ITU participates in policy making at local, regional, national and global level to implement programmes and policies to support Sustainable Development Goals and aim to end poverty in all its dimensions.
Collaboration with developing countries
TEGAM is a scientific and technological research, training and application center established under Istanbul Technical University Rectorate.
TEGAM's field of work arises from the technological development-economic development interaction in developing countries. TEGAM’s central working is focused but not limited to the following channels: to conduct and participate in related research; to cooperate with national and international organizations; organizing courses, seminars, conferences, congresses and similar meetings; To carry out researches, examinations, laboratory experiments and similar works related to the problems of the public and private sector, to give scientific reports, to carry out projects and similar technical studies.
Our Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal Has Been Re-elected as President of WAITRO
Policy development with NGOs for SDG 13 Climate action
ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal was unanimously re-elected as the President of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO) for the 2025-2026 term at the 27th General Assembly Meeting. Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal stated that continuing his role as the President of WAITRO, which has nearly 200 institutional members from over 70 countries, for the next two years is a significant achievement for our country's international visibility. 15 Nov 2024
About WAITRO
WAITRO describes itself as a "global innovation family." It was established in 1970 under the auspices of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Since its inception, UNIDO has continued to play an important role as a partner. WAITRO has a consultative status that facilitates the exchange of information in close cooperation with UNIDO. Together, UNIDO and WAITRO work to strengthen the capacity of research institutions in developing countries. Sustainable industrial development and technological innovation are common goals of both organizations. They frequently collaborate on projects and initiatives to promote industrial development and technological innovation, actively sharing knowledge, expertise, and best practices to enhance the capacities of member organizations.
WAITRO plays a crucial role in uniting the R&D community by creating a common platform for international cooperation in R&D. WAITRO aims to establish a global innovation ecosystem where research and technology organizations, including universities, partner with the private sector and public entities to share knowledge, develop, and disseminate innovative technologies to create sustainable impacts on societies and economies.
27th General Assembly Meeting
ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal attended the WAITRO Global Summit held in Nanjing, China, from November 13-15, hosted by the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI).
The summit, themed "From Innovation to Impact - Strategies for Sustainable Solutions," focused on how innovations can be transformed into tangible results and thus overcome global challenges. The WAITRO Global Summit aimed to fully reveal the great potential of innovation in addressing global issues such as climate change, inequality, and other challenges in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The summit served as an important platform for ensuring that innovations do not remain just ideas but are transformed into practical and sustainable solutions in real life. Throughout the summit, impact-focused strategies such as how to leverage the "digital revolution" to enable green transformation and how to protect indigenous technologies while opening them to global markets were discussed.
On the last day of the summit, Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal was unanimously re-elected as the President of WAITRO at the 27th General Assembly Meeting. Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal will continue his presidency at WAITRO, a role he has held since 2023, for the 2025-2026 term.
Our Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal stated that his presidency at WAITRO, which has nearly 200 institutional members from over 70 countries, is a significant achievement for Türkiye’s international visibility.
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Collaboration in Public Transportation
Policy development with government for SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy and 9 Industry, Innovation, Technology and Infrastructure and 11 Sustainable cities and communities
A cooperation protocol has been implemented between ITU, Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and the Green Hydrogen Producers Association (H2DER) aiming to create the necessary ecosystem for the use of green hydrogen vehicles in public transportation. 18 Oct 2024
From renewable energy to green hydrogen for SDG 7 affordable and clean energy
ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal signed a significant cooperation protocol with Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fatma Şahin, a graduate of our Department of Chemical Engineering, and Yusuf Günay, President of the Green Hydrogen Producers Association (H2DER), to create the necessary ecosystem for the use of green hydrogen vehicles in public transportation. The protocol signing ceremony was held at the ITU Ayazağa Campus on October 13th. This collaboration, which brings together ITU, the public, and civil society, sets a significant example for the future of sustainability efforts in our country.
Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, commented on the collaboration: “Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality is a municipality whose innovative vision I know and appreciate closely. Türkiye only has one Hydrogen Valley project, and it's a sector that needs further development. At ITU, our R&D activities, particularly in the fields of electrolyzers, hydrogen storage, and fuel cells , are rapidly advancing. Our collaboration on this project will, as an example, further benefit our country's future. As ITU, we will continue to develop sustainable transportation solutions, increase social benefits, and develop pioneering projects in the field of green energy.”
The project's objectives include producing green hydrogen from renewable energy sources through electrolysis, using and storing the produced green hydrogen in buses using fuel cells, and establishing a filling station. The project, implemented under the protocol, will enable innovative research, and the stages from preparation to the final goal will be shared with public authorities and the public.
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ITU and BEDAŞ Sign Cooperation Protocol Against Earthquakes
Policy development with government for SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy and 11 Sustainable cities and communities
ITU has signed a cooperation protocol with BEDAŞ (Boğaziçi Electricity Distribution) to prepare for a potential major earthquake in the Marmara Region and further strengthen its energy infrastructure. As part of the "Development of an Earthquake Accelerometer Sensor Compatible with the MASS Communication Protocol" project, the earthquake resistance of transformer stations will be determined in advance, and the resulting data will be used to create an earthquake risk map of Istanbul. 8 Nov 2024
Boğaziçi Electricity Distribution Inc. (BEDAŞ), which continues its work to strengthen the electrical infrastructure on the European side of Istanbul for the expected major earthquake in the Marmara Region, has signed a significant collaboration with ITU. According to the protocol, accelerometer data will be collected in real time as part of the "MASS Communication Protocol Compatible Earthquake Accelerometer Sensor Development Project," developed by BEDAŞ, ABE Technology Inc., and ITU MATAM (Istanbul Technical University Marmara Active Fault Hazard and Risk Application Research Center) under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Cenk Yaltırak. These data will then be evaluated through scientific analyses to generate earthquake risk maps and take the necessary steps.
The signing ceremony for the project, which will further strengthen Istanbul's energy infrastructure against earthquakes, was held at the ITU Ayazağa Campus on Tuesday, November 5th, with the participation of ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, BEDAŞ General Manager Murat Yiğit, and numerous guests.
About the project
The project, which envisions the design of a circuit board for an earthquake accelerometer device integrated with the MASS Communication Protocol, aims to interpret data collected from sensors using high-power supercomputers and process them on a map. The accelerometer devices to be developed are also planned to be integrated with the MASS Communication Protocol, using industrial standards and connection methods such as RS485, Ethernet, and serial communication.
The project, which will enable accelerometers to measure earthquake impacts on parcels and distribution network elements with high precision using a network of MASS Pro meters in a region at constant earthquake risk, will provide significant advantages in terms of placement, displacement, and investment planning of distribution network components to ensure BEDAŞ's distribution continuity before a potentially devastating earthquake strikes. Furthermore, the impact of an earthquake wave, along with its ground and building interactions, will be converted into digital data. Measurements made through such a system will enable the generation of realistic data and specific attenuation relationships for scenario earthquakes. This will enable computerized testing of ground and building conditions against scenario earthquakes, facilitating the implementation of appropriate countermeasures.
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Cooperation between Istanbul Financial Center and ITU
Policy development with NGO for SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth and 9 Industry, Innovation, Technology and Infrastructure
ITU and Istanbul Financial Center (IFC) cooperation protocol on information technologies in the financial sector was signed at IFC on December 29, 2023.
ITU and Istanbul Financial Center are collaborating for information technologies and in-depth analysis studies. The protocol signing ceremony held at IFC was attended by our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu and Istanbul Financial Center CEO Ahmet İhsan Erdem.
With the signed protocol, it is envisaged to conduct in-depth market analyses on information technologies in the field of finance, by bringing together the academic knowledge and research competence of ITU and the sectoral experience of Istanbul Financial Center. The analyses including the developments, current situation, and future trends in the field of information technologies in the financial sector will be prepared by ITU academics.
Internship opportunity for ITU students
The protocol will also allow ITU students to do internships at Istanbul Financial Center. Istanbul Financial Center will provide internship and candidate engineering opportunities to ITU students. In this way, it is aimed to support the training of experts in the field of information technologies in our country, to improve understanding of the sectoral needs, and to foster solution-oriented approaches.
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Strategic Cooperation Between ITU and the Zero Waste Foundation
Policy development with NGO for SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production
A protocol aiming for a wide-ranging cooperation between ITU and the Zero Waste Foundation has been signed, covering areas from high-quality postgraduate education and advanced research projects to social contribution and the development of international relations in the fields of sustainability and zero waste.
ITU and the Zero Waste Foundation have signed an important cooperation protocol that will advance efforts in sustainability and zero waste across various areas such as scientific research, educational activities, social responsibility projects, and innovation initiatives.
Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal expressed his strong belief that this meaningful collaboration will yield fruitful outcomes for both ITU and Türkiye, and extended his thanks to everyone involved, including the representatives of the Zero Waste Foundation.
Prof. Dr. Mandal emphasized that through this cooperation, ITU aims to offer high-quality postgraduate education, develop advanced research projects, contribute to society, and strengthen international relations. He highlighted that projects to be designed in line with sustainability principles will provide ITU students with a more well-rounded academic and social learning environment. He also reiterated ITU’s goal of becoming a leading institution in zero waste practices through projects that raise awareness both nationally and globally.
The cooperation protocol aims to launch postgraduate programs focused on zero waste and sustainability at ITU, with the objective of training talented experts on a national and international level. Students enrolled in these programs at ITU will benefit from scholarship support. Additionally, undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students, as well as ITU staff, will have the opportunity to engage in joint activities in education, scientific projects, entrepreneurship, and social solidarity under the protocol. The cooperation will both promote environmentally friendly and sustainable practices and strengthen ITU’s physical infrastructure.
Research Activities to end Poverty
The Department of Economics at ITU plays a central role in channeling ITU’s vast technical expertise of 240 years to micro- and macroeconomic policy-making. To achieve this goal, the Department employs in its teaching and research activities a multidisciplinary approach including joint workshops, seminars, guest lecturers and projects with ITU’s basic science and engineering departments. Field expertise of departmental faculty parallels this mission and includes Development Economics, Education Economics, Energy Economics, Health Economics, Industrial Organization, and International Trade.
The faculty is heavily involved in both research and private and public sector consulting, and they reflect their practical experience in their teaching in addition to providing students with a sound theoretical background. Successful students are integrated into departmental research and consulting projects in their areas of developing expertise to help them gain experience under the direct supervision of their professors. Thus, our graduates have a unique advantage in placement and success in corresponding fields of study.
The academicians of ITU Economics Department participate in policy making at local, regional, national and/or global level to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in local, regional, national, global dimensions.
● Keeping refugee children in school and out of work: Evidence from the world's largest humanitarian cash transfer program, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2024.103266
Young Children of Disadvantaged Families: A Comprehensive Analysis of Parental Human Capital Investment and Child Health
Promoting new-born and children's health is a policy priority for sustainable development and the EU takes action to 'promote inclusive and child-friendly societies, health and education systems' (Thematic area 2 of the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child). Nevertheless, within country differences exist in children's access to essential health care especially among the vulnerable groups of undocumented migrants and children living in poverty. An obvious obstacle for access to health care for the irregular migrants is lack of universal health coverage. Another significant determinant of restricted health care utilization of these vulnerable children is the challenges associated to the socioeconomic status of the parents. There is little research to show methods to eliminate the health risks associated to displaced children and children living in poverty and to integrate them into the European health system. The overall goal of YouCDF is to provide a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the amount, types and short- and long-term consequences of parental investment to children from the perspective of health economics. YouCDF will: -investigate the extent to which the limitations in the household level (restricted financial resources available to the main caregivers) could be compensated by a universal health care system, -test the empirical implications of the model, - inform policy makers about the potential risks to the public health system caused by underinvestment to children, and related inequalities. YouCDF addresses one of the potential public health challenges for Türkiye and the EU: The number of children who have limited access to nutritious food increases as a result of hosting refugee children from Syria and facing increased food prices due to the war in Ukraine.
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101109609
Aygün, Aysun Hızıroğlu (PI)
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Fair Division under Risk and Uncertainty - Policy Applications
The problem of fairly allocating resources pertains to various realms of social issues ranging from taxation and bankruptcy to climate change and from kidney exchange and school admissions to dividing estates amongst claimants after death or divorce. The solution to such problems requires the direct use of the notion of equity and fairness by precisely defining these concepts as axioms and examining critically the effect of the use of these axioms. Naturally, the fair division method depends on the specific context of the problems. Distribution of food supplies under emergency calls for egalitarian divisions, whereas the liquidation value of a bankrupt firm among its creditors is executed via proportionality principle. Furthermore, many real-life allocation problems require distribution before uncertainty is realized. The focus of the proposed research will be on the fair division under uncertainty and its various policy applications.
Ertemel, Sinan (PI)
Kumar, Rajnish (CoPI (Ortak Sorumlu Araştırmacı))
Queen's University Belfast
Collaboration in Policy Making for Poverty
The collaboration map of the Department of Economics in global dimension for policy making research.