ITU Sustainability Office joined the Global Sustainable Development Congress 2025 as ITU received the 48th rank in the world for THE Impact 2025.
ITU Sustainability Office joined the Global Sustainable Development Congress 2025 as ITU received the 48th rank in the world for THE Impact 2025.
ITU Vice Rector Speech at Global Sustainable Development Congress
Global Sustainable Development Congress convened by Times Higher Education and co-hosted by YÖK (Council of Higher Education) was held on 16-19 June 2025 at the Istanbul Congress Centre.
Istanbul Technical University Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Lütfiye Durak Ata made a speech on “Sustainable Campuses” in the “YÖK sustainability showcase” Session with Dr. Tuğba Dinçbaş, Deputy Director of Directorate of Climate Change Türkiye.
This session highlighted that universities are pivotal in advancing sustainable development, emphasising quality growth for a lasting future. It was noted how initiatives like the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings encouraged universities to integrate sustainability, an area where Türkiye has shown considerable leadership. Specifically, Istanbul Technical University (ITU) stands out as the leading sustainable university in Türkiye with considerable efforts.
ITU Booth at The GDSC
Istanbul Technical University opened a booth at the event where international partnerships were discussed by ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal.
Opening Sessions
● Phil Paty, Chief Global Affairs Officer, THE started the Opening Session by explaining how far away the world is from reaching the SDGs, but emphasized the collaborations in the Congress are a great opportunity for our future.
● Dr. Çetin Ali Dönmez, Deputy Minister of and Technology, Government of the Republic of Turkiye, mentioned the works Turkiye is carrying out to reach SDG 9.
● Nazım Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Education, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus explained the collaborations for SDG 4.
● Phil Paty, Chief Global Affairs Officer, THE and H.E. Emin Amrullayev, Minister Of Science And Education Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan discussed the COP29 that happened in Azerbaijan last year and explained the curriculum reform with sustainability and mentioned the collaborations for science.
● Erol Özvar, President, Council of Higher Education, Turkiye, mentioned the collaboration between THE and YOK in organizing this event. He talked about Turkiye as a leader in partnership by being in the top 10 in the world to host international students. He mentioned the open access and science initiatives as well as the zero waste project and its impacts.
● John Gill, Chief Executive Officer, The and Mike Berners-Lee, Professor and Author, Small World Consulting mentioned that we are accelerating into the problem of climate change. He explained that “truth and respect” is necessary in solving our issues.
● Arash Bordbar, Associate Education Officer, UNHCR and Yasmine Colijn, Co-Director of Programmes, Choose Love and Ahmed Ekzayez, Chief of Programmes, The White Helmets explained the importance of support local civil societies in crisis.
● Finally, Ian Anderson, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research and Enterprise, Western Sydney University, made the speech after receiving the first place in overall THE Impact 2025.