A powerful testament to Özyeğin University’s hallmark vision of becoming an “Entrepreneurial Research University with High Global Impact,” Beyond stands out as a content platform that not only disseminates academic output but also reinterprets it within the broader context of social, technological, and economic transformation. In this latest issue of Beyond, Prof. M. İrşadi Aksun, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Impact, offers a multidimensional perspective on the University’s research approach, its strategic priorities, which are evolving around sustainability and artificial intelligence, and its commitment to creating global impact.
The interview centers on Özyeğin University’s approach to research, characterized by a shift from knowledge production toward translating academic inquiry into measurable societal impact and entrepreneurial outcomes. It further explores how sustainability is addressed not only within environmental boundaries but also through its social, economic, and technological dimensions. The discussion highlights place-based yet scalable solutions developed in the fields of agriculture, food, and climate, while offering a closer look at Özyeğin University’s expanding research ecosystem strengthened by European Union–funded projects and international collaborations.
While traditional research universities often focus primarily on the creation and dissemination of knowledge, Özyeğin University (OzU) integrates impact and innovation into the very fabric of its academic mission.
In the modern global landscape, universities are increasingly expected to move beyond knowledge production to drive societal well-being through innovation. Inspired by the synergy seen in ecosystems like Silicon Valley, OzU has positioned itself as a bridge between theory and market. What distinguishes this vision can be summarized in three parts:
Co-Creation with Industry: Unlike traditional models that conduct research for the sake of more publications, OzU prioritizes applied research developed jointly with industry partners to solve real-world problems.
Practical Excellence: We equip students with a robust theoretical foundation, complemented by hands-on practical knowledge, to lead in a fast-evolving professional world.
A Living Lab for Entrepreneurship: The campus serves not only as a place of learning but also as an incubator. By providing end-to-end support, from intellectual property management to investor access, OzU ensures that research does not just stop at a publication but scales into a venture.
In essence, OzU’s distinction lies in its holistic ecosystem, where research is not an end in itself but a catalyst for global entrepreneurial transformation.
Özyeğin University describes its holistic approach to sustainability as a coordinated institutional architecture in which sustainability is positioned as a core principle, integrated across all academic, research, operational, and societal engagement functions. Rather than treating sustainability as a standalone initiative, the University adopts it as an “operating system” and a strategic decision lens, aligning its entrepreneurial research identity with broader societal needs. This framework is implemented through six interconnected strategic pillars that address the environmental, social, economic, and technological dimensions of sustainability.
The “Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Farming” project in Yenişehir, Bursa, aims to address several critical transformation needs to build resilient local ecosystems and sustainable agricultural practices: Climate Change Adaptation, Sustainable Resource Management, Technological and Knowledge Integration, Participatory Governance, Institutional Infrastructure, and Socio-Economic Strengthening.
By addressing these needs, the project serves as a “living laboratory” where the University’s entrepreneurial identity operationalizes evidence-based research into implementable, scalable solutions for sustainable urban and rural development.
Özyeğin University approaches research in agriculture and food systems by integrating advanced technology with traditional knowledge to create “place-based solutions” that enhance climate resilience and local empowerment. This research perspective is characterized by the following key elements: technological innovation for climate adaptation; agro-ecological and sustainable practices; strengthening of cooperative ecosystems; the “Living Lab” and collaborative model; internal incubators and seed funding; and capacity building and knowledge transfer.
By combining these dimensions, Özyeğin University aims to act as an Anchor Institution that accelerates inclusive regional development and provides measurable contributions to global sustainability goals.
International grants, such as those awarded by the European Union for projects like AGRINEXT, play an important role in strengthening Özyeğin University’s research ecosystem by scaling innovation, fostering global collaboration, and translating academic inquiry into measurable societal value. Such grants often serve as the next stage for projects initially supported by the University’s internal mechanisms, such as the Societal Impact Seed Grant Program. For example, a project initially supported by internal sustainability frameworks can go on to secure substantial international funding, as seen in the €460,000 EU-Türkiye Climate Change Grant.
Moreover, grant programs such as Horizon Europe enable the University to join broader international networks. The AGRINEXT project alone brings together 21 academic and industrial partners from 12 different countries, facilitating a “global learning exchange” that enhances the University’s visibility and research depth.
These grants also provide the resources necessary to implement pilot projects and field studies, turning theoretical research into “place-based solutions.” Projects like these reinforce the University’s role as an Anchor Institution, ensuring that research addressing climate change and digitalization directly benefits local farming communities and contributes to regional development.
The recent increase in European Union grant success at Özyeğin University is driven by a deliberate strategic evolution that combines proactive institutional support, internal financial catalysts, and a shift toward mission-oriented interdisciplinary research.
Özyeğin University is actively refining its academic landscape through a multifaceted strategy to enhance its research ecosystem and global standing. The University has launched internal initiatives, such as the Seed Research Program, the Societal Impact Seed Fund, and a dedicated postdoctoral fellowship program, while steadily increasing the number of PhD students across all fields, both in quality and quantity. These programs are designed to cultivate a “research mindset” and provide critical start-up resources that enhance foundational research capacity and faculty competitiveness for external grant opportunities.
By partnering with international consultants such as the Brussels-based White-Research to join European consortia and providing targeted funding for foundational research development to high-potential faculty, the University ensures that its researchers can strengthen their project foundations and engage with EU peers on an equal footing. Recent successes, such as the AGRINEXT project, demonstrate how these coordinated efforts transform the University’s intellectual output into a competitive, interdisciplinary force within the international scientific community.
Özyeğin University positions itself as a global reference point for the social impact of technological transformation, with a special emphasis on ensuring that digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) serve societal benefits, ethical responsibility, and environmental sustainability across sectors such as agriculture. The University treats these technologies as tools to bridge the gap between academic research and its very practice on the field. This approach is clearly demonstrated by two recent projects that integrate agriculture with data-driven decision systems.
“Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Farming” project in Yenişehir serves as a powerful testament to this approach. The project integrates AI-based digital decision support systems, most notably a Digital Early Warning System, to help farmers respond proactively to climate-related threats such as drought, frost, and extreme weather events. In another Europe-funded project, AGRINEXT, the University is helping to lead a fundamental transformation in the European agricultural sector. This project introduces innovative digital solutions, including an AI-supported, multilingual learning tool designed exclusively for agricultural professionals and a digital micro-credential system that allows farmers and consultants to have their skills recognized across Europe.
Ultimately, the University views digitalization as an “operating system” that enables its entrepreneurial research identity to turn scientific evidence into implementable, ethically grounded, and scalable agricultural solutions.
Özyeğin University’s research activities and collaborations in artificial intelligence (AI) are evolving into a mission-oriented, interdisciplinary ecosystem that positions the University as a global reference point for the social impact of technological transformation. This evolution is characterized by a shift from purely technical exploration toward ensuring that AI serves societal benefit, ethical responsibility, and environmental sustainability.
The University has transitioned from “siloed” research to an integrated model that actively incorporates Social Sciences, Law, and Design to address the cultural and ethical implications of AI. One of the key initiatives is the OzU AI Platform, a multi-stakeholder governance forum. Designed to bridge the gap between academic research and industry application, the OzU AI Platform convenes leaders from technology and academia to navigate the ethical, legal, and technical complexities of digital transformation.
The evolution of AI at Özyeğin University is also characterized by a strong focus on literacy and ethical awareness, with AI-supported learning environments and smart assistants seamlessly integrated into the University’s educational vision to enhance analytical thinking. In addition, events like OzU AI Week 2025 and conferences on AI and Ethics serve to translate high-level academic discussions into actionable policy-oriented outputs that contribute to national strategy.
Speaking of artificial intelligence and sustainability, Özyeğin University is witnessing a transformative shift toward a mission-oriented, interdisciplinary research ecosystem in which technology serves as a catalyst for societal and environmental resilience. Research opportunities are emerging across several key domains: Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Food Systems, Sustainable Infrastructure and Energy Transition, Disaster Resilience and Autonomous Systems, Circular Economy and Sustainable Production, and Ethical Governance and Social Impact of AI.
These opportunities are supported by an internal seed-funding ecosystem, specifically the Societal Impact Seed Fund, which allows researchers to test high-potential ideas across these intersecting fields before scaling them into large-scale national or international projects.
Özyeğin University builds and sustains its interdisciplinary research culture by transitioning from technology-driven “siloed” research toward an integrated ecosystem that actively incorporates Science, Social Sciences, Law, and Design. This culture is embedded within a coordinated institutional architecture in which research, innovation, and sustainability serve as central drivers of cross-faculty collaboration.
To cultivate and maintain such an environment, the University leverages several key mechanisms: Internal Funding and “Seed-to-Scale” Catalysts, Collaborative Platforms and Governance structures such as the AI Platform, Sustainability Platform, and OPENFAB, interdisciplinary research centers, and Transformative Education Models.
In the next 5–10 years, Özyeğin University’s research priorities will be defined by an integrated, mission-oriented strategy that positions the institution as a global reference point for the societal impact of technological transformation. The University is moving beyond ‘siloed’ technical exploration toward a culture where sustainability, AI, and digital tools are fundamentally directed toward ethical responsibility and resilient development.
Building on the continuous evolution of our research ecosystem, the following strategic pillars will define the next decade:
Sustainability and Climate Action: Placing a special emphasis on decarbonization, the circular economy, and the development of resilient urban and industrial infrastructure.
Human-Centric AI and Digital Transformation: Advancing Explainable AI (XAI), autonomous systems, and connectivity, with a strong emphasis on ethical frameworks and human-machine collaboration.
Agricultural Innovation and Rural Empowerment: Developing climate-resilient farming technologies and next-generation learning ecosystems that empower local cooperatives and ensure food security.
The Convergence of Systems: Prioritizing interdisciplinary projects where AI and digital twins are applied directly to optimize sustainability and agricultural yields.
