Istanbul Gelisim University Shows Strong Representation at Global Sustainable Development Congress 2025

Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) participated in the Global Sustainable Development Congress 2025 held in Istanbul in cooperation with the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) between 16-19 June 2025, under the leadership of Vice Rector Prof. Arda Öztürkcan with a team of 10 people consisting of academic and administrative staff.

Wide Participation from Academic and Administrative Staff

At the congress, where sustainable development goals were discussed on a global scale, the following names were included in the team of Istanbul Gelisim University:
•             Vice Rector Prof. Arda Öztürkcan
•             Quality Coordinator Prof. Hasan Hakan Bozkurt
•             Head of Nutrition and Dietetics Department of the Faculty of Health Sciences Assoc. Prof. Hatice Merve Bayram
•             Dean of Students Asst. Prof. İbrahim Halil Yaşar
•             Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences Asst. Prof. Özlem Tuğçe KELEŞ
•             Technology Transfer Office Director Yahya Kemal Kıran
•             Assistant Dean of Students Lecturer Enes Kalyoncu
•             Vocational School Mechanical Department Lecturer Bilge Yılmaz
•             Faculty of Health Sciences Department of Child Development Res. Asst. Kübra Aldırmaz
•             Quality Specialist Şule Ekuklu

IGU Representatives Played an Active Role in Their Fields of Expertise

Each participant in the congress actively participated in the sessions related to his/her field of expertise. IGU representatives, who exchanged information in discussions in critical areas such as education, health, reducing inequalities, digitalization, energy, and food security, also came together with academicians, higher education institutions, international organizations, private sector representatives, and non-governmental organizations from all over the world and had the opportunity to establish international cooperation and networking.

More Than 110 Countries, 400+ Speakers

More than 120 hours of content and more than 400 speakers attended the congress with the participation of more than 110 countries. At the congress, which focuses on transformations towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many panels and presentations were organized under the themes;
•             Cities and Communities
•             Digital Innovation
•             Education
•             Inequalities
•             Energy and Industry
•             Food, Land, Water and Oceans
•             Health and Wellbeing

In addition, special events such as the Global Sustainable Leaders Summit, THE Data Workshops, Higher Education Sessions with Refugees and the Global Sustainability Exhibition attracted great attention.

“I am very happy to represent our university with a team working decisively in the field of sustainability”

Vice Rector Prof. Arda Öztürkcan who attended the congress held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last year, shared his views on the congress with the following words:
“I am very happy to represent our university with a team working decisively in the field of sustainability at this important congress organized for the first time in Turkey in cooperation with YÖK and Times Higher Education. The public presentation of THE Impact Ranking, which was announced in Malaysia last year, in Istanbul this year is a proud development for our country."

Meeting with Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Chairman Prof. Erol Özvar
Chairman of the Council of Higher Education Prof. Erol Özvar, YÖK International Relations Department Head Mustafa Efe, Vice Rector Prof. Arda Öztürkcan and Dean of Students -- İbrahim Halil Yaşar exchanged ideas together on sustainability policies and practices in higher education. Sharing the pride of hosting such a prestigious international organization in Istanbul, Prof. Öztürkcan extended his thanks to Prof. Erol Özvar.

One-on-One Meeting with THE Global Affairs Director

Within the scope of the congress, Prof. Öztürkcan met with Phil Baty, who is a Director of Global Relations at Times Higher Education. During the meeting, ideas were shared on ways for higher education institutions to contribute to sustainable development goals, data-based measurement systems and ranking methodologies.

IGU's Ranking Success Announced

THE Impact Rankings 2025 results announced within the scope of the congress were welcomed by the university team as a concrete indicator of IGU's achievements in the field of sustainability. The excitement and happiness of witnessing this important achievement together were shared among the participants.