I am the Head of Sustainability at Koç University, where we established the university’s first Office of Sustainability last November. With a background in industrial engineering and a PhD in urban sociology from Northeastern University, I have always been drawn to working across disciplines. Sustainability feels like a natural fit, bringing together different perspectives and expertise to address complex challenges.

Big Idea(s) for Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education

What does the world need most right now?

We need more science, more hope, and more joy in life. And, perhaps most importantly, we need to talk to each other more honestly and openly. This may sound obvious, but I think it matters especially in academia. Scientific fields have become increasingly compartmentalized, and we have lost some of the connections between disciplines and between people working on different questions. This is a real challenge for sustainability, because the problems we face are too complex for any one field to tackle alone. We need different perspectives, different kinds of expertise, and all corners of knowledge at the table.

We are dealing with challenges that require us to rethink how we do things and how we understand the world. Transdisciplinarity is essential to this, but so is the spirit in which we approach it. We need to stay curious, enjoy learning from one another, and find some joy in working together to solve the puzzles ahead of us. I think that is a good place to start.

Leadership and Inspiration

What does effective leadership look like to you?

We work in academia, where many of the usual ideas about management and leadership get turned upside down. Science thrives on horizontal encounters, constant questioning, and criticism. This can make university administration challenging, but it is also what makes it so interesting. For me, effective leadership in academia is about staying curious and being willing to learn. Even on an ordinary day, I can learn five new things, and that is part of what makes this work so enjoyable.

Different fields of knowledge have their own ways of thinking, working, and making sense of the world. I think good leadership is about recognizing these differences rather than trying to fit everything into the same mold. Creating a healthy academic environment means giving different forms of knowledge the space to develop in their own way, while building connections between them. The role of a leader is not to have all the answers, but to create the conditions in which people can learn from one another and do their best work.

Tenacity and Perseverance

The climate emergency feels like the greatest challenge of our lifetime – what keeps you inspired?

In our field, it is very easy to become pessimistic. The climate emergency can feel like an apocalyptic story unfolding in real time, and sometimes it is tempting to give in to that feeling and call it a day. I think one of our greatest challenges is to remain hopeful without losing sight of reality.

What keeps me inspired is the belief that we can still find different ways of doing things. The world is a complex system, and the ways we have organized our lives are not the only ways possible. Scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and the exchange of ideas in universities can help us see things differently and imagine alternatives we have not yet considered. I find hope in our ability to keep asking questions, challenge existing assumptions, and create new ideas and ways of living. Ultimately, I want us to keep working towards a future where we can continue to live on this planet and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Fun Fact

What is your favourite activity you do in your spare time?

I love walking, and I love cats, so living in Istanbul is a pretty good combination. My favorite thing to do is walk for hours through the city, saying hello to the neighborhood cats along the way. There is always another cat around the corner, and somehow I never get tired of meeting them.

Eventually, these walks almost always end up by the sea. I think this is one of the best things about Istanbul: no matter where you start, the city has a way of drawing you towards the water. There is something very comforting about walking without a particular plan, discovering familiar streets from a different angle, stopping for a cat, and eventually finding yourself by the Bosphorus. It is my favorite way to spend time in the city and to enjoy its everyday beauty.