Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum launches the Turkish program of the 30% Club, an organization dedicated to improve gender balance in the decision-making mechanisms of companies, and to increase the representation of women to at least 30% on company boards and in executive positions.

The Turkish launch of the 30% Club, formed by Presidents and CEOs who view the presence of women in decision mechanisms as a business performance issue, was hosted by Borsa İstanbul on Wednesday, March 22, 2017.

The founding Presidents and CEOs of the Turkish chapter of the Club were present for the ceremony at Borsa İstanbul beginning with the sounding of the gong. Introductory remarks were made by Borsa İstanbul President and CEO Himmet Karadağ. Himmet Karadağ said that paying people their dues regardless of gender, race or any other discriminating factor was one of the key values of Turkey and its people. He added that the notion of justice required this. Himmet Karadağ noted that there were significant shortcomings in this matter, especially in the economic sphere. He explained that only 3 out of 10 women were employed in Turkey. Himmet Karadağ continued, “Women represent 25% of executive management in Turkish companies. This is severe injustice committed against women. At this point, we must recognize the importance of having women on boards and executive management. Having women in decision-making positions will first and foremost change our companies. A more inclusive and egalitarian approach will prevail over all aspects of work, most importantly hiring. That is why we at Borsa İstanbul play an active part in social responsibility initiatives. We will continue our support of projects that promote equal opportunity, and will cooperate with our stakeholders." 

Afterwards, 30% Club Turkey President and Akkök Holding CEO Ahmet Dördüncü gave a speech. Ahmet Cemal Dördüncü said, “Establishing gender equality within the company will elevate the position of the business and make their boards more effective. Scientific data suggests that significant change in the quality of company decisions requires that at least 30% of the decision makers are women. It is also a significant threshold for achieving progress in gender equality. As 30% Club Turkey, we intend to include more men that are in leading positions in Turkey, and undertake other activities to reach our objective of 30%."

A video message by 30% Club Founding Chair and Financial Times' boldest businesswoman of 2016 Helena Morissey was shown. Helena Morissey said that the matter was not about hiring a few women, but about transforming business culture.

The keynote speaker of the event was 30% Club UK Steering Committee Member and Big Lottery Fund Board of Directors Member Elizabeth Passey. Elizabeth Passey told the story of how the 30% Club was established.  Passey said that board of directors chairs and CEOs gathered around 30% club in 2010 to improve gender equality. She said that their initial purpose was to increase the ratio of women members on the boards of FTSE 100 companies to 30% by 2015. Passey explained that part of their efforts focused on succession planning, which would help to maintain this ratio once achieved.

30% Club Turkey Steering Committee Chair and Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum Director Dr. Melsa Ararat provided information about the project. Melsa Ararat said, “Women need to be in decision-making positions in economically significant companies in order to be able to take part in economic decisions. We have been following the ratio of women on boards and in executive management in public companies since 2012. Despite encouraging regulations by the Capital Markets Board, this ratio is still quite low and progress is sluggish. As with many other issues that require social transformation, we need the creative and dynamic leaders of the business world to act as champions. The members of the 30% Club, who are the CEOs and presidents of the leading companies in Turkey, state that the presence of women in decision-making mechanisms is indispensable for prudent business management. Their attitude will compel others to recognize subconscious predispositions and question them, which will in turn send a positive message to international investors about BIST companies. The 'Fearless Girl' statue, placed in front of Wall Street's iconic bull on March 8th, symbolizes the expectations of the society and investors in terms of women's inclusion in decisions. As in elsewhere in the world, the inclusion of women in decisions in Turkey will be a positive influence on company performance, and help to ensure that decisions are more participatory, inclusive, stakeholder-oriented and egalitarian. The Club's aim is to increase the ratio of women on boards from 14.2% and in executive management from 15% to at least 30% by 2025. Let's hope we reach this objective sooner.”

About the 30% Club

Simply put, the 30% Club is a cooperation of presidents and CEOs who seek to improve gender balance at all levels of their organizations. This is backed by the belief that better gender balance will make companies more successful and boards of directors more effective. Diversity as a boost to better decision-making by bodies is consistently finding more scientific support. Research suggests that 30% is the proportion when critical mass is reached – in a group setting, the voices of the minority group become heard in their own right, rather than simply representing the minority. In 2010, the ratio of women on the boards of FTSE 100 companies was 12.5%, and 21 companies had boards entirely composed of men. Today, the ratio is 29% and there are no companies where all board members are men.

The Turkish chapter of the 30% Club was initiated under the guidance of the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum, who have been conducting campaigns on the representation of women on boards and supporting their initiative with research since 2010.

About the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum

CGFT was established in 2003 as a joint initiative of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TÜSİAD) and Sabancı University. The Forum focused on establishing Corporate Governance Principles and good governance advocacy in its early years, and then moved on to research and field studies from 2008 onwards. Today, CGFT continues its work as an interdisciplinary academic initiative hosted by the Faculty of Management at Sabancı University, and carries out programs on the improvement of the economic and social effects of companies. The Forum has also been responsible for the Turkish operations of CDP, the world's most prestigious environmental project, since 2009.

http://cgft.sabanciuniv.edu

Distinguished individuals from business and the arts met the youth at IMIS’17 PASSION...

The 11th IMIS (International Management and Industrial Engineering Summit) organized by the Sabancı University student club Industrial Engineering Society was held on March 4 and 5, 2017 with over 600 guests from Istanbul and other cities. IMIS '17 was held under the theme of "Passion" at the Sabancı University Performing Arts Center, where business executives, subject matter experts and actors talked to the audience about how they sought their passion in their personal or professional lives.

Speakers on the first day of the two-day event were IMIS main sponsor QNB Finansbank Vice President of HR Hakan Alp, Monier Braas CEO Daniş Navaro, L'oreal Turkey CMO Beyza Kapu, Lidyana.com CEO Hakan Baş, actor İlker Kaleli and IMIS gold sponsor Vestek and Vestel Ventura General Manager Metin Salt. On the second day, Eczacıbaşı Medical Group President Elif Çelik, Unilever Gebze Plant Manager Selim Tansuğ, Sabancı University School of Management faculty member and Finance Chair Özgür Demirtaş, IMIS silver sponsor Daikin CEO Hasan Önder, Boston Consulting Group Managing Partner Çağrı Oğan and actor Berrak Tüzünataç spoke to the audience.

Speakers addressed an audience of mostly university students, telling them about their career plans and their stories of how they discovered their true passions. The first speaker in the event, QNB Finansbank Vice President of HR Hakan Alp, discussed "making passion a part of the way you do business", followed by Monier Braas CEO Daniş Navaro on a philosophical approach to success, also explained in his book Kariyer ve Varoluş [Career and Existence]. L'oreal Turkey CMO Beyza Kapu said, "I owe most of my success to my life in university" and recommended students to be active in student clubs and seize international opportunities like Erasmus. Lidyana.com CEO Hakan Baş shared his success story as a "passionate entrepreneur" followed by actor İlker Kaleli, who told about his story extending from being a club DJ to an acting school in London. İlker Kaleli said that university events like IMIS were important to him, continuing "One should distinguish between passion and talent or love. People who are reborn into the job they do every day are people who are truly passionate about their jobs." The last speaker of the first day was Vestek and Vestel Ventura General Manager Metin Salt.

QNB Finansbank Vice President of HR Hakan Alp

L'oreal Turkey CMO Beyza Kapu

Vestek and Vestel Ventura General Manager Metin Salt

Actor İlker Kaleli

The second day of IMIS’17 Passion continued with speakers from different walks of life, and their passions. Eczacıbaşı Medical Group President Elif Çelik was the first speaker of the day.  Çelik told listeners about how an education in medicine could be merged with a business. Unilever Gebze Plant Manager Selim Tansuğ painted a picture of what awaited listeners in their careers based on his professional experience and technological developments that were just around the corner. Sabancı University School of Management faculty member and Finance Chair Özgür Demirtaş was among the favorites of the event with his presentation on international economics, grasping the true power of technology, and preparing for the future.

 Eczacıbaşı Medical Group President Elif Çelik

Sabancı University School of Management faculty member and Finance Chair Özgür Demirtaş 

Daikin CEO Hasan Önder spoke about crossing his career in a small company with a global giant and the importance of working with different cultures in a business setting, followed by Boston Consulting Group Managing Partner Çağrı Oğan on how his passion for resolving conflict led him to a career in strategic consultancy, who urged listeners to invest in their visions to make a difference in a changing world. The last speaker of IMIS’17 Passion was actor Berrak Tüzünataç. Tüzünataç answered questions from the floor and spoke of her journey to becoming an actor, saying "My passion is life itself."

 Daikin CEO Hasan Önder

Actor Berrak Tüzünataç

The Sabancı University Industrial Engineering Society (IES) presented certificates to speakers after the event.

IMIS’17 Passion aftermovie is on air

Watch IMIS’17 Passion aftermovie from here.

Turkey's only academic award in social sciences

The Sabancı University Board of Trustees endowed the Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award in 2006 to honor the will of the late Sakıp Sabancı, Honorary Chairman of Sabancı University, for encouraging prestigious research in social sciences, and promoting academic studies that will draw intellectual attention to Turkey. In addition to essay awards, a Jury Special Award was established in 2012 to be presented to distinguished academics with lifelong contribution to an area of social sciences.

Being a first in Turkey, the Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards shed light on and encouraged Turkish studies in social sciences including sociology, economics, history and political science. Nearly 350 submissions from 31 countries have been received for the awards since 2006.

Decisions are made by an international jury panel consisting of independent members who are experts in their subject areas, which helps the awards to set a solid foundation for future research to be conducted.

The Awards Ceremony and Sakıp Sabancı Memorial Event have been held concurrently since 2015 to remember the late Sakıp Sabancı by rewarding high-quality, original work in social sciences.

About Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards

For more information about Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards, please consult the awards booklet.

The 12th Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards, endowed by Sabancı University in memory of Honorary Chairman Sakıp Sabancı, will be given at a ceremony to be held at the Sabancı Center on Monday, April 10, 2017.

The Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards Ceremony to be held as part of the Sakıp Sabancı Remembrance Ceremony will be hosted by Sabancı University and the Sakıp Sabancı Family.

Covering fields such as Turkish and Islamic art and history, economics and sociology in Turkey, the Awards will be given to papers on “Europeans with Legacies from Turkey in Everyday Life” this year.

Introductory remarks will be delivered by Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı, and also speaking will be Jury Panel Chair and Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences member Senem Aydın Düzgit on behalf of the jury panel consisting of internationally recognized Turkish and foreign professors.

Program
Date:Monday, April 10, 2017
Time:6:30 - 7:00 PM Welcome
          7:00 PM Awards Ceremony
          8:30 PM Reception
Place:Sabancı Center, 4. Levent

Skills required by employers from new graduates and new hiring methods

The first phase of our European Union project on "Generation Y's Virtual Guide to Skills Development and Personal Branding on Social Media" implemented by the Sabancı University Career Office concluded.

The project team continues to share results on various platforms.

In the first event held on Thursday, January 26 at the Karaköy Minerva Palas with a wide audience, the following outcomes were shared with directors of Career Centers and Human Resources Departments.

Sabancı University Career Development and Alumni Relations Manager Şule Yalçın disclosed the results of the survey on "The impact of social media on career and hiring processes" in Turkey and Europe. According to the results of the survey completed by 1329 students and 109 employers and career centers, employers and career centers use social media more than students in hiring processes.

The outputs of the survey on "Skills required by European companies in new graduates" conducted by Universum Global were shared by Senior Consultant Vasco Castro. 1299 European employers responding to the survey stated that they seek the key competencies of Reliability, Responsibility, Communication Skills, Positive Attitude and Teamwork in their candidates.

The results of the two surveys constitute an important input for human resources employees and career centers.

Şule Yalçın attended the Asia Pacific University-Industry Cooperation Conference in Australia between February 15 and 17, 2017.

The Sabancı University Career Office was invited to the 4th Asia-Pacific University IndustryCooperation Conference held by the University-Industry Innovation Network for a project presentation.

Şule Yalçın shared the initial outcomes of the "Generation Y's Virtual Guide" project and the project outputs expected to be obtained within 2 years with participants from 29 countries. Outputs were received with great interest and the Career Office was able to create new opportunities for internships and careers with institutions and universities in the Asia-Pacific region.

NS-Future joint seminar series continues with Kamer Kaya's "(High-Performance) Computing: Why It Matters?" seminar on 29 March 2017 at 13.40.

High Performance Computing is a strategic resource for the future as all scientific disciplines are becoming “computational”. Genome sequencing, personalized medicine, early detection of diseases, realistic simulations for disasters and outbreaks, analyzing human brain and big-data analytics are only a few examples for which HPC matters. Today, Exascale Computing, performing 10^18 floating point operations per second, is HPC researchers’ holy grail but decades of HPC research show that we cannot compute in exascale without going around architectural limitations. In this seminar, we will talk about the history of (high-performance) computing, the modern HPC hardware we use today, their strengths and bottlenecks.

Date: 29 March 2017, Wednesday

Time: 13.40

Venue: FASS G22

NS-Future Joint Seminar Series is as below;

22 February 2017 - Selim Çetiner, "Genetically Modified Organisms: Food Security and Modern Biotechnology in the 21st Century"

08 March 2017  - Mehmet Ali Alpar, "The Fastest Rotating Stars"

29 March 2017 - Kamer Kaya, "Computation"

12 April 2017 - Uğur Sezerman, "Personalized Medicine"

26 April 2017 - Bahattin Koç, "3D Organ Printing"

10 May 2017 - Andrew Berry, "Evolutionary Fireworks: The Cambrian Explosion & the Origins of Animals"

Falling Walls Lab Istanbul calls for talented researchers and professionals to showcase their most innovative ideas

Outstanding researchers, entrepreneurs and professionals can as of now apply for the Falling Walls Lab Istanbul on 4 July 2017 at Sabancı University Minerva Han, to present their research work in 3 minutes. The most intriguing presenter qualifies directly for the Falling Walls Lab Finale on 8 November 2017 in Berlin. Applications are due by 5 June 2017.

In 2016, international Falling Walls Labs take place all over the world in more than 40 countries and call for the application of Bachelor and Master students, postdocs, young professionals, entrepreneurs and junior professors. Ground-breaking research projects, initiatives, ideas and business models from all disciplines are welcome.

Winners will attend the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin 

The winner of every international Falling Walls Lab will be awarded a slot for the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin on 8 November 2017 and a ticket to the Falling Walls Conference on 9 November 2017.  At the Conference 20 world-class scientists from across the globe present their current breakthrough research answering the question: “Which are the next walls to fall?”

The Falling Walls Lab Istanbul takes place on 4 July 2017 at Sabanci University, Minerva Han, Bankalar Cad. No: 2, Karaköy, Istanbul. All the questions about Falling Walls Lab can be addressed to Asuman Büyükcan Tetik (asumanbt@sabanciuniv.edu) from Sabancı University. For further information and the online application form please visit www.falling-walls.com/lab until 5 June 2017.

As RadyoSU, we keep hosting our teachers in our radio studio at campus and get to know them better. Next week, Teachers Are Human is going to host our beloved teacher Filiz Ali. You can listen to our program on 27th of March, Monday at 8 PM, and join the conversation by sending your questions to us.

So, how can you listen RadyoSU?

www.radyosu.sabanciuniv.edu or www.radyosu.org websites, TuneIn, MySU, RadyoSU App and Speak App 

Sabanci University Summer School (June 28 - August 18, 2017) has job openings for university instructors concerning the following 
undergraduate courses:

IE 301 - Deterministic Models in Operations Research
IE 302 - Stochastic Models in OR        

The course will be conducted in English. For more information about the 
course, please visit Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences website:

http://fens.sabanciuniv.edu/

The applicants should have previous teaching experience of this course 
at the undergraduate level and should send a package containing their 
C.V., and evidence of teaching ability to:

Sena Balkaya
Summer School Office
E-mail: summer@sabanciuniv.edu

Accommodation for accepted instructor will be provided at the Sabancı 
University campus. Moreover, associated economy class return flight 
tickets of accepted instructor will be reimbursed upon confirmation.

Application deadline is April 15, 2017. The evaluations will start
immediately.

Sabancı University Civic Involvement Projects (CIP) will organize the “National Sensitivity Conference” in association with Anadolu Efes. The conference aims to foster an environment of dialog to share developments and different attitudes to social responsibility.  

To be held at the Sabancı University campus in Tuzla, the conference will bring together the leading universities, high schools, private companies and nongovernmental organizations of Turkey which conduct social responsibility efforts.

Sabancı University prepares to host a conference in association with Anadolu Efes to discuss new developments and different approaches in social responsibility. The National Sensitivity Conference will be the first of its kind to be organized by a university in Turkey and will focus on social responsibility, civic involvement, participatory democracy, active citizenship and youth studies.

The conference will be organized by Sabancı University Civic Involvement Projects, the first compulsory social responsibility course in Turkey, and aims to foster an environment of dialog between the leading universities, high schools, private companies and nongovernmental organizations of Turkey which conduct social responsibility efforts. 

The conference will be attended by representatives of Robert College, Akdeniz University and Açı Schools in plenary presentations as well as panel discussions.  Other participants in panel discussions, best practice sessions and workshops include leading companies such as Anadolu Efes, Akbank, Bayer and Unilever, as well as nongovernmental organizations TEMA, KAÇUV and Science Heroes Society. A mini-fair will accompany the event.

Information and free registration: www.ulusalduyarlilikkonferansi.com

Date     : Saturday, March 25, 2017

Time    : 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Place    : Sabancı University Campus, Orhanlı – Tuzla