and Doctor Özlem Türeci, founders of the BioNTech company, gave lifelong inspiring messages to the alumni as guests of honor of the Sabancı University 2021 Commencement Ceremony.
Emphasizing that the pandemic showed the whole world how science and research could make a difference, Professor Uğur Şahin said that, as scientists, they managed to make a difference thanks to their education and more than ten years of research in collaboration with their colleagues, experts and trusted fellows. Congratulating Sabancı University alumni on their graduation, Şahin said, “What you have achieved today will have an impact on your future. Always keep this day in mind because this day is very special for three reasons.” Şahin continued, “First, today is your celebration day. A day you celebrate all the hard work and curiosity that got you to this moment. Stay curious. Stand up for the things you care about. By doing so, you will go far and won’t get tired of what you are doing. Keep exploring new destinations even if you don’t know where this will lead you. What I love most about my work is that every day I can learn from scientific papers, news, data, my wife, my colleagues and even from strangers. Stay open-minded.
“Second, today is a day of gratitude. A day to thank those who have helped you to get there. The people who believed in you, supported you, taught you, cheered you on and dried your tears. Stay close to people who are as motivated as you. Together you will contribute to bigger achievements. Together you can make a difference.
“Third, today is also a day of reflection. Today marks the end of one era of your life and, at the same time, it is the beginning of a new era. It is the perfect time to ask yourself, “What is important to me? How can I contribute to society by fulfilling my duty?” To me, contributing to a certain purpose is what fills me with joy and gratitude. Dedicating my work to improving the lives of many. I am very grateful that we have been able to contribute to the fight against the pandemic and help so many people with our research and work. Today is your work. Be ready to start a new chapter for you, for your families and for future generations. First and foremost, make a difference and try to be useful. Many little things can lead to something big. Be humble, be curious, be faithful. I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin a new chapter in your life, I wish that for you.”
“VACCINATION HELPS TO GET A CONTROL OF THIS PANDEMIC”
Uğur Şahin shared his views about his work and the evolution of the vaccination process.
Highlighting that their research focus was to develop medicines for cancer patients and, specifically, to develop medicines to help individual patients, Şahin said, “What turned out is that the technology that we have developed is not only able to develop medicines for individual cancer patients, but the same medicine can be used to develop a vaccine which is useful for mankind.” He continued, “The scale does not play a big role. I feel happy if I can help a single individual, as happy as I am that our vaccine has helped humanity to go back to our normal lives.” Şahin shared his views of the vaccination and normalization process.
WE WILL GO BACK TO OUR NORMAL LIVES
“I am very confident that we will go back to our normal lives. So, what we are seeing is that vaccination helps to get a control of this pandemic. It is important, of course, that everyone is getting vaccinated. That will most likely happen in Turkey in the next 3-4 months, allowing us really to get not only the infections under control but also reduce hospitalization and continue with our normal life. It is important to consider the lessons from this pandemic that science and collaboration could make such a big difference. Therefore, we should have an optimistic view of the future and invest in science, invest in education, invest in research, and stay open to collaborations.”
You can watch Prof Şahin's speech in full from the link below.
IF YOU ARE NOT FAILING, YOU ARE NOT GROWING
Pointing out that she was honored to address the alumni at the commencement ceremony of Sabancı University, which she named as one of the finest universities in the world, Dr Özlem Türeci said, “The skills you have developed over the past years will guide you in the future. They will support you in having an impact on science and society. And, you are in good company. Many alumni from this university including Canan Dağdeviren have made a difference for society.”
Stating that, on their personal journey, she and Uğur Şahin had to make many decisions without knowing the consequences or the outcome in advance, Türeci said they were guided by three virtues, namely: courage, humility and perseverance.
Advising Sabancı University alumni to act with courage and humility in all that they did, Türeci said they should not be afraid to fail. She continued, “Continued effort is the key to unlocking your potential, your own superpowers. Failing twenty times and succeeding the twenty-first time. Yes, that is a recurring theme in Uğur’s and my life. Early in my career, I realized that if I wanted to accomplish something greater, I had to deal with both success and failure. Don’t waste energy trying to cover up failure. If you are not failing, you are not growing.”
In her messages to Sabancı University alumni based on her own life experiences, Özlem Türeci said that the easiest, straightforward path was not always the right one and might not necessarily bring them closer to their goal; having the courage to take a left or right on the path might be the route to their actual destination. Stating that it was the path that served their goal, Türeci said, “our goal was to turn science into survival and into a better life for humanity.”
You can watch Dr Özlem Türeci’s speech in full from the link below.
You can watch our 2021 Commencement Ceremony from the link below.
Zeynep Çelik has been named the inaugural Sakıp Sabancı Visiting Professor at the Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies at Columbia University. Her deep expertise and unique historical perspective on the architecture and urbanism of the region will enhance the Sabancı Center’s goals.
“In Zeynep Çelik, Columbia welcomes a truly distinguished scholar of history, art, and archeology,” said Amy Hungerford, the Executive Vice President of Arts and Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Columbia. “We are grateful that the generosity of the Sabanci family allows us to continue enriching Turkish studies at Columbia with a scholar and teacher of this caliber.”
The Sabancı Visiting Professorship was established in 2016 by the Sabancı family, who at the same time created the Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies at Columbia with a gift of $10 million dollars. This endowed center, the first of its kind in the United States, was created to enhance the scope of Columbia’s intellectual exploration of Turkey. Columbia has a long relationship with Turkey that includes not only the Sabancı Center, but also the Columbia Global Center in Istanbul established in 2011.
The visiting professorship and the Center are named for the late Sakıp Sabancı (1933-2004), a Turkish philanthropist and businessman who transformed his family’s business into one of the largest conglomerates in Turkey. The Sabancı family is known in Turkey and internationally for its leadership and generosity visible through its foundation, a museum, an international research award, and Sabancı University. The family has been instrumental in the expansion of the study of Turkey at Columbia.
The Sabancı offers public events and scholarly programs, doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships, and the Visiting Scholars Program, all of which will be enhanced by the arrival of Professor Zeynep Çelik. As the inaugural Sabancı Visiting Professor, she will contribute to the Center’s mission to increase knowledge and awareness of Turkey through research, teaching, and intellectual exchange.
"At the Sakıp Sabancı Center, we are extremely pleased about Professor Çelik's appointment,” said Holger A. Klein, Director of the Sakıp Sabancı Center and Lisa and Bernard Selz Professor of Medieval Art History. “Her presence on the Morningside campus will be of great benefit not only to the Center but also to the entire community of scholars here at Columbia. Since her scholarly expertise spans several disciplines ranging from Ottoman history and historiography to art and architectural history, archaeology, and urban studies, the classes she is planning to teach will be attractive to students at all levels in departments across the Humanities and Social Sciences."
Professor Çelik comes to Columbia from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where she was a Distinguished Emerita Professor. Her books include The Remaking of Istanbul, which was awarded the Institute of Turkish Studies Book Award in 1987; Scramble for the Past: A Story of Archaeology in the Ottoman Empire, 1753-1914; and her most recent, Europe Knows Nothing about the Orient: A Critical Discourse (1872–1932). She considers architecture and urban forms key expressions of societies and cultures and insists on their potential to open important questions, above all, political questions. Earlier this year, she was named a Fellow of the Society of Architectural Historians.
"I am thrilled to join the Columbia faculty, History Department, and the Sakıp Sabancı Center as the first Sakıp Sabancı Visiting Professor,” said Professor Çelik. “My gratitude goes to the Sabancı family for generously funding this position and the Center, which is the platform for Turkish and Ottoman Studies on campus and beyond."
5 TRILLION USD OF ENERGY INVESTMENTS ARE NEEDED FOR ZERO EMISSION BY 2050
The “Future of Net Zero Emission in the World & Europe and Implications for Turkey” webinar, organized by Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) took place. With Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources as the Guest of Honor, the webinar was held with the participation of Kıvanç Zaimler, IICEC Board Member and Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The online event covered how the decisions towards net zero emission would impact the world and Turkey in many fields including industry, commerce, exports and energy transition. Attention was drawn to the fact that to reach the net zero emission target by 2050, the amount of annual energy investments, currently standing at 2 trillion USD, must go up to 5 trillion USD.
The “Future of Net Zero Emission in the World & Europe and Implications for Turkey ” webinar organized by Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) brought together leaders from government and industry on energy and climate matters.
The Opening Speech was delivered by Kıvanç Zaimler, IICEC Board Member, and the Keynote Speech by Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The Guest of Honor of the webinar was Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
During the opening speech of the webinar, Kıvanç Zaimler, Member of the IICEC Board of Directors , highlighted that net zero emission has become an agenda focus globally and specifically in the countries that have been trading partners of Turkey, and this trend would impact the energy sector. He continued, “Currently, global and regional dynamics come to the forefront in this very strategic sector and related sectors. It is important to create value for all the stakeholders of the energy sector by managingrisks and turning them into opportunities. We are here to discuss an important subject.”
During his speech in the webinar, Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), pointed to the raising of climate and environmental awareness in every country and in every segment of society, and added, “This awareness is rising quickly and irreversibly. Climate change has been proven scientifically and became an integral part of the public opinion.” Revealing that 80% of the emissions leading to climate change resulted from the energy sector, Fatih Birol continued, “This being the case, the solution to the problem must come from the energy sector. Without reducing carbon emission in the sector between 2020 and 2050, it is impossible to reach the net zero level. All the major economies in the world, including the EU countries, the USA, Canada, Brazil, the UK, Japan, and South Korea committed to net zero emission by 2050. Can the global energy sector be transformed? The path to this target is extremely challenging, but it is not impossible to get there. It is necessary to make the most of the existing energy technologies, proven to be economical, and accelerate new technologies, which require investments.”
Noting that annual energy investments amounted to 2 trillion USD globally, Dr. Fatih Birol said, “To reach the 2050 targets, the amount of investments must increase to 5 trillion USD annually, and a major part of these investments must go to clean energy technologies. The share of emerging markets in these investments should also grow. If the world reaches the net zero emission target by 2050, the amount of oil consumption will decrease from 100 million barrels a day to 25 million. Consumption of gas and coal will decrease dramatically. Solar will be the number one source of energy by 2050. Electric car sales have a market share of around 5% in the world. To reach the net zero emission target, 60% of vehicles sold in the world must be electric by 2030. By 2040, the global energy sector will be fully decarbonized through the use of renewables, the combination of fossil energy sources with carbon abatement choices, and nuclear energy... I must also specify that to reach the net zero target by 2050, nuclear energy must double up from its current level.”
Clean Energy Awareness and Energy Transformation
Dr. Birol indicated that countries must draw roadmaps considering their specific conditions, particularly level of economic development, energy realities and security of energy supply, and continued, “To find a solution to this global problem, everyone must do their own work remembering that they all have some responsibilities to assume. No country is exempt from the effects of the clean energy transformation. Every country will be impacted by that, because there is a very strong wave coming from the deep. With decreasing costs, major economies including the US and China will be involved in the energy transformation.”
“WE WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY OUT REFORMS TO ATTRACT ENERGY INVESTMENTS”
Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources pointed out that due to some 4% shrinkage of the global economy as a result of decreased economic activity during the pandemic, carbon emissions had seen a reduction. Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar said, “We call the year 2021 the beginning of a period of recovery. The IEA forecasts a 10% increase in energy investments. We can see that many countries are making commitments to be carbon-neutral by 2050. The EU Climate Law has been issued very recently and the climate issue is now treated through a regulatory framework. I cannot say that I have received serious signs as to how those targets are to be reached. As an emerging country, Turkey is making efforts to fulfill the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement. Moreover, we have made considerable investments in the field of renewable energy. 53% of Turkey’s total installed electricity capacity is based on renewables. The share of renewables in total electricity generation was 43% last year, while in countries that are very developed in this field like the US, China, German and the UK this share is 17 to 36%. Therefore, Turkey is at a really advanced level in renewable energy. In 2020, we were able to avoid approximately 73 million tons of carbon emissions thanks to power generated from renewables. Turkey faces serious challenges to realize absolute emission reductions in the short to medium term and it does not seem really possible to set any emission reduction target ahead. In economic terms, I can say that for example in 2020, 46 billion TL of support was provided for renewables. The amount of investments in energy efficiency from 2017 to 2020 is close to 5 billion USD. Looking at these figures, we can see the magnitude of the energy transformation bill. Assuming that Turkey has 1% share in global economy, some 40-50 billion USD of the targeted 5 trillion USD of global investments must be realized in Turkey.”
‘‘Business Leaders’ Perspectives: Future of Clean Energy’’ Panel was held.
The “Future of Net Zero Emission in the World & Europe and Implications for Turkey ” webinar, organized by Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC), was followed by a panel entitled “Business Leaders’ Perspectives: Future of Clean Energy.” Moderated by Garanti BBVA EVP Ebru Dildar Edin, the panel had Sinan Ak, CEO of Zorlu Enerji, Enis Amasyalı, CEO of Borusan EnBW Enerji, Ahmet Erdem, Country Chair of Shell Turkey, Zaur Gahramanov, CEO of SOCAR Turkey, and Hakan Yıldırım, CEO of Sanko Enerji, as speakers.
During her opening speech at the panel, Ebru Dildar Edin, Garanti BBVA EVP said, “Net zero has been one of the key topics recently. There is a target to reduce carbon emissions by 45% to keep the global temperature increase at 1.5 degrees. In this panel, we will discuss repercussions and reflections from the private sector.”
Ahmet Erdem, Country Chair of Shell Turkey,stated that Shell, one of the biggest hydrocarbon producers in the world, was headed to the net zero emission by 2050 target. Erdem added, “We aim to decrease the carbon intensity originating from our own operations by 8% by 2023. We will do this by using energy efficiency and renewable energy. We have a plan to reach a 20% target by 2030, 45% by 2035, and 100% by 2050. Our oil production peaked in 2019. By 2030, we aim to reduce oil production by 2% every year. Upon the decrease of oil, nearly 55% or more of the hydrocarbon included in Shell’s portfolio will be natural gas by 2030. We find natural gas important as a fuel for transition. We will see a more common use of gas in road, marine and rail transport. We aim to convert refineries in our facilities to energy parks. We will generate hydrogen by using wind energy. Electric vehicles are developing at tremendous speed. With regards to chemicals, we plan to recycle 1 million tons of plastic waste to transform it to plastic raw materials by 2025.”
Zaur Gahramanov, CEO of SOCAR Turkey emphasized that sustainability should be the main drive for the businesses, and R&D activities should get necessary attention. He continued, “We expect sizeable gains in the field of sustainability thanks to carbon capture, storage and use programs. We have started a big journey both in the world and in Turkey. We have started to make big projects. We have increased R&D investments in Turkey. We collect the fruits of digital transformation. We will realize energy transformation more efficiently thanks to our digital investments. We find digital transformation and technological expansion important, and we will continue to invest in these particular areas. Digital investments make energy transformation more effective. We should continue to work together in the related fields. We should build a roadmap for this.”
Sinan Ak, CEO of Zorlu Enerji said digitalization, electrification and sustainability would shape the future and lead to the net zero target, accompanied by a huge need for investment. He continued, “Renewable energy has now hit the road. Investments are coming. While the number of investors was very small in the past, we can see thousands of investors today. With groundbreaking developments including electric vehicles, the most important subject is digitalization going forward, because digitalization and software are indispensable parts to manage all these systems. Our large companies should definitely pay great attention to software development. We are doing our own bit. As Zorlu Group, we also focus on hydrogen fuels, whose current cost corresponds to the cost of solar panels back in the 2000s. We expect the costs of hydrogen fuel to come down in the near future.”
Enis Amasyalı, CEO of Borusan EnBW Enerji underlined the importance of sustainability and what his company did for it. He added, “As Borusan Group, we built our sustainability strategy on three pillars, which are climate, human and innovation. As Borusan EnBW, the Group’s energy company, we have invested only in renewables since 2009. In this way, we contribute to the climate pillar of our sustainability strategy. Our partner EnBW has recently announced a very ambitions target, and said they would be climate-neutral by 2035. We are the leading wind power generator in Turkey with 661 megawatts. The technology of wind power plants has advanced extremely fast. I can say that our country’s potential for wind energy is well above 100 gigawatts. Sustainable financing, green financing, and green bonds issued at favorable conditions will play a big role in realizing this potential.”
Hakan Yıldırım, CEO of Sanko Enerji underlined that the coming 30 years would be a period of transition to a low carbon economy in the world. He further said, “Whatever our roles or impact areas may be, we want to hand over a more livable world to the next generation. Currently, the global temperature increase is 1.1 degrees and we can feel its effects every single day. This year has been the driest one since 2014, and this affects not only hydro power generation but also agriculture. Therefore, if we want to avoid such extreme weather conditions, we have to keep the global temperature increase below 2 degrees, and ideally below 1.5 degrees. The whole world will invest trillions of dollars in wind, solar, carbon capture, energy storage, and electric vehicles. Therefore, we should do the same build more wind and solar power plants. We should also be making money by technology development, manufacturing and exporting equipment.”
ICEC Director Bora Şekip Güray pointed to the importance of topics such as electrification, renewable energy, hydrogen and digital transformation for the transition to a low carbon economy, and emphasized that IICEC would continue to work in these fields within its mission of “Government-Industry-Academy Success Triangle”.
What are the rules and required documents for application?
Please click here for the rules and required documents for doctorate programs application.
What are the scholarship opportunities?
Candidates may be given various kinds of scholarships based on merit. Please click here to view the scholarship opportunities for graduate programs at Sabancı University.
·Candidates shortlisted by the admissions jury of their respective programs may be called in for an interview. Candidates will be notified of their interview times by email or telephone. Interview dates will be announced below. Candidates invited for interviews will be notified of the modalities for these interviews. Based on the conditions, interviews can be in-person or online.
·Experimental Psychology (PhD)
oWritten exam: None.
oInterview: August 9, 2021
·Social Psychology (PhD)
oWritten exam: None.
oInterview: August 9, 2021
How can I get more information?
You may contact the following faculty member for academic issues and questions. You may contact Sabancı University Student Resources for more information regarding application and admission procedures.
Starting from 2021-2022 academic year, two new Ph.D. programs by Graduate School of Social Sciences will be accepting students who aim to get a degree on Experimental Psychology and Social Psychology.
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in Experimental Psychology at Sabancı University is designed to train students to conduct experimental research, particularly in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Each graduate student will conduct research with one or more faculty members. Students will gain hands-on experience in developing research questions and appropriate experiment designs, preparing experiments (e.g., by programming software in Matlab or Python), collecting and analyzing data, and handling the publication processes.
As a result, graduate students will act more like researchers than students. The hands-on research practices will be coupled with a course curriculum designed to provide advanced theoretical knowledge in research practices, programming, signal processing, perception, attention, working memory, episodic memory, cognitive control, language, imagery, emotions, driver behavior, and human-robot interaction. The classes will be combined with lab meetings, journal clubs, brown bag meetings, and colloquia, allowing the students to stay up-to-date with the latest advances in research. At the end of their studies, our graduates will be expected to be equipped with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to grow as successful, independent researchers in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. This set of skills will allow graduates to pursue jobs in academia or applied research settings.
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program in Social Psychology at Sabancı University offers a research-oriented training by using advanced research methods in the scientific study of human behavior among individuals and groups. Our program has a number of laboratories equipped with cutting-edge technical tools to conduct social psychological research at individual, dyad, and group levels. Doctoral students will gain a solid knowledge of research methods and advanced statistics, and will be actively involved in diverse research projects as early as their first semester.
Students will also be able to benefit from other laboratories in the university and have the opportunity to participate in interdisciplinary studies by collaborating with the researchers from other graduate programs.With a strong research agenda, we help students build and sustain an initial momentum in making scientific publications as well as integrating with the international research community by actively attending international conferences and developing research collaborations. Our research in the program particularly focuses on relationships between individuals and groups and represents the rich spectrum of social psychology from social development to group processes.
Our social psychology faculty members conduct research on parent-child relationships and language development in early life, formation, maintenance, and termination of adult social and intimate relationships, family dynamics, attachment, the interplay between memories and social relationships, self-regulation, culture, intergroup contact, prejudice and discrimination, and well-being. Starting from the first year, students will take active part in the currently running studies. In sum, the main goal of our research and practice-based doctoral education is to fully prepare our graduates as competent and productive academics and researchers, and practitioners in the related arenas at the international level.
The deadline for applications for Experimental and Social Psychology (Ph.D.) is August 2, 2021.
Please click here to view the application requirements and scholarship opportunities.
A collaboration has been established between Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and the international residency program Gate 27 in Istanbul, Yeniköy and Balıkesir, Ayvalık. The residency program provides an interdisciplinary cultural platform for research and production by inviting artists, curators, researchers and academics in various fields related to the arts.
The collaboration will involve joint projects (workshops, conferences, symposia etc.) between the university’s Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design Program, Art Theory and Criticism Minor Program and Gate 27, enabling students, academics and residents to share and network their artistic and cultural production and research.
The journal article of title "Design and fabrication of a vigorous “cavitation-on-a-chip” device with a multiple microchannel configuration", which was co-authored by Ph.D. Mechatronics Engineering Student Farzad Rokhsar Talabazar, Materials Science and Nanoengineering M.S. student Mohammad Jafarpour and SUNUM researcher Morteza Ghorbani, Faculty Member of FENS/SUNUM Ali Koşar, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) researcher Luis G. Villanueva, KTH Royal Institute of Technology researchers Dmitriy Grishenkov ve Hongjian Chen and SUNUM Research Associate Merve Zuvin, was recently published in the journal Nature Microsystems and Nanoengineering, one of the best journals in the field of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS).
Farzad Rokhsar Talabazar, Mohammad Jafarpou
This article attracted much attention so that it has been selected a feature article in this journal as well as in Phys.Org:
Phys.Org is a UK-based science, research and technology news aggregator offering briefs from press releases and news agencies.
This study is a nice example for the interdisciplinary research being conducted in the Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM) and EFSUN center of excellence.
Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) is organizing a webinar entitled ''Future of Net Zero Emission in the World & Europe and Implications for Turkey.''
The webinar will be held at 10:30 on Friday, July 9, 2021. The opening speech will be delivered by Kıvanç Zaimler, IICEC Board Member, and the keynote speech by Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The guest of honor speech will be delivered by Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.
The webinar will continue with a panel entitled ‘‘Business Leaders’ Perspectives: Future of Clean Energy.’’Moderated by Garanti BBVA EVP Ebru Dildar Edin, the panel will consist of Sinan Ak, CEO of Zorlu Enerji, Enis Amasyalı, CEO of Borusan EnBW Enerji, Ahmet Erdem, Shell Turkey Country Manager, Zaur Gahramanov, CEO of SOCAR Turkey, and Hakan Yıldırım, CEO of Sanko Enerji. The closing remarks of the webinar will be given by Bora Şekip Güray, Director of IICEC.
We will be glad to have your participation in this important event, where considerable developments in the field of net zero emission in the World and in Europe will be discussed.
IICEC Webinar: ''Future of Net Zero Emission in the World & Europe and Implications for Turkey''
