Yağız Nizipli, fourth-year Computer Sciences student in the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, was accepted to the Google Developer Festival (DevFest Istanbul '14) seminar as speaker.

Google's GDG Istanbul team will host a great gathering of software developers on December 6th at the Bağlarbaşı Cultural Center.

DevFest Istanbul'14 is on December 6th.

As DevFest season begins, GDGs all over the world prepare to host more than 300 DevFests.  There will be 6 DevFests in Turkey, held by the teams of Düzce, Kütahya, Konya, Eskişehir, Ankara and Istanbul.  düzenlenen etkinliklerde farklı konuşmacılar, Code-labs, workshops and hackathons led by various speakers will create new experiences for participants.  The events are volunteer community events where the common goal is to share, learn, teach, have fun and write code!

The “Nanoplasmonic Device with Nanoscale Cooling” patent of Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences members Ali Koşar and Kürşat Şendur received second prize at the Yıldız Patents Project Marketplace held by Yıldız Technical University.

The Yıldız Patents Project Marketplace contest is held to create awareness about intellectual property and to draw the attention of academic and business communities to this subject.  This was the second time the Patent Awards were given.

Sabancı University Electronic Engineering PhD student Rıza Alp Güler won the ISRA VISION Computer Vision award with his master’s dissertation “Coding Shape Inside the Shape” under advisor Associate Professor Gözde Ünal.

ISRA VISION Computer Vision Award encourages scientific research.

Germany-based ISRA VISION AG, one of the world’s top five artificial vision companies that power production lines around the world, and a global leader in surface scanning systems, has been giving the ‘Computer Vision Award’ since 2011 to encourage prolific researchers looking to expand their careers.

The company acquired VISTEK A.Ş., started by SU faculty member Professor Aytül Erçil in partnership with Inovent, and established its Turkish subsidiary under the title ISRA VISION VISTEK.  The key objective of the company is to expand the use of artificial vision technologies in the manufacturing industry of Turkey, and enable companies to gain competitive edge with the efficiency and quality assurance benefits offered by these technologies.  Extensive research and development activities are also a priority for the company, and awards programs seek to provide support to young entrepreneurs and the industry in general.

Given in Turkey for the first time this year, the 'Computer Vision Award' received great interest from the undergraduate and graduate degree holders of the leading universities in Turkey.

ISRA VISION VISTEK established this award to encourage young scholars of electronics, computer science, mechanical engineering, mathematics and physics to continue their research in digital image processing.  The company is expected to continue its support in Turkey in the future.

Sabancı University members and supporters took part in the 36th Istanbul Marathon on Sunday, November 16 for the benefit of the SU Scholarship Fund and helped to raise TL 1030.

Of this amount, TL 900 will pay for the stipends of three students for one month, and the remaining TL 130 will go towards the support for another student.

We would like to thank all participants for their financial and moral support, and for helping to make a difference and create awareness.

Our campaign will end on November 30 if you would like to support more successful students who are in financial need.

For online donations: http://giving.sabanciuniv.edu/bagis 

For bank transfers:

Akbank

Sabancı Üniversitesi Branch

Branch Code: 713

Account No.: 30727

IBAN: TR870004600713888000030727   

SU Istanbul Marathon entrants:

Zeliha Algül

Matjaz Moser

Özgür Algül

Ulgen Okutgen

Bojan Ambrozic

Metin Arca Öz

Ali Ansari Hamedani

Erkin Özcan

Marco Antonelli

Aygen Öztürk

Nuray Apaydın

Ozan Uğur Öztürk

Arda Çallı 

Matteo Paganin

Ece Çetinkal

Sandra Quarantini

Gizem Dirlik

Mümin Raif

Ezgi Ergören

Sevgi  Şairoğlu

Zain Fuad

Raziye Şen

Çağlar Genç

Veciye Taşcı

Can Kartoğlu

İpek Tuğrul

Fulya Kaya

Zuhal Tümay

Ahmet Kenan

Sami Tümay

Pınar Koçak

Gülekşen Ulusoy

Dong Geon Lee

Leziye Ulusoy

Gökşin Liu

Mustafa Ünal

Ali Mahad 

Mobeen Warraich

Giorgio Marinato

Halil İbrahim Yılmaz

Donors who supported entrants of the Istanbul Marathon for the benefit of the SU Scholarship Fund:

Şule Aktaş

Şükriye Koç

Ceylan Alemdar

Volkan Özgüz

Özgür Algül

Şule Tezgiden

Zeliha Algül

Zuhal Tümay

Gülseren Caşın

Gülekşen Ulusoy

Sezen Gülşen Kama

Bora Uzun

Serpil Gürbüz

Duygu Yalamanoğlu

Ayla Gürleyen

Güneş Yıldırım

Arzu Kıran

Ebru Özgür  Katı

İsminin açıklanmasını istemeyen 4 bağışçımız

The second “Independent Woman Directors Conference of Turkey” was held at Sabancı Center on Wednesday, November 19th as part of the Independent Woman Directors project implemented by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum with the financial support of the Consulate of Sweden and the strategic support of Egon Zehnder International’s Turkey office.

Introductory remarks were made by Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister Responsible for General Economic Coordination, via videoconference.

Also speaking were President of the Corporate Investors Society of Turkey, Mehmet Göçmen; UN Women Europe and Middle East Regional Director and Turkish Representative, Ingibjorg Gisladottir; and Royal Bank of Scotland CEO and 2011 European Diversity Champion, Chris Sullivan.

“Boards Empowered by Women” Awards of Turkey were given to Türk Tuborg, Turcas Petrol, Martı Otel İşletmeleri A.Ş, Burçelik Bursa Çelik Döküm Sanayi and Burçelik Vana Sanayii.  Furthermore, Alcatel Lucent Teletaş Komünikasyon received a Special Award for achieving gender equality in all “Boards Empowered by Women” Index criteria.  The awards ceremony was attended by Vice President of the Capital Markets Board, Ayşegül Ekşit.

The meeting was opened by Mehmet Göçmen, President of the Corporate Investors Society of Turkey.  In his introductory remarks delivered via videoconference, Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister Responsible for General Economic Coordination, said, “We cannot become a developed country before our women take the places they deserve in economic and social life.  Although we are inspired by the success stories of Turkish women in all areas from the arts to sports, business and science, we need more progress.  We can only achieve this progress through the holistic and coordinated efforts of public institutions and civil society initiatives.”  Babacan noted that regulatory changes were intended to enable the Turkish economy and businesses to benefit from the quality of decisions brought by gender diversity, and expressed his hope that the Woman Directors Conference becomes a tradition.

Keynote speakers were UN Women Europe and Middle East Regional Director and Turkish Representative, Ingibjorg Gisladottir; and Royal Bank of Scotland CEO and 2011 European Diversity Champion, Chris Sullivan. 

Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum Director Melsa Ararat presented the “2014 Report on Woman Directors in Publicly-Traded Companies in Turkey” followed with a lecture by Egon Zehnder Global Diversity Council Cochair Edwin Smelt on “Women on Boards: A Global Perspective.

Capital Markets Board (CMB) Vice President Ayşegül Ekşit attended the event to present awards.

“We believe one of the ways to protect against bad management is boards empowered by women.”

Mehmet Göçmen, President of the Corporate Investors Society of Turkey, said that he viewed democratic participation in management as one of the fundamental requirements of corporate governance and that the Independent Woman Directors project by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum will have a critical function in increasing the number of woman directors in company boards.  Mehmet Göçmen commented, “We know how bad management results in waste of resources and costs time and energy for companies, institutions and communities.  Based on both our own experiences and the wisdom we acquire from the world, we believe that one of the ways to protect against bad management is boards empowered by women.”

“As seen in Fortune 500 companies, the presence of women in top management has a positive effect on profitability.”

Ingibjorg Gisladottir, UN Women Europe and Middle East Regional Director and Turkish Representative, said, “We need more women in middle-management and decision-maker positions in business.  Boards are one place where women must be present to ensure that corporate agendas are open to change instigated by differing perspectives.  Women’s presence in boards of directors will support gender equality in business and influence corporate culture in this way.  As seen in Fortune 500 companies, the presence of women in top management has a positive effect on profitability as well.”

Royal Bank of Scotland CEO and 2011 European Diversity Champion Chris Sullivan gave a speech titled “Creating a More Gender-Balanced Environment.”  Chris Sullivan discussed gender balance as seen in developed economies today and gave examples of the sustainable strategies implemented in RBS to expand the female talent pool.

“This is also a human rights matter”

The message of Consul-General of Sweden, Jens Odlander, was delivered by Sevil Özmen.  In his message, Jens Odlander said that gender equality had been one of the key values of Sweden for many years.  Odlander continued, “Companies founded and run by women have greater competitive advantage in supplying services and products suitable for women.  More importantly, gender equality in boards empower women and create positive role models for young businesswomen.  As the Consul-General of Sweden in Istanbul, we support projects like Independent Women Directors which serve this purpose.  It takes time for norms and culture to change.  However, the Independent Woman Directors Project has succeeded in gaining a place in the agendas of boards of directors, regulators, and board-ready women.”

Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum and Independent Woman Directors Project Director Melsa Ararat presented the Sabancı University “Independent Woman Directors Turkey 2014” report.  The foreword of the report was written by Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister Responsible for General Economic Coordination.

The report studied the boards of 422 companies listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange, and determined that, despite the 2012 Capital Markets Board Governance Principles advisory to include women in boards, the number of woman directors remained at the 2013 figures for 2014.  The number of woman directors remained at 352, and accounted for 11.7% of the total number of directors.  This suggests that the voluntary gender regulations and the “comply or explain” approach fails to work in Turkey.

Although the number of woman directors did not increase, the ratio of women among independent directors increased in 2014, with 24% of newly-appointed independent directors in 2014 being women.  This brought the ratio of independent woman directors among all woman directors from 8.8% to 9.3%.  This is partly attributable to the effects of the Independent Woman Directors project.

The report notes that 44.1% of BIST companies have no women on their boards.  In other words, 186 of Turkey’s leading companies have no women in management.

In line with the increase of independent woman directors, the ratio of women serving in Board of Directors committees also increased from 8.5% in 2013 to 8.5% in 2014.  The ratio of women in Audit Committees is 9.5% and woman directors comprise 8.9% of total Corporate Governance Committee membership.  Credit committees, required to be established by banks in Turkey, include 6 women accounting for 9.2% of membership.  When interpreting these figures, Project Director Melsa Ararat said that half of these women were members of the families controlling the respective companies, and only independent members can serve on Audit Committees, showing the confidence in women especially in the matter of auditing.

Turkey’s companies with Boards Empowered by Women

The second “Boards Empowered by Women” Awards of Turkey were given to Türk Tuborg, Turcas Petrol, Martı Otel İşletmeleri A.Ş, Burçelik Bursa Çelik Döküm Sanayi and Burçelik Vana Sanayii.  Furthermore, Alcatel Lucent Teletaş Komünikasyon received a Special Award for achieving gender equality in all “Boards Empowered by Women” Index criteria.  The awards ceremony was attended by Vice President of the Capital Markets Board, Ayşegül Ekşit, who said, “Academic studies show that the presence of women in top management have a positive effect on profitability, help to improve the effectiveness of board of directors meetings, and contribute to risk management.  In order to reap the benefits of new legislation and voluntary efforts, the awareness of all parties must be increased and companies must sustain their efforts in this matter.

The awards were based on index calculations designed by Sabancı University faculty members Melsa Ararat, Işın Güler and Özgecan Koçak.  The index considers “Representation of Women on Boards,” “Representation of Independent Woman Directors on Boards,” “Representation of Women on Committees,” “Presence of Female Board of Directors Chairs and CEOs” and the presence of at least three female members.  The index will be calculated every year.

The “Independent Woman Directors Project” implemented by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum with financial support by the Consulate of Sweden and strategic support of Egon Zehnder International’s Turkey office aims to improve the position of women on boards of directors with a view towards making boards more efficient.  As a founding partner of the “Global Board Ready Women” initiative, the project makes regular updates to a database of board-ready women in Turkey, and recommends candidates to companies that wish to appoint a woman to their boards of directors.

The “Competition-Focused Management Development” program for executives organized by The Quality Association of Turkey (KalDer) in association with Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU starts on December 13th, 2014.

The “Competition-Oriented Management Development” program for executives organized by KalDer in association with Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU aims to improve the sustainable competitive strength of companies.

In a business environment where the pace of change quickens day by day, competition is fierce, borders have ceased to exist and sustainable growth is of vital importance, it is more vital than ever for company executives to see opportunities and understand competition-focused management.

Competition-focused management is the keystone of corporate sustainability.  In this new environment, success requires developing the leadership and management skills and competitive perspectives of executives.  The “Competition-Focused Management Development” program organized by KalDer and Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU was designed to equip executives with the fundamental skills for sustained success in the new world order.

The 9-day program is composed of courses on new management approaches for sustainable competitiveness, self- and team management skills of the executive, motivating the team towards a common goal, implementing a customer-focused philosophy, creating innovation and a culture of innovation, management and effective decision-making through processes, seeing the larger picture, and strategic perspective and change management.

The application-oriented training will be delivered by a group of Sabancı University EDU and KalDer trainers with vast experience in business, and will feature guest speakers from the world of business.  To improve the applicability of courses to real-life situations and help create an action plan, participants will prepare their own “Competitive Management Guides” throughout the program, and can benefit from one-to-one academic counseling when creating and improving their guides.  At the end of the program, participants will be given certificates by the Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU.  The program will begin on December 13th, 2014, and is expected to be completed by March 2015.

Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU Director Dr. Cüneyt Evirgen commented:

“We designed a multifaceted program with KalDer to enable executives and their corporations to maintain their competitive strengths and gain additional momentum.  Executives will focus on competition and management in the new world to implement management strategies towards a defined goal, improve their competencies for developing creative solutions and decision-making, and seek the answer to how being customer-focused makes a difference.  We believe that our visionary ‘Competition-Focused Management Development” program will contribute directly to the business results of participants.”

KalDer Vice President Yılmaz Bayraktar said: “The program will include courses on the principles and fundamental concepts of the EFQM Excellence Model, implemented in 32 countries as global competition pushes for new models in management.  This program is designed to encompass practice in application, experience sharing and the preparation of a competitive management guide in addition to training modules.  The program is expected to start on December 13th and last three months.  We expect all executives who do business by keeping competitiveness and excellence at the forefront in their companies to attend this program.  Ultimately, we will create awareness around competitive management and institutionalization to businesses.”

The signing ceremony was held at the EDU building on the Sabancı University Tuzla Campus.  Attending the ceremony were Sabancı University Secretary-General Haluk Bal, Sabancı University Executive Development Unit Director Dr. Cüneyt Evirgen, KalDer Vice President Yılmaz Bayraktar, KalDer Secretary-General Akın Alıkçıoğlu and representatives of EDU and KalDer.

Surgitate founder Özge Akbulut receives her first investment from the Arya Women Investment Platform

Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı: “Sabancı University has prioritized and emphasized university-industry partnership and entrepreneurship in all of its processes since establishment.”

Founded to make more effective use of the increasing number of women entrepreneurs in Turkey and to boost efficiencies through the best investment model, the Arya Women Investment Platform held a meeting at the Sabancı Center to introduce their first investment, Surgitate.  Receiving joint investment support from Farplas and Inovent, the company Surgitate manufactures artificial tissue and organs particularly for use in medical and surgical training.

The event was hosted by Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı to underscore the importance of women’s increased presence in the industry and growing the number of entrepreneurs in Turkey.  In her introductory remarks, Sabancı said: “Sabancı University has prioritized and emphasized university-industry partnership and entrepreneurship in all of its processes since establishment.  The late Sakıp Sabancı’s legacy includes a fund for supporting the entrepreneurial ideas of our faculty members.  I am especially proud that Inovent, Turkey’s first entrepreneurial investment company that spun off from a university, is in support of entrepreneurial women.  I am delighted to hear the success story of a former Sabancı University graduate, who is currently a member of faculty and an entrepreneur.”

Arya Women Investment Platform Founder and FarPlas Board of Directors Chair Ahu Serter spoke about the key purpose and objectives of Arya, and its new investment, Surgitate.  Serter said that she maintained her entrepreneurial spirit since the day she started her first business, and that it was an advantage to be in an environment populated by people who develop ideas and open up new paths that lead to the planned result rather than pessimistic people who only quash ideas.  Serter continued, “This is why we founded the Arya Women Investment Platform.  I wanted this to be a community where people who believe in women and want to utilize their resources with them come together to support women.  We believe that our first investment will be a great example to the industry.  We also believe that we will host and accompany many more success stories.  We want all women, and everyone who wants the power of women to support them to be a part of Arya.”

Founded by Özge Akbulut, Surgitate aims to make a difference in plastic surgery following support for mass production and in other areas.  Surgitate produces synthetic models of tissues and organs for use in medical and surgical training.  The products are developed to respond realistically to incision and suturation, and aim to improve the quality of surgical training.

CDP Turkey 2014 Climate Change Report Disclosed

Implemented by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum with the sponsorship of Akbank and reporting support of EY Turkey, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) Turkey revealed its 2014 report on Monday, November 3, 2014.

The CDP Turkey Climate Leaders awards were also presented at the ceremony, and the “CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index" (CPLI) and "CDP Climate Disclosure Leadership Index" (CDLI) were announced for the first time this year.  The only Turkish company to be included in the global CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index was Tofaş Otomotiv.

CDP Turkey Climate Leaders Awards were won by Garanti Bank, Coca-Cola İçecek, Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Üretim, Ekoten Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. and Noor Fındık.  The awards ceremony took place with the attendance of TÜSİAD High Advisory Council Chair Erkut Yücaoğlu.

CDP Turkey is being implemented since 2010 by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum with the sponsorship of Akbank and reporting support of EY Turkey.  The 2014 report of the project was revealed in an event at the Sabancı Museum – the Seed on Monday, November 3, 2014.  As a platform for companies to disclose their climate change strategies to international corporate investors, CDP is considered the world’s most prestigious and comprehensive environmental initiative.

CDP Turkey 2014 Climate Change Report includes the responses of 41 companies reporting to the CDP in Turkey.  The foreword to the report is written by CDP CEO Paul Simpson and Akbank President and Managing Director Suzan Sabancı Dinçer.

Akbank Investor Relations and Sustainability President Cenk Göksan delivered the introductory remarks to the CDP Turkey 2014 Report meeting.  Speaking after Cenk Göksan was CDP Vice President Sue Howells, followed by a video message from European Commission’s Director-General for Climate Action Jos Delbeke.  The results of the CDP Turkey 2014 Climate Change Report were revealed by Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum and CDP Turkey Director Melsa Ararat.  Speeches were followed by a panel discussion on “CDP Climate Leaders” moderated by Dr. Artunç Kocabalkan, featuring speakers Tofaş Otomotiv CEO Kamil Başaran, Garanti Bank Project and Procurement Financing, Vice President of Sustainability Ebru Dildar Edin, and CDP Vice President Sue Howells.  The event concluded with the awards ceremony introduced by TÜSİAD High Advisory Council Chair Dr. Erkut Yücaoğlu.

“Today, companies are expected to be profitable as well as consider the future of the society and environment for sustainable development.”

Akbank Investor Relations and Sustainability President Cenk Göksan said, “As one of the leading corporations in Turkey, we believe that taking an active part in building environmental awareness and reducing our impact on climate change is important for our country and our planet.  Today, companies are expected to be profitable as well as consider the future of the society and environment for sustainable development.  One of the efforts of Akbank towards this purpose is its sponsorship of the global Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in Turkey since 2010.  The steps taken as the sponsor and participant of this project are indicative of Akbank’s sensitivity towards climate change.

“More than ever, we need data on the impact of companies on climate change, and their strategies towards reducing this impact.”

CDP Vice President Sue Howells said, "Greenhouse gas emissions keep increasing and if we are unable to curb this trend, we will be more exposed to the financial risks of climate change.  More than ever, we need data on the impact of companies on climate change, and their strategies towards reducing this impact.  This is why CDP congratulates the companies that made to the CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index and CDP Climate Disclosure Leadership Index lists compiled in Turkey for the first time.  We hope that the response of these companies to the increasing demand for environmental accountability inspire others to do the same.”

“The private sector plays an important part in fighting climate change.”

European Commission’s Director-General for Climate Action Jos Delbeke sent a video message to the conference, saying: “Accounting for only ten percent of global emissions, EU cannot control climate change on its own.  We encourage countries including Turkey who have not started efforts in this direction to do so.  Turkey’s representation at the Climate Summit held in New York in September is a good development.  Turkey stated that their contribution to the Global Climate Compact would be ready by mid-2015.  There are ongoing climate actions in Turkey related to the EU accession process.  The private sector plays an important part and I was delighted that a Turkish company is among the Global Climate Performance Leadership Index.  I hope that Turkish companies continue this example and take action for the climate.  And I hope that policymakers in Turkey are able to recognize the opportunities behind challenges.”

“Climate change will change the way companies do business and the way people live.”

Sabancı University Faculty Member and CDP Turkey Director Melsa Ararat made a presentation, saying: “Climate change will change the way companies do business and the way people live.  Access to energy and water will be subject to restrictions.  As academics working in Management, we need to study how companies can respond to these changes by restructuring their supply and value chains as well as their governance systems.  Being resilient against such changes, the likes of which have never been lived before, will be more important for companies than short-term profitability or growth.  As climate change threatens way of life, citizen activism will emerge as a prominent method of communication with companies.”

Zeynep Okuyan, Climate Change and Sustainability Services Partner of EY Turkey, which provides ratings for responses in accordance with CDP’s Global Rating Method, said, "More participation in this year’s CDP Turkey and the efforts of current participants to do even better year after year are obvious signs of how aware Turkish businesses are of the opportunities and risks associated with climate change.  We also believe that further improvements can be made in the independent verification of processes and setting lower emission targets.”

CDP Turkey 2014 Climate Leaders received awards

The meeting concluded with the CDP Turkey 2014 Climate Leaders Awards Ceremony.  Awards were given in the categories of CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index (CPLI) and CDP Climate Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI).
Tofaş Otomotiv was rated among the 187 companies in the CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index of participants that were rated at A globally according to their CDP Climate Performance ratings, becoming the Climate Performance Leader of Turkey.  Furthermore, the automotive company was the first and only Turkish business to be included in CDP’s Global A List Report.  Tofaş Otomotiv CEO Kamil Başaran said, “As a global company that continuously reinvents itself, we were early to realize that R&D and renewal were what would give us the sustainable competitive edge on the national and international levels.  We are fortunate because this is what we build our sustainable future on.  Our journey started with our world-class plant qualifying for “Gold Level” production, and we continue with particularly important criteria we receive from various platforms.  Of course, we are proud to be the first and only Turkish company in the CDP A List Report as a result of our activities.  While we may boast about having raised the bar and entered the A list, we would rather not be the only one.  We expect the same sensitivity and performance from everyone.”

Among the five companies included in the local CDP Climate Disclosure Leadership Index, which consists of the top 10% of companies responding to CDP Turkey, the highest score was achieved by Garanti Bank.  Garanti Bank Project and Procurement Financing, Vice President of Sustainability Ebru Dildar Edin said, “We have been reporting our greenhouse gas inventory in an effort to fight climate change since 2010, and we find it very encouraging that we received the 2012 CDP Turkey Carbon Performance Leadership Award and this year’s CDP Turkey Carbon Disclosure Leadership.  We are determined to improve our efforts, which includes financing wind energy projects, where we have a 35% market share, and the reduction of energy used in our branch offices.”

The ceremony began with an introductory speech by TÜSİAD High Advisory Council Chair Erkut Yücaoğlu, who then presented the awards.  Tofaş Otomotiv CEO Kamil Başaran received the CDP Climate Performance Leadership Index Award.

CDP Climate Disclosure Leadership Index Award was received on behalf of Garanti Bank by Vice President of Sustainability Ebru Dildar Edin; second prize was received on behalf of Coca Cola İçecek  by Director of Corporate Relations Atilla Yerlikaya; and third prizes were received on behalf of Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Üretim by Vice-President of the Board of Directors Selen Zorlu Melik, on behalf of Ekoten Tekstil  by Human Resources Manager Deniz Köksal, and by Noor Fındık.

About the CDP Turkey 2014 Climate Change Report Results

In 2014, CDP requested climate change-related information from companies listed on the BIST-100 exchange, and encouraged other companies to respond to CDP.  CDP Turkey 2014 Climate Change Report shows the distance covered by Turkish businesses in reducing emissions and in risks and opportunities associated with climate change.  The report indicates that leading companies, despite their increasing interest and commitments, have to make more effort towards emission reductions without endangering their growth strategies.  Companies that take leadership in this matter are expected to be more successful compared to their competitors in utilizing climate change opportunities and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

Some highlights of the report:

• 41 companies responded to CDP this year.  Among the respondents, 20 received scores of 70 or greater.  In performance ratings, one company was placed in the A-List and 9 companies in the B-List.

• Since 2011, the number of respondents doubled and reached the highest level to date.

• 90% of the companies that initially responded in 2011 continued to respond every year.

• 80% of the companies that initially responded in 2013 responded this year as well.

• 10% of the respondents in 2014 were first-time respondents.

• The number of companies that integrate climate management in their business strategies increased: 85% of companies integrated climate change in their business strategies.  53% of companies set targets to reduce their emissions, while almost half of the respondents do not have reduction targets yet.

• Advanced emission reporting: In 2014, 39 companies (94%) disclosed their Direct (Scope 1) and Indirect (Scope 2) emission data.  38% of companies achieved reduction in their direct and indirect emission data.

• Inadequate verification: companies that have their data verified by independent parties account for 29% of the respondents.  Going forward, increasing stakeholder and investor demand for independent verification and governmental regulations based on the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system are expected to encourage companies to seek independent third-party verification.

• More companies put climate change on the agenda of their top management.  This year, climate change-related issues were discussed at the board of directors and executive management levels of 91% of the respondents.

• All of the top 50% respondents achieved improvements in their disclosure scores, and an increase of 71% in their performance ratings.

About CDP

CDP is an international, independent not-for-profit organization that reports on how climate change risks are managed by companies on a global scale, and has the world’s largest database of climate change data.  In 2014, the organization acted on behalf of 877 corporate investors managing total assets of 93 trillion dollars.  More than 5000 companies in 60 countries measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, water resource management and strategies for climate change through CDP to set reduction targets and improve environmental performance.  CDP harmonizes this data and seeks to improve international reporting standards.  In Turkey, CDP is being implemented by the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum since 2010 with the sponsorship of Akbank and reporting support and rating partnership of EY Turkey.  Since 2011, companies on the Istanbul Stock Exchange 100 (BIST-100) index are called upon by CDP to disclose their strategies for climate change and emissions data.

About the Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum

Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum is an interdisciplinary academic research center and think-tank focusing on corporate governance and sustainability.  Hosted by the Sabancı University School of Management, the Corporate Governance Forum is a frequent contributor to international platforms and working groups in its capacity as a center of excellence that deals with the empowerment of women in emerging markets, sustainability and climate change within the framework of corporate governance.

In celebration of the centenary of women gaining the right to university education in Turkey, Sabancı University Gender and Women’s Studies Forum in association with the Women’s Museum Istanbul will hold the Gender Equality in Academia: International Best Practices Symposium between November 6th and 8th, 2014 at the Karaköy Minerva Palas to discuss policies, programs and best practices for gender equality in universities on an international level.

As part of the symposium, an exhibition titled “100 Years Women at the University Women’s University 1914–1919” will be available for viewing between November 7th and December 21st at the Consulate General of Greece in İstanbul - Sismanoglio Megaro.

International examples to be discussed

Women in Turkey acquired the right to receive university education 100 years ago.  Today, women question how close we are to achieving gender equality in university, and the level of presence or non-presence of women in academic areas of study.  The quality of universities is determined by the quality of the education they give as well as achieving gender equality in academia and particularly the institutionalization of such equality measures.

The Gender Equality in Academia: International Best Practices Symposium will discuss programs, strategic concepts and successful practices developed in universities in Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, UK, Sweden, France and the United States to ensure gender equality and diversity.  The Turkish examples of gender equality programs implemented in Ankara University, Mersin University and Sabancı University will be examined.  Concepts developed by the foreign counterparts of TÜBİTAK to ensure gender equality in academia will be studied.

The opening lecture of the symposium will be given by political scientist Şirin Tekeli, who is a leading activist of the second-wave feminist movement in Turkey in the late 1980s.  The closing lecture will be given by anthropologist Emily Martin from New York University.

The symposium will attempt to redefine university quality based on the gender factor, and is expected to contribute to the processes in Turkey to establish mechanisms for implementing, institutionalizing and protecting gender equality and diversity in Turkish universities, and towards making permanent, systemic changes in university policies.

The exhibition witnesses a historical process shaped by women

The exhibition titled “100 Years Women at the University Women’s University 1914–1919” presented by the Women’s Museum Istanbul accompanying the symposium sheds light on the story of women gaining access to university, the role played by the Kadınlar Dünyası (Women’s World) magazine, the demands for higher education voiced in the magazine, the methods employed by women to acquire the right to higher education, women’s allies in their endeavors, and the Women’s University experience.  The exhibition is a witness to a historical process shaped by women.

The issue of gender equality in academia is expanded to include diversity based on examples from the academic and administrative careers of women.  A call is made to think on how close the current situation is to achieving gender equality and diversity in universities after a century of women acquiring the right to university education.

The exhibition and symposium were designed as part of the “Women’s Cultural Heritage” Program of the Women’s Museum Istanbul.  The Women’s Cultural Heritage Program describe the cultural legacy of the “firsts” portrayed in the permanent exhibition of the Museum, and investigates the significance of the cultural legacy on the present day.  The meaning of women’s cultural heritage is the subject of interdisciplinary studies through international conferences, panels and symposia.

History of women in university in Turkey

Women acquired the right to study at the university in the Ottoman Empire on September 12th, 1914.  This was very closely related to the Kadınlar Dünyası (Women’s World) magazine, which is considered the grandmother of today’s feminist journals.  Kadınlar Dünyası was issued by Nuriye Ulviye, who used her personal resources, and a group of women’s rights activists from April 4th, 1913 to May 21st, 1921.  Through the magazine, women developed policies for acquiring rights in education and employment, implemented tangible projects for women’s solidarity, and started businesses for women.

Reminding that “We too pay taxes for education,” the authors of Kadınlar Dünyası defined women’s right to education as one of their inalienable rights.  They escalated their demands for higher education to intellectual and political authorities. They monitored the strategies of state  politics concerning education.

Kadınlar Dünyası started a campaign to demand university education for women, and the campaign was supported by women of all strata.  Discussions in the magazine and effective lobbying efforts led to the first conferences for women in the history of the Darülfünun (present-day Istanbul University) on February 7th, 1914.  These conferences were the first step towards university education for women in Turkey.  On September 12th, 1914, the İnas Darülfünunu (Women’s University) for letters and natural sciences was opened in the Mansion of Ms. Zeynep, where the Faculty of Science and Letters stands today.

Checks and Balances Network Meets with Vice President of the United States of America Joe Biden 

The Checks and Balances Network (CBN), which consists of 185 civil society organizations that focuses on strengthening participatory and pluralistic democracy in Turkey, were invited to meet with Mr. Joe Biden, the Vice President of the United States of America, on November 22, 2014. “Checks and balances”, the principle for which the network was named in 2012, denotes a framework in which the executive, legislative and judicial branches clarify their roles and responsibilities and their relationship with one another. The framework also clarifies the expectations from media and civil society to inform the public and oversee accountability.

Biden, who met with 10 representatives of the network, stressed that the separation of powers among government branches could only be realized through the checks and balances system. He also stressed the importance of sustainable institutional and political reforms.

Network representative Fuat Keyman: “As we stressed repeatedly during our meeting with Mr. Vice President, as an entity that does not favor any specific political party, CBN plays an important role in strengthening the balance in the relationship among the legislative, executive and judicial branches, in promoting healthy relationships between local governments and the state, and a balanced relationship between citizens and the state. The network’s role is vital to both our country’s the prosperity and stability and that of the future of our region."

Network representative Hasan Seymen: “Mr. Vice President’s meeting with civil society organizations in various countries that represent different views coincides with what we hope to accomplish. As the Checks and Balances Network, we stand for meeting with decision makers more often and the participation of civil society organizations in decision-making processes. We shared with the Vice President that within our organization there are diverse views, yet at the end we find common ground in the principles of checks and balances, and that for this reason our slogan is “Thinking Differently, Solving Together.”

Network representative Selda Tandoğan Demirel: “Everyone is really curious about what we spoke about with Vice President Biden. Of course this meeting was really important. However, together we expressed the same views as we have been up till now and the same views which we will continue to express in the future: We are now UNITED to create a Turkey in which a strong ‘checks and balances system’ ensures an the rule of law, the administration’s public accountability and our rights and freedoms!”

During the meeting with Vice President Biden, the network representatives shared their goals and ideals for participatory and pluralistic democracy. After explaining why the checks and balances mechanism has been suggested as a model to carry Turkish democracy further, the representatives shared their suggestions to revise certain constitutional, legal and public processes relating to matters such as guaranteeing the protection of rights and freedoms, and reorganizing the relationship between citizen and the state.

The idea that a strong checks and balances system was needed to ensure the rights and freedoms of the public came to be as result of a series of discussions held by the Istanbul Policy Center and National Democratic Institute, which brought together different civil society organizations, political party representatives, members of the media, scholars and opinion leaders. 33 civil society organizations of different political views came together after said discussions and laid the foundations for a pluralistic network to promote democratic reforms in Turkey; the network then prepared a declaration of intent. The Checks and Balances Network is an independent and autonomous structure, whose 2012 declaration of intent is now endorsed by 185 civil society organizations – and the number continues to increase with each passing day.

You can access information on the activities, policy suggestions, structure and member organizations of the Checks and Balances Network here: www.birarada.org

Network Members attanded to the meeting:

Müjgan Suver on behalf of Marmara Grubu Vakfı;  Berrin Sönmez on behalf of Başkent Kadın Platformu; Hasan Seymen on behalf of Kafkas Dernekleri Federasyonu; Murat Köylü on behalf of Kaos GL Derneği; Turan Hançerli on behalf of Türkiye Sakatlar Derneği; Sevna Somuncuoğlu on behalf of Türk Kadınlar Birliği; Mehmet Kaya on behalf of DİTAM / Dicle Toplumsal Araştırmalar Merkezi; Fuat Keyman on behalf of İstanbul Politikalar Merkezi; Süleyman Basa on behalf of İnternet Medya ve Bilişim Federasyonu; Kevser Selda Tandoğan Demirel on behalf of TOBB Kadın Girişimciler Kurulu Adıyaman Şubesi.

Committee of US Vice President attanded to the meeting:

Joe Biden, Vice President of USA; Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary; Michael Carpenter, VP Advisor; Colin Kahl, VP Advisor; Charles F. Hunter, Consul General; John Bass, US Ambassador.