Özyeğin University is expanding its global academic networks through its Visiting Scholars Program, bringing together leading researchers from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions. With participants from leading organizations including Amazon, the OECD, the Max Planck Institute, the University of Washington, Kyoto University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the program further strengthens the University’s international research ecosystem.

Standing out with their diverse research interests spanning from artificial intelligence and data analytics to technology law and the behavioral sciences, visiting scholars contribute actively to both research and education at Özyeğin University. In doing so, the program goes beyond knowledge exchange, cultivating a dynamic intellectual environment where new areas of research emerge at the intersection of disciplines.

From Interdisciplinary Engagement to Tangible Impact

Connecting scholars from law, business, engineering, architecture, and the social sciences, the Visiting Researchers Program has evolved into a platform that translates interdisciplinary collaboration into tangible impact. Through joint research initiatives, courses, and seminars, these interactions foster lasting academic partnerships between Özyeğin University and leading institutions worldwide.

Highlighting the significance of the program, Özyeğin University President Prof. Barış Tan notes: “Today’s complex global challenges require the collective insight of diverse disciplines and geographies. Visiting Researchers Programs not only bring academics together, but also connect different ways of thinking and methodologies to facilitate the development of more inclusive solutions.”

Sustainable Collaborations and a Dynamic Research Environment

The program continues to deepen through the contributions of scholars on sabbatical, enabling Özyeğin University’s ties with international research networks to grow stronger and more sustainable. This evolving structure not only supports long-term collaboration among scholars but also cultivates a dynamic learning and research environment where students can directly connect with diverse academic perspectives.

As visiting scholars become an integral part of the university ecosystem, students gain direct exposure to international academic expertise, while Özyeğin University further cements its position as a research institution dedicated to transforming knowledge into tangible social impact.

Global Researchers and Academics @ OzU

Visiting scholars across Özyeğin University’s faculties represent a wide spectrum of expertise:

• Faculty of Law:
  • Can Atik – Postdoctoral Researcher at Wageningen Social & Economic Research, Wageningen University
• Faculty of Business:
  • Aslı Çolpan – Professor & Assistant Executive Vice President (for Research) at Kyoto University; Independent Board Member at NISSHA Co., Ltd.; Audit Board Member at Sumitomo Rubber Industries
  • Bumin Yenmez – Professor at Washington University in St. Louis and Durham University; Associate Director for the Center for Theoretical Economics
  • Cem Özgüzel – Economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Researcher at Sorbonne Economics Center and Paris School of Economics; Research Affiliate at IZA Institute of Labor Economics
  • Cevat Giray Aksoy – Associate Professor at King’s College London; Senior Research Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
  • Haluk Demirkan – Professor at the University of Washington Tacoma; Science Leader in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Optimization, and Simulation at Amazon
  • Onur Bodur – Professor and Graduate Program Director at Concordia University, Montreal
  • Wim Vanhaverbeke – Professor at the University of Surrey and the University of Antwerp; Editor-in-Chief of Technovation
• Faculty of Architecture and Design:
  • Özgür Göçer – Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney
  • Serdal Korkut Avcı – Independent Product Design Consultant
• Faculty of Engineering:
  • Kaan Özbay – Professor at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and the Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP); Founding Director of the C2SMARTER Center
  • M. Ali Babar – Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Adelaide
  • Tom Van Woensel – Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology; Academic Director at Tias Business School
  • Dilek Hakkani-Tür – Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University Advisor for the Amazon Scholar Program at Amazon Health Science
  • Hyoung Seop Kim – Chair Professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology
• Faculty of Social Sciences:
  • Ayşenil Belger – Professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine; Professor (Adjunct) at Duke University; Director of Neuroimaging Research
  • Dirk Wulff – Senior Research Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development; Senior Researcher at the University of Basel