KOÇ UNIVERSITY Annual Report 2018-2019 KOÇ UNIVERSITY Annual Report 2018-2019 KOÇ UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT 2018 2 KOÇ UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 12 Table of contents 04 20 46 From the President… Closest partner facing the 2018/19 Science & Prof. Umran S. İnan global business world Research Awards Koç University Graduate School of Business 48 06 26 Year in review Koç University at The rise of creative a glance industries Koç University Media and Visual Arts Department 58 Board of Overseers 08 32 Opening new horizons Sharing an exciting past and gaining global and a promising future acclaim 60 Koç University Alumni Relations Board of Trustees Koç University Rahmi M. Koç Office Medal of Science KOÇ UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT 2018 12 38 62 Transdisciplinary A small touch Reports from the approach for a better world Schools and Colleges Koç University School of Koç University Volunteers Medicine KOÇ UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 3 From the President… PROF. UMRAN S. İNAN PRESIDENT ‘The onus is on us’ – this principle, more than anything, has shaped our achievements of the last quarter century. During this time, our overriding mission has been to ‘cultivate well-rounded individuals, who can think creatively, independently and objectively’ and to consistently strive ‘to advance knowledge through its efforts and to serve Turkey and humanity as a model of institutional excellence.’ The highlight of the past year was The efforts of our community to commemorate underscoring the importance of studying undoubtedly our University’s 25th this milestone in the history of our University medicine at a university with other anniversary, which we celebrated not just have been truly impressive and I believe disciplines at the highest level. on one day but throughout the entire year. that they will be studied and referenced for We hosted a range of activities organized many years to come. With this in mind, strengthening the links by each of our academic units that between the School of Medicine, Koç demonstrated the founding philosophy Complementary effect University Hospital and our other Schools that has guided our University for 25 Koç University is today one of the top and Colleges is crucially important. We years and showcased our contributions to research universities in Turkey and the have invested heavily in clinical studies, science, research, humanity, and society region; having reached this position laboratories, and state-of-the-art facilities at large. The celebrations peaked with in just 25 years is a truly exceptional at Koç University Hospital – these facilities a grand event marking our University’s achievement. In the field of medicine, also offer remarkable opportunities for actual birthday on October 4, 2018, the in particular, our University has seen faculty members from other schools. Koç anniversary of the first lecture delivered tremendous success in recent years. University Research Center for Translational by our founder Vehbi Koç in 1993. We Koç University School of Medicine and Medicine (KUTTAM) marks a particularly are exceptionally proud of the students, Koç University Hospital continue to special and important milestone. The faculty and staff whose efforts to deliver extraordinary value, attracting launch of KUTTAM allows us to contribute commemorate this event showed a level the brightest and best students to medicine on a global scale and pioneer of detail and dedication that truly honors and generating many new research technologies through interdisciplinary our University. opportunities, while delivering exceptional research and studies. healthcare to our people. Many of the We also marked our 25th anniversary developments with the highest social External funds with the publication of The Way of impact in the next 10-30 years will Importantly, KUTTAM is funded by the Science, a showcase book of our many undoubtedly take place in the areas of Turkish Government, via its former accomplishments which delves into the overlap of medicine, engineering, Ministry of Development recently some of the important milestones and law, natural, social and administrative reformulated as the Office of Budget key decisions throughout the history of sciences. Our university is the only & Strategy. Foundation universities our University. The book reflects on the institution in Turkey with a School of usually do not receive direct government values, principles, and spirit of the Koç Medicine, surrounded by other top notch support but may apply for project funding University community. undergraduate and graduate schools, through agencies such as the Scientific 4 KOÇ UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 and Technological Research Council of junctions between sciences at which the culture in Turkey. To date, it has invested Turkey (TÜBİTAK), various Ministries strength of our University is the greatest. USD 1 billion in our campuses and each and Offices, such as the Ministry of year contributes a further USD 35 million Industry and Technology or the İstanbul A pioneer in Turkey to Koç University to cover the nearly Development Agency. The central goal of a research university 38% deficit in our Operating Budget. is to push the boundaries of science and Our Foundation additionally provides the In the last decade alone, Koç University has bring to light previously undiscovered resources to cover the operating deficit of secured TL 389 million in external funding. knowledge: our graduate students and Koç University Hospital, which is expected Our faculty members lead in Turkey with the advisors who work with them do to be an additional USD 6 million in 2019. the number of research grants from the exactly that. We are rightfully proud that As a flagship institution of the Vehbi Koç European Research Council (ERC) and the Graduate School of Business (GSB) Foundation, our ominous responsibility other international institutions. Literally ranks among the best in the world. The is to ensure the best use of this generous one-quarter of all R&D funding that comes school’s accreditations, international support and provide the best education from Europe to Turkish Universities and no programs, world-class faculty, and for all our students, while conducting the less than eight out of a total of only 17 mega- Corporate Governance programs mark most impactful research across all of our projects known as European Research GSB as a true pioneer in Turkey. disciplines. Council projects reside at Koç University. This past record and current standing are Contributing to the design The principle that the ‘onus is on us’ lies remarkable achievements for a university of the future at the heart of the Anatolian Scholarship that just turned 25. Another department we must highlight for Program. The placement of high school the extraordinary value it brings to our graduates to universities with a singular To ensure that we can do the most University is the Media and Visual Arts national university entrance exam system impactful research with the competitively Department (MAVA), under the College in Turkey unfortunately harbors serious acquired external funding and to enable of Social Sciences and Humanities. inequality of opportunity. Each year our faculty to successfully compete for MAVA was established as one of the many students are unable to enter the even larger projects, we must continue new initiatives at the start of my tenure state university of their choice in spite to invest in our Science & Technology as President in order to bring a new of the fact that their exam scores rank infrastructure, requiring substantial dimension of art, design, and technology to them among the top 10,000 to 50,000 of additional resources. The completion our University. Within a year, MAVA attained two million candidates in the nation. When of our new Semahat & Dr. Nüsret Arsel a wonderful student profile and quickly we launched the Anatolian Scholarship Science and Technology Building last became one of the most in-demand degrees Program, we stepped beyond ‘lending a year was a truly enabling event in this among our double major students. Later we hand’ and wholeheartedly declared that ‘the connection. Over the course of three created KUAR, the Koç University–Arçelik onus is on us.’ Today, we have succeeded in years starting in 2018, we shall spend no Research Center for Creative Industries, bringing together more than 220 corporate less than EUR 16 million for infrastructure specifically to develop future design, donors to support no less than 500 deserving equipment (some of which are one-of- media and products. Our MA and PhD students to Koç University. As we continue to a-kind in the country) to be placed at programs established in this department, visit potential corporate donors, we show the this building, including a high-tech ‘Clean titled Design, Technology & Society, are business world that providing equal access to Room,’ state-of-the-art Transmission now among the most popular across the quality education is possible in our country. I Electron Microscope (TEM) and many University with many tens of graduate am especially glad and encouraged to see that others. Yet, we must look beyond costs students. This year, we opened a Mixed our alumni classes provide enough funding and remain focused on the research and Reality Laboratory which offers virtual to support 18 of the Anatolian Scholars, a breakthroughs that will shape our future. and augmented reality studies, further huge feat for a young university, considering The fact that we have faculty and students cementing the position of our University at that almost all our graduating classes are now who produce high impact scientific research the helm of the future of the digital world. giving back to our wonderful school. I thank and contribute to initiatives central to our our alumni for their generous support and country’s welfare is of immeasurable value. The onus is on us hope to see their growing participation and Throughout these past 25 years, we have ownership of their alma mater.