Müjdat Çetin has been invited to join the inaugural editorial board of new IEEE Transactions on Computational Imaging

Müjdat Çetin has been invited to serve as an Associate Editor on the inaugural editorial board of  the new journal IEEE Transactions on Computational Imaging.

This new journal will publish research articles on problems where computation plays an central role in the image formation process. As a member of the editorial board, Müjdat Çetin will conduct the review process of articles on topics such as radar imaging, sparsity-based imaging, and compressed sensing.

Müjdat Çetin joins the editorial board of the IEEE Transactions on Image Processing

The movie Interstellar opened on November 7th, 2014, and became a hot topic of debate among both filmgoers and scientific circles.  Due to its content, imagery, and the scientific aspect of the story, audiences have comprehensive articles for film reviews.  An example is an article and infographic on Evrim Ağacı that you can view here for a good study of the film.

The most striking part about the film’s imagery was its description of black holes and wormholes, to the extent that the film’s advisors, Professor Kip Thorne and his team, claim that they made a discovery while preparing the visuals for the film. We did some research of our own.

We asked Astrophysicist Ersin Göğüş of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences for his opinion. Göğüş finds this claim particularly interesting because a much more detailed version of the study shown in one scene was compiled by Professor Feryal Özel, who was a visiting professor at Sabancı University from 2004 and 2005, Professor Dimitrios Psaltis and their team with the parallel processors installed at the University of Arizona. You can view the interview that acts as the source of this surprising claim here.

We asked President Nihat Berker about Interstellar and other recent films, and he said: “I watched Interstellar like I watched the Lord of the Rings films.  But speaking of other recent films, Winter Sleep is one of the best films I have seen in my life. It is an extremely accurate portrayal of the Turkish –even European– pseudo-intellectual man. Unutursam Fısılda has us crying in the end without grief; it is nice.  I found Kayıp Kız repulsive.  At a time when there is so much violence against women in Turkey and the world, telling a story where a woman plans violence through such deception is unacceptable.”

You are invited to Human Library event which is in 3rd year in Sabanci University!

We invite you to Human Library which will be held at Sabanci University, Tuzla on 18 November (4. 00 p.m. – 8. 00 p.m.). Faculty of Art and Social Sciences is coordinating this event in coordination with Civic Involvement Projects Office.

Human Library is an international non-profit project dedicated to the diversity in our society, organized by volunteers. Human Library mission is to build a constructive dialogue between people from different social groups. Such a dialogue in an informal and safe environment helps to get rid of stereotypes causing discrimination against individuals or whole groups of people, and helps to raise the level of understanding and acceptance in society. For the vastnmajority of Readers and Books - reading is a very inspiring and reciprocally enriching process.

Human Library works the same way as a normal library; Readers fill a library card, choose a Book from a catalog and borrow it for reading. Then they return the Book back to the Library, and if they want, they take another one. The only difference is that the Book in Human Library is a real person, and reading is a conversation. Books are individuals from the social groups that often experience stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination and who are willing to share their personal history, experience and knowledge, and respond honestly to the questions of Readers.

Human Library services are free to Readers. Bring yourself, your friends or family members. Come and listen to the stories of Living Books!

Check out our website to learn more about the event at Sabanci University:

http://www.humanlibrarysu.org/

http://www.facebook.com/HumanLibrarySU

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 of Istanbul held 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.

The Gender Equality in Academia: International Best Practices Symposium discussed 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 to make diversity a university policy.  The Turkish examples of gender equality programs implemented in Ankara University, Istanbul Technical University and Sabancı University were examined.  Concepts developed by the foreign counterparts of TÜBİTAK to ensure gender equality in academia were studied.

The opening message of the symposium was prepared by political scientist Şirin Tekeli, who is a leading activist of the second-wave feminist movement in Turkey in the late 1980s, and delivered by Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Member Ayşe Gül Altınay on her behalf.

The closing lecture was given by anthropologist Emily Martin from New York University.  Speaking on Sexist Language in Biological Sciences: A Look at the Past and Future, Emily Martin said that no one cared if the female body was being perceived as a part of a production system.  Martin drew attention to the fact that different language is used when discussing female and male reproductive systems, saying, “There are striking differences in men’s versions compared to women’s versions.”  Discussing the representation of the human body and diseases as well as its connection to gender, Martin said she studied how nature is represented in biology at times when HIV escalated into an epidemic.  Emily Martin noted that some narratives on the immune system utilized the Fordist manufacturing model, saying that the perception about women carrying immunological diseases and being disadvantaged is high.

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

Dear 2015 Graduating Class Students,

Countdown to Commencement has started.

I am inviting all of you attend the Graduating Class Meeting where we shall be discussing the Graduation Events along with all subjects pertaining to the 2015 Graduating Class.

DATE: Monday, November 17th

LOCATION: FASS G052

TIME: 19:30

This meeting marks the start of 2015 Graduation Events planning period, for  the events that we shall be organizing together. In this period when you will be reaping the rewards of years of hard work with Graduation, it is your natural right to want to celebrate much.

 Graduation Ceremony includes the attribute of change, if desired by you. You may view past years' Graduation Ceremonies events on the Alumni Website. Click here to see photos of the ceremony which will give you excitement.

With warm regards,

Nihat Berker

The Career Office hosted an information session on working at Google.

Our Computer Science and Engineering alumnus (2008) Selim Onal, who works as a Software Developer at Google USA, visited Sabanci University to hold a presentation on career opportunities and working  at Google on October 1st.

Selim also talked about his experiencein Google and answered students’ questions on recruiting process.

Before the presentation, students had mock interview sessions that simulated Google Job interviews. 

The students recieved individual feedback after interviews and get tips for a successful interview in Google recruiting process. 

September 2014 marked the third year of the Mercator-IPC Fellowship Program. This year the program will host 7 renowned academics and journalists in 3 thematic areas: EU/German-Turkish Relations, Climate Change and Education. The welcoming the 2014/15 Mercator-IPC Fellows to Istanbul took place on the evening of October 20, 2014 at Feriye Restaurant.

The occasion marked the beginning of the third round of the Mercator-IPC Fellowship. Senior Fellowships for the upcoming term were granted to the Turkish sociologist, Nilüfer Göle, and former Member of the European Parliament, Hannes Swoboda. 

The 2014/15 Mercator-IPC Fellows are Ayşe Ezgi Gürcan, Martina Priessner, Ethemcan Turhan, Cenk Demiroğlu, Susanne Güsten, Barbara Pusch, and Özlem Topçu. Following the official program, the evening concluded with a casual dinner.  

The Mercator-IPC Fellowship Program is part of the Istanbul Policy Center-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative, a strategic partnership between Sabancı University and Stiftung Mercator. The program aims to strengthen academic, political, and social ties between Turkey and Germany, as well as between Turkey and Europe by facilitating excellent scientific research and hands-on policy work in EU/German-Turkish relations, climate change, and education.

The “Akbank Family Company Academy” established by Akbank in association with the Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU will help family companies institutionalize and become sustainable.

The Akbank Family Company Academy held by Akbank and the Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU aims to increase the competitive strength of family companies, achieve healthy growth, and support efforts towards sustainability and institutionalization.

The program covers many aspects that the leaders of family companies may need, from strategic management to business development and innovation, institutionalization, finance, management best practices, legal issues, and human resource management.  Theoretical knowledge will be put into practice over examples from Turkey and the world.

Courses have been designed for family companies that wish to evolve into a corporation, keep up with current developments through academic training and plan to handover company management to the younger generation, and will be given by EDU advisors who are subject matter experts and long-time executives in business, as well as the trainers of program partners Deloitte Turkey and Pekin&Bayar.  Factory visits will be made to Sabancı Holding companies, and a Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU certificate will be awarded to participants who complete the training.
Participants will be able to purchase consultancy programs that include the actions they will need to take for institutionalization and the creation of a family constitution from program partners at special discounts.

Speaking on the program, Akbank’s Vice President of Small and Medium Enterprise Banking Bülent Oğuz said that the main reason for some family companies failing at sustainability was the lack of a specific plan and defined processes for transition across generations, and added:
“Family companies are governed by rules as well as emotions.  In an emotionally-sensitive environment, companies must evolve into institutions to carry on to future generations.  However, many family companies in Turkey and the world lack specific planning for the future, evolve according to the needs of the present, and grow to include more family members over the years.  Many family companies are unable to achieve sustained growth and financial success due to family disagreements in the long term, and the challenges faced by professionals in family companies.  Company owners have to deal with family issues on one hand and competition on the other.  Companies that have grown and thrived on the hard work of family members over the years come to the brink of ceasing to exist.  Research suggests that 35% of family companies are able to carry on to the second generation, and only 15% to the third generation.

“These facts were our motives behind the ‘Akbank Family Company Academy.’  Through our comprehensive partnership with EDU, we have designed a program to educate family companies in family constitutions, tax planning, company valuation, objective setting, management of the institutionalization process, and strategic management.  We regard this program of critical importance because we believe family companies are essential to the growth of the economy in Turkey.”

Sabancı University Executive Development Unit EDU Director Dr. Cüneyt Evirgen said the following about the program:

“When family companies have difficulty in taking steps towards institutionalization or are not assertive enough, problems arise in company continuity and achieving sustainable growth.  Since these companies comprise a large segment of the Turkish economy, enabling family companies to make effective use of the latest management tools and methods, and increasing their competitive strength will have significant contributions to the growth of these companies with sustainable profitability, and the part they play in the Turkish economy.  We are beyond discussing the necessity of change and sustainability, and looking into ways of enabling these.  Therefore, as EDU, we are happy to be a part of our ‘learning partner’ Akbank’s Family Company Academy to play our part in this important initiative.

“Akbank Family Company Academy was designed completely with family companies in mind, bringing the most relevant content together with the most effective learning approaches.  Family companies taking part in this program will have taken an important step towards keeping up with the evolving world and becoming a business based on sustainability.”

The three-month program between October and December 2014 is open to family company owners or family members working in their family companies.  The “Akbank Family Company Academy” will begin on October 16th, and applications may be made through www.akbank.com.

Sabancı University holds the fifth Summer High School this year.  The school offers an authentic university experience to high school students, and contains courses ranging from natural sciences to management, arts and social sciences.

The majority of the Sabancı University Summer High School courses will be in Turkish.  Students from Germany will attend courses in German and English for a truly multinational environment.  This provides an academic and cultural medium for high school students where they can develop themselves.

This year, courses like Use of Computers and Robots via Brain Signals; High Technology in Medical Sciences: Organ Design and Building; Introduction to Computer Programming and Data Analysis; Create Animation and Art on a Computer: You Too Can Do It; Architecture: Cultural Accumulation and the Design of the Future; Law and Ethics; and Turkey in a Global World: Threats and Opportunities for Institutions and Individuals are added to the curriculum of the Sabancı University Summer High School to expand the vision of students.

Courses will be supported by extracurricular activities.  Online application will be open until May 1st, 2015.

The fifth Sabancı University Sabancı University Summer High School will be held in two semesters from June 29th to July 15th and July 20th to 31st, 2015.  Courses in the Sabancı University Summer High School are divided into six categories, namely Engineering and Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Art, Management, Language and General Knowledge.

Courses will be supported by extracurricular activities, and applications will be accepted until May 1st, 2015.

Sabancı University Summer High School offers a rich curriculum
The Sabancı University Sabancı University Summer High School consists of two semesters of two weeks each, from June 29th to July 15th and July 20th to 31st, 2015.  Students may choose up to three courses each semester, and may be enrolled in both semesters.  All high school students may apply to the Summer High School.

The first semester curriculum of the Sabancı University Summer High School includes courses on Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering and Nanomedicine; High Technology in Medical Sciences: Organ Design and Building; Brain, Science and Magic; Use of Computers and Robots via Brain Signals; Introduction to Computer Programming and Data Analysis; Astrophysics and Metaplanets; Augmented Mechanics I; Education and Industries in Engineering Branches; Psychology and Philosophy; Architecture: Cultural Accumulation and the Design of the Future; Law and Economics; International Relations: Turkey, Europe and America; Great Works of Western Art, Classical Music and Drama; Visual Communication, Design and Art; Create Animation and Art on a Computer: You Too Can Do It; Economy, Finance, Money and Your Future; and Creative Intellect and Creative Activity.

The second semester curriculum consists of Molecular Biology; Genetic Engineering and Nanomedicine; Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Computers; Research, Development and Market; Augmented Mechanics II; Education and Industries in Engineering Branches; Psychology and Philosophy; Society, Economy and Politics; Law and Ethics; Turkey in a Global World: Threats and Opportunities for Institutions and Individuals; The History of a City: Constantinople/Istanbul; Great Works of Modern Art, 20th Century Music and Opera; Visual Communication, Design and Art; and Creative Intellect and Creative Activity.

Basic English II courses were offered in both semesters.  The Universities and Professions: Information, Choice and Success seminar was also offered in both semesters, where subject matter experts spoke to students on their jobs and industries.

Sabancı University Summer High School is an international environment
Sabancı University Summer High School will also include courses in German and English.  The English-language Society and Culture and Economy and Government courses and German-language Gesellschaft und Kultur and Wirtschaft und Verwaltung courses will be offered in both semesters.  Sabancı University Summer High School students will take foreign language courses with students from Germany.

Extracurricular activities
Sabancı University Summer High School includes extracurricular activities throughout the day, offering sports and cultural or social opportunities.

Extracurricular activities in the Sabancı University Summer High School include basic first aid training, civic involvement projects, bridge, fitness, tennis, volleyball, basketball, football, group exercises, dance, creative drama, fine arts, and percussion workshops.

Programs and fees
Candidates may apply for one or both semesters and may register to up to three courses per semester.  The fee is TL 800 per course.  All Sabancı University Summer High School students are provided accommodation and meals at an additional charge of TL 800.

Click for details.