Dear Members and Esteemed Stakeholders of Özyeğin University,
It is with great pride and excitement that we present the first issue of Beyond, a new space created to regularly share our collective accomplishments and results toward becoming an “Entrepreneurial Research University with High Global Impact,” dedicated to student transformation and excellence in education and the university experience.
At Özyeğin University, our endeavors encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from research and institutional development to international visibility and sustainability, as well as our sector-integrated educational model and global collaborations. Our national and international achievements, pioneering initiatives, and wide-ranging events continue to expand our social and economic impact with each passing day, thanks to the dedication and collective efforts of our community.
Beyond’s first issue serves as a platform to share all these developments from September 1 to December 31, 2025, that move our University forward. Each story featured reflects our strategic priorities, strengthens our research ecosystem, and reinforces our commitment to impact. Through this newsletter, we aim to elevate the flow of knowledge and foster a deeper connection to our shared mission.
Our Research Programs
In the 2025–2026 Academic Year, our university will continue to move forward with a strong focus on initiatives that further strengthen our research environment:
Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Academia
In alignment with global developments, we designated artificial intelligence (AI) as one of our strategic priorities in the 2025-2026 academic year. To that end, we move forward with a four-step AI strategy, encompassing research, education, impact, and operational excellence with the goal of becoming a world-class, pioneering interdisciplinary research and education center in the field of artificial intelligence:
Our Sustainability Initiatives
Since our establishment, sustainability has stood among our core strategic priorities. We have placed special importance on assuming a pioneering role in the field of sustainability, both in Türkiye and across the wider international academic community. Key initiatives and activities we initiated, along with the ongoing endeavors during this period, underline the significance of sustainability at OzU:
Internationalization
Since its founding, Özyeğin University has been forging ahead with unwavering commitment to its internationalization strategy.
On November 7, 2025, as OzU, we have been included at the highest level in Turquality, the world’s only state-funded branding program launched by the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, to strengthen the country’s brand development and global competitiveness. Through this support, we aim to further enhance our international recognition, institutional capacity, brand strength, and communication investments.
At Özyeğin University, our network comprises over 180 Erasmus+ agreements with 170 institutions across 45 countries, as well as more than 40 Global Exchange partnerships and 24 international collaboration agreements. With the aim of becoming a university with high global impact, we are moving forward with renewed determination to further expand and deepen our existing international collaborations. Among our most significant achievements of the 2025–2026 academic year are the university-wide agreement concluded with Tufts University and the strategic partnership forged between our Graduate School of Business and Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business. As part of this collaboration with Fordham University, our non-thesis master’s program (MBA, Executive MBA, and Financial Engineering [FERM]) students and alumni, as well as our Data Science master’s students and alumni, will have the opportunity to participate in a seven-week Collaborative Master’s Program in New York and earn a second master’s degree in finance.
Through financial support provided under the Erasmus+ program, our students also have access to international mobility scholarships such as the Zeynep Alp Köseoğlu International Student Exchange Scholarship and the Credit Europe Bank Scholarship. These opportunities enable OzU students to study at prestigious international universities as exchange students and to participate in professional or research internship programs abroad. This year, we are planning to provide scholarships for 100 OzU students to study abroad as part of this program.
In November 2025, I had the honor of physically signing the Magna Charta Universitatum 2020 at a ceremony hosted by King’s College London. Originally adopted in 1988 (MCU 1988), this foundational document outlines the fundamental principles of academic freedom and institutional autonomy, and serves as an international guide for good governance in universities. As OzU, we take pride in having signed the MCU 1988 in 2011 and the renewed 2020 version in 2021, joining nearly 1,000 universities from 94 countries committed to these shared values.
We launched the Global Leadership Academy in partnership with the Global Turks Foundation. Envisioned to serve more than a conventional training program, the Global Leadership Academy offers an innovative learning ecosystem that redefines leadership in response to the needs of today’s world. Our goal is to ensure that young Turkish leaders become more visible and influential on the global stage, and to support a new generation of leaders who will represent the “Globally Successful Turkish Leader” brand across the globe. Designed to contribute to the strong presence of Turkish leaders in multinational corporations, civil society organizations, and international institutions, the Academy will begin on January 23, 2026. For more information on the program: https://beyond.ozyegin.edu.tr/en/a-bold-step-onto-the-global-stage-by-ozyegin-university-and-the-global-turks-foundation-global-leadership-academy/
Together, these achievements mark a powerful beginning to the 2025–2026 Academic Year, bringing into clearer focus our growing impact, our institutional determination, and the shared value we continue to create together. As we step into the second century of our Republic, we remain unwavering in our commitment to uphold the legacy of our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and his profound belief in science and reason.
I extend my sincere and heartfelt thanks to every member of our university community whose dedication, care, and contributions make these achievements possible. It is my hope that this newsletter will serve as an inspiring platform to share the initiatives and collective efforts that reflect our culture of co-creation, helping to carry our shared work forward.
With warm regards and best wishes,
Prof. Barış Tan
Özyeğin University President
