16.3.1 Provide expert advice to government
Boğaziçi University Providing Expert Advice to the Government
Boğaziçi University plays an active role in providing policy guidance to local, regional and national governments, participating in committees and providing evidence-based recommendations. Various research centres within the University contribute to government processes by using research findings for the development of public policies.
Expert Advice and Contributions:
- Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute and SDSN Turkey provide expertise to the government on earthquake research and sustainable development.
- Boğaziçi University Application and Research Centres (UYGAR) contribute to policy development processes by providing consultancy services to public and private organisations.
- Boğaziçi University Social Policy Forum Application and Research Centre provides policy guidance to governments by conducting research in the field of social policy.
- Boğaziçi University Climate Change and Policies Application and Research Centre (iklimBU) provides strategy consultancy in the fields of climate policies and sustainable development.
- Boğaziçi University Life Sciences Application and Research Centre provides consultancy services to public institutions in the field of biotechnology and life sciences.
- Boğaziçi University Energy Policy Application and Research Centre (EPAM) provides scientific support for the development of Turkey's energy policies.
- Boğaziçi University Education Policy Application and Research Centre (BEPAM) makes recommendations on education policies and participates in policy development processes.
- Boğaziçi University Finance Application and Research Centre develops policy recommendations for financial markets and lawmakers.
Related Links:
- Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute
- SDSN Turkey
- Boğaziçi University Application and Research Centres
- Social Policy Forum
- Climate Change Centre
- Life Sciences Centre
- Energy Policy Centre
- Education Policy Centre
- Finance Research Centre
Within the framework of this cooperation, the university provides social benefit by providing expert advice to the strategic decisions of local and national governments.
Prof. Dr. Haluk Özener: ‘The earthquake that occurred in 123 years happened in just one year.’
Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KRDAE) shared the latest data on seismic activity in the region at a press conference held on the first anniversary of the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. KRDAE Director Prof. Dr. Haluk Özener stated, “We observed the same number of earthquakes in just one year as we did in 123 years.”
Özener noted that 672 earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 4 were detected in the region between 1900 and 2023, and that 670 earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 4 have occurred in the same region since 6 February 2023. Emphasising that a total of over 45,000 earthquakes have been analysed, he reported that 48 aftershocks with magnitudes between 5.0 and 5.9 and three with magnitudes between 6.0 and 6.9 have been recorded. Özener stated that seismic activity is continuing as predicted and that earthquakes will continue in the region for some time.
Özener pointed out that there are approximately 500 fault lines in Turkey capable of producing earthquakes of magnitude 5.5 or higher, emphasising that not all faults accumulate energy at the same rate and therefore earthquake recurrence intervals vary. He stated that crustal movements vary between 35–40 mm/year in the Aegean, 20–25 mm/year in Anatolia, and 5–7 mm/year in the East and Southeast.
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Özener stated that there are seismic gaps along the North Anatolian Fault and that the likelihood of a major earthquake around the Marmara Sea is high, saying, ‘We do not know when it will happen, but an earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher is expected.’ He also drew attention to high-potential areas such as Yedisu in Eastern Anatolia.
KRDAE BDTİM Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doğan Kalafat, who participated in the meeting, stated that earthquakes with magnitudes above 0.5 in the Marmara region and 1.7 in Turkey are monitored 24/7 with advanced monitoring systems. KRDAE Deputy Director Dr. Tülay Kaya Eken emphasised the importance of disaster preparedness and the necessity of building resilient communities.
https://haberler.bogazici.edu.tr/tr/news/bilim/4/krdae-muduru-prof-dr-haluk-ozener-123-yilda-o/2788
KRDAE Department of Geophysics Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel Awarded the Japanese State Medal
Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel, a faculty member of the Department of Geophysics at the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KRDAE) of Boğaziçi University, has been awarded the Japanese State Medal for her successful work in the international arena. Prof. Dr. Özel served as the Director of the International Monitoring System (IMS) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) from 2014 to 2022. During this period, she made significant contributions to the detection of nuclear tests and the establishment of global monitoring systems with the goal of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. She also played an active role in strengthening cooperation between the CTBTO and Japan.
Prof. Dr. Özel was selected as one of the ‘Six Women Leaders Shaping Technology on the International Stage’ at the ‘Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Women Leaders’ symposium held in the United States in 2017. After completing her PhD in seismology at Hokkaido University in Japan, Özel took on important roles in the development of research infrastructure and technology transfer in the field of earth sciences in Turkey. She was instrumental in establishing scientific cooperation between Turkey and Japan. Additionally, she pioneered the establishment of the KRDAE National Tsunami Warning Centre in Turkey, which provides regional tsunami warning services under the UNESCO Oceanography Commission.
Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel will be awarded the ‘Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon,’ one of Japan's most prestigious state honours, which has been awarded since 1875, in 2024, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Japan. This award symbolises Japan's energy and its identity as the land of the rising sun.
Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel Receives High State Honour from Japan
Prof. Dr. Nurcan Meral Özel, Director of Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KRDAE), has been awarded the ‘Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star,’ one of the most prestigious honours in Japan.
The ceremony was held at the Japanese Embassy in Ankara by Ambassador Katsumata Takahiko. Prof. Dr. Özel is recognised for her international contributions in the fields of seismology and nuclear disarmament.
Between 2014 and 2023, she served as the Director of the International Monitoring Centre of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), an agency of the United Nations, selected from among 124 candidates from 124 countries. In this role, she was responsible for the technical and diplomatic management of the global monitoring network spanning 98 countries.
Prof. Dr. Özel, who completed his PhD at Hokkaido University in Japan, was honoured with this prestigious award for his contributions to Turkey-Japan scientific cooperation, his efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and his role in monitoring North Korea's nuclear activities.
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Additionally, Prof. Dr. Özel, who pioneered the establishment of the KRDAE National Tsunami Warning Centre, has over 100 international publications in the field of geophysics and has supervised numerous master's and doctoral students.
This award once again highlights both Turkey's influence in the field of scientific diplomacy and Prof. Dr. Özel's pioneering role at the international level.
2024 Sustainability Report SDG-16 (Related Section)
Co-operation with Government: Policy Guidance, Training and Research Contributions
In order to support community development and sustainability, Boğaziçi University collaborates with local, regional and national government, and works extensively with policy and law makers in various fields.
1. Expert Advice and Policy Guidance:
- Provides policy guidance to local, regional and national governments by offering evidence-based solutions.
- It contributes to decision-making processes in critical areas such as economy, law, technology, migration, displacement and climate change.
2. Training and Capacity Building:
- It aims to increase strategic competencies by organising training and capacity building programmes for policy makers.
- It contributes to long-term strategies in areas such as sustainable development and climate change.
3. Policy-Focussed Research:
- By integrating research findings into policy processes, it works in cooperation with local, regional and national governments and aims to create social benefit with scientific data.
In this context, detailed information on prominent research centres, their contributions to policy processes, trainings for policy and law makers, and research conducted in cooperation with the government are presented below.
Prominent Centres and Contributions
UN SDSN Turkey: Organises workshops and training programmes for local governments and policy makers. It guides national and regional strategies in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Click here to go to UN SDSN Turkey web page:
https://unsdsn.bogazici.edu.tr/
Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute: It provides scientific support to the government on earthquake research, disaster management and risk reduction policies.
Click here to go to KRDAE web page:
http://www.koeri.boun.edu.tr/new/
Climate Change and Policies Application and Research Centre (iklimBU): It provides strategy recommendations and organises training programmes for local and international policy makers in areas such as climate change, renewable energy and emission reduction.
Click here to visit İklimBU web page:
https://climatechange.bogazici.edu.tr/
Energy Policy Application and Research Centre (EPAM): EPAM conducts scientific research for the development of Turkey's energy policies, strengthens data capacity on energy markets and provides guidance to policy makers.
Click here to visit EPAM web page:
Centre for Application and Research in Finance (CARF): It organises seminars and training programmes on financial innovation, technology and sustainability, and supports financial policy development processes.
Click here to visit the CARF web page:
Social Policy Forum Application and Research Centre: It co-operates with policy makers by sharing research results in the fields of social policy, employment and social welfare at national and international level.
Click here to go to SPF web page:
Education Policy Application and Research Centre (BEPAM): It contributes to educational policies and strategic planning processes with its research in the field of educational sciences.
Click here to visit BEPAM web page:
https://bepam.bogazici.edu.tr/
Life Sciences and Technologies Application and Research Centre (LifeSci): LifeSci conducts interdisciplinary research projects in the field of life sciences and technologies funded by the European Union and the Republic of Turkey, organises trainings, works in cooperation with the public and private sectors and supports the strategic decisions of policy makers.
Click here to visit LifeSci web page:
Click here to view all UYGAR Centres at Boğaziçi University:
https://arastirma.bogazici.edu.tr/tr/uygar-merkezleri
Expertise and Policy Guidance to National, Regional and Local Governments
Boğaziçi University is among the institutions that participated and contributed to the preparation of the Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan (2024- 2030) published by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change.
Click here to read the Climate Change Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan (2024- 2030)
Boğaziçi University Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KRDAE) took an active role in the preparation of the plan by taking part in the ‘Earthquake Advisory Board’ and ‘Earthquake Strategy Development Study’ subcommittees within the scope of ‘National Earthquake Strategy and Action Plan- 2023 (NESEP-2023)’.
Click here to read the National Earthquake Strategy and Action Plan-2023 (NESEP-2023)
The Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Summit, which is organised with a different theme every year in cooperation with UN SDSN and BÜYEM, of which Boğaziçi University is the country coordinator, brings together expert academics, business people, government and NGO representatives. These summits provide an opportunity to share expert opinions with decision-makers and discuss policy recommendations. The theme of the 5th summit held on 14 December 2023 was ‘Triple Transformation’.
For more information, please click here:
Training and Capacity Building Activities for Policy and Legislators
Boğaziçi University, in cooperation with UN SDSN Turkey, 350 Turkey and Localiz, brought together local administrators from different cities of Turkey within the scope of ‘Cities for Climate Workshop and Climate Action Plan Training’. In the workshop, basic information and strategies for municipalities to prepare their own climate action plans were discussed.
Click here to read the related news:
https://haberler.bogazici.edu.tr/tr/news/kampus/2/yerel-yonetimler-iklim-krizinde-cozumun-parca/1866
Following the workshop, ‘Sustainable Cities and Climate Change Online Training Programme’ was organised for metropolitan, provincial and district level local government employees in partnership with Union of Marmara Municipalities, 350 Turkey, Localiz, SDSN Turkey and Boğaziçi University Lifelong Education Centre (BÜYEM).
For more information, please click here:
https://iklimicinkentler.org/yerel-yonetimler-icin-iklim-degisikligi-online-egitim-programi/
Policy-oriented Research Collaborations with Government
Social Policy Forum Application and Research Centre has been carrying out studies within the scope of the project titled ‘Development of Researcher Manpower in Social Areas’ with the code DPT 2010K120670, which is supported by the Ministry of Development of the Republic of Turkey (now Presidential Strategy and Budget Directorate, CB SBB) since 2010.
Click here to see Social Policy Forum projects:
https://spf.bogazici.edu.tr/tr/projects
Integrated Biorefinery Concept for Bioeconomy Driven Development (INDEPENDENT)
Project is carried out under the Competitive Sectors Programme of the Ministry of Industry and Technology with the financial cooperation of the European Union and the Republic of Turkey. The project aims to develop products and technologies from algae-based natural resources without being dependent on fossil resources with a bioeconomy-oriented growth model in the fields of health and energy, which are among Turkey's main problems and main sources of current account deficit.
Click here for more information:
https://independent.bogazici.edu.tr/tr/proje-tanitimi
Within the scope of the ‘Sustainable Consumption and Production National Action Plan (SCP-NAP)’ studies carried out by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change in line with the goal of implementing the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the ‘Project for Preparation of SCP National Action Plan’ was initiated under the leadership of Boğaziçi University. The project aims to prepare guidelines and sector notes based on value chain methodology by analysing the current situation of the sectors. It also aims to develop sectoral consumption and production habits in accordance with the principles of environmental sustainability through training and workshops.
Click here to read the related news:
https://haberler.bogazici.edu.tr/tr/news/kampus/2/surdurulebilir-tuketim-ve-uretim-ulusal-eylem/2744
Boğaziçi University continues to develop strong collaborations with the government, local governments, policy makers and the private sector in order to contribute to public policies, support the realisation of strategic goals and create social benefits. Through its interdisciplinary research, education programmes and policy-oriented projects, the University continues to provide effective and innovative solutions in line with Turkey's sustainable development goals.
These efforts represent a strong scientific contribution at both local and international level, as well as a strategic partnership model that supports decision- making processes.
