Sabancı University’s 2018-2023 Strategic Plan defines “to resolve selected global and regional issues and to raise individuals towards this goal” as the main objective. The main research related strategies to achieve this objective are:
- Improve the university's interaction with the industry and civil society in selected areas
- Enhance centers’ support for research and graduate/undergraduate research projects
- Encourage inter-faculty and interdisciplinary research
- Increase the number of PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and researchers
An important principle in defining research strategy at Sabancı University was to ensure the sustainability of research efforts through research centers that house area-leading research facilities.
This important mission given to research centers was managed as a planned process since the establishment of the respective centers, which were designed with a structure that nurtures cooperation and collaboration among faculty members, students and other employees on focus areas, helps the development of partnerships, and ensures acquiring funds that support the research process.
In defining its strategic goals and prioritizing research areas, Sabancı University takes account of national and international science and technology policies, strategical importance and sustainability of the research topics, their cultural and competency-based integration to Sabancı University, the human resources capacity and research facilities.
Based on its human resources capacity, research facilities and research outputs obtained to date, and in line with the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, R&D Strategy Documents in nanotechnology research and composite materials are prepared under the coordination of the Research Process Planning and Policy Development Office as part of the “TÜBİTAK 1000 - Support Program for Improving the Research and Development Potential of Universities” call. These areas directly correlate to the two Sabancı University Applied Research and Application Centers, namely the Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center and the Sabancı University Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Research and Application Center.
Sabancı University’s research and development centers are given below:
Institutional Centers
- Sabancı University Istanbul Policy Center
- Sabancı University Istanbul International Center for Energy and Climate
- Sabancı University Center of Excellence on Finance
Center Supported Under The Law no. 6550 “Support of Research Infrastructures”
Centers Established Under The Law no. 2547 “Higher Education”
- Sabancı University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center
- Sabancı University Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Research and Application Center
- Sabancı University Gender and Women's Studies Research and Application Center
- Sabancı University Research and Application Center for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces for Nano-Diagnostics
- Sabancı University Data Analytics Research and Application Center
Research Infrastructure Supported Under The Law no. 6550 “Support of Research Infrastructures”
Center Established within University-Industy Colaboration
- Composite Technologies Center of Excellence
Please click here for more information about centers.
Research processes at Sabancı University utilize internal and external funding sources to improve the research amenities and environment offered to faculty members and researchers, to carry out high-impact research, and to help them disseminate their results. There are various mechanisms for funding research projects and the main purpose of these mechanisms is to ensure the sustainability of the research process and the development of researchers. You can view the details of the content and management of incentives and mechanisms for research funding on the For Researchers page.
With Sabancı University’s 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, the research targets of the university were determined along with the indicators that needed watching. Outputs are presented to decision-making bodies of the university for research, other strategic and executive management meetings during the year, and the research evaluation meetings that are held twice a year and open to the entire university. This ensures regular monitoring of research performance in comparison to targets, and involvement in decision-making processes. Setting new targets is placed in the agenda of University Research Council and Research Committee meetings by the Research Planning and Policy Development Office, thereby involving Faculties and the top management of the University on an ongoing basis. The Research Planning and Policy Development Office is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the sustainability of Sabancı University research performance, and ensuring integration with related councils and committees. Current information on research performance is available on the Research Performance page.
One of the interfaces for research output reporting is university ranking systems. Sabancı University strategically monitors Entrepreneurial and Innovative Universities Index, Times Higher Education rankings and Quacquarelli Symonds rankings. The benefit created through research activities and the contribution of the university to its community are considered alongside available human resources and number of enrolled students to reach a conclusion about the university. The provision of data to strategically monitored ranking systems, and undertaking monitoring, review and improvement activities with regard to the performance achieved in these systems are the responsibility of the Research Planning and Policy Development Office. Current information on the rankings of Sabancı University in various systems is available on the University Rankings page.
Sabancı University believes that science and technology must be disseminated to the society through teaching and education as well as community service. This approach has led to a matrix where Sabancı University Centers cooperate with and support each other and the Faculties, and the value created internally is "showcased" to the external world via the Centers, which also act as liaisons for external cooperation, which ultimately constructs the framework of the civic involvement strategy.
All Sabancı University centers, notably SUNUM for being a national research infrastructure and SU-IMC for providing infrastructure for research at high technology readiness level, are open to public use. Sabancı University incorporates İstanbul Policy Center (IPC) and İstanbul International Center for Energy and Climate (IICEC) where research is integrated to societal impact through societal research projects, policy development practices and activities for dissemination of knowledge. Education Reform Initiative (ERG), a think-tank contributing to evidence-based decision-making processes in education, concerning stakeholder engagement and ensuring the access of all children to quality education, is also a part of Sabancı University.
Being one of the leading entrepreneurial universities in Turkey, Sabancı University aims to build its brand on entrepreneurship. Information regarding pre-incubation and incubation support provided by SUCOOL and Inovent can be reached from their websites.
The outputs of research activities are offered to the benefit of the society through the technologies created. The contribution of Sabancı University to science and technology is explained in the Patents and Technologies page.
Collaboration Space, which is designed as a community center open to society, and Sabancı University Executive Development Unit (EDU) are other two entities of Sabancı University that provide service to society.
Centers and Forums Science & Tech Sakıp Sabancı Museum
Education Reform Initiative Collaboration Space Executive Development Unit