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An entrepreneurial research university with high global impact
From research to education, from community engagement to governance, we work to ensure that OzU's knowledge, competencies and partnerships create value for society, the economy and the environment.
What does impact mean to us?
At Özyeğin University, we define impact as the tangible, measurable value that the knowledge and experience we generate add to society, the economy and the environment as they reach beyond the boundaries of the campus. In line with our vision of being "an entrepreneurial research university with high global impact," impact is not a separate agenda for us but a perspective that aligns education, research, campus operations and stakeholder partnerships around the same purpose. With this approach, we see the university's mission not only as producing knowledge but also as transforming this knowledge into reliable solutions, responsible innovation and visible public benefit for everyone. What makes impact meaningful is that it is demonstrated in an evidence-based, ethical, human rights-focused, measurable and transparent way. Only a contribution that can be monitored and reported turns into real value that can be grown over time.
To track this value systematically, we read our impact through a holistic framework in which four core areas intersect with five priority themes. The four areas show the functions through which the university generates and tracks impact: Research, where we produce new knowledge; Education, where we help people gain competencies and values; Community Engagement, where we engage directly with society; and Governance, where we establish the structures, policies and systems that make all of this lasting. The five themes define the topics in which this impact is concentrated: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Digital Transformation; Social Justice, Equality, Well-being and Inclusion; Transformative Education; Environment and Climate Action; and Community Empowerment and Local Development. By linking the initiatives we carry out at each intersection of these two axes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we show in a measurable way where and how our contribution takes place.
This page is designed to make the impact generated by Özyeğin University visible within this holistic framework, to monitor it and to continuously improve it together with its stakeholders.
In which areas do we generate impact?
An impact area is the answer to the question "Through which function does the university generate impact?" The literature on the social impact of universities shows that this impact arises not from a single function but from four mutually reinforcing axes. Knowledge production generates new knowledge, methods and evidence. Learning develops the carriers of impact by equipping individuals with competencies, values and responsibility. The direct relationship built with society opens the university's resources and capacity to co-production with its stakeholders. The institution itself (its structure, policies and daily operations) determines whether the value generated in the other three axes will be lasting. We call these four axes Research, Education, Community Engagement and Governance. Reading the four areas together allows us to see, within the same framework, where impact is generated and where it falls short.
Why do we treat impact as more than the number of activities?
At Özyeğin University, we read impact as the tangible, trackable and improvable value that emerges in society, the economy and the environment through knowledge production, learning, reciprocal relationships with society and institutional systems. For this reason, impact is not the work of a single project or unit but a shared governance approach that connects the university's core functions.
On which topics do we generate impact?
Impact areas show the function through which we generate impact, while impact themes show the topics in which this impact is concentrated. The five themes are not an arbitrary list. They correspond one-to-one with the five strategic priorities defined in the university's sustainability strategy, and these priorities are accompanied by a cross-cutting governance dimension: institutional structure, policy and reporting form the foundation that ensures the continuity of the value generated in the other themes.
In the 2025-2026 academic year, we carried out a university-wide impact mapping to compare this framework with work on the ground. Activities compiled from faculties, research centers, administrative units and student communities were brought together in a single set of entries. Each entry was classified according to the function through which it generates impact, the theme it addresses and the Sustainable Development Goals it relates to. The mapping showed that OzU's impact is not scattered but concentrated in these five topic clusters.
The themes do two things at once: they make visible the topics in which we are already strong and encourage us to go deeper in them. Each theme has defined performance indicators and 2029 targets. From 2026 onward, progress is monitored through annual impact reporting, and the Social Impact Committee is responsible for bringing this data into decision-making processes.
Where is impact generated?
The numbers show not the magnitude of impact but the number of initiatives at each intersection.
Which Sustainable Development Goals do we contribute to?
We link each initiative in the Impact Matrix to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals it contributes to. This makes it possible to see together which global goals the initiatives we carry out across the four areas and five themes contribute to.
Featured initiatives
RESEARCH2026Research ProjectAGRICOLAB - Yenişehir Climate-Resilient Agriculture ProjectA project supported by the EU-Türkiye Climate Change Grant Program, led by OzU and carried out in partnership with Bursa Yenişehir Municipality; with a digital decision support and early warning system, it develops a climate…Theme: T5 · Community Empowerment and Local DevelopmentSDG 2, 11, 13View details →
GOVERNANCE2026Certificate/AwardBlue Water Efficiency CertificateOn July 7, 2026, Özyeğin University became the first university in Türkiye to receive the Blue Water Efficiency Certificate; its holistic water management approach was recognized at the national level.Theme: T4 · Environment and Climate ActionSDG 6, 17View details →
EDUCATION2026EducationOccupational Health and Safety Week Interactive TrainingsAn occupational health and safety culture was promoted through interactive methods, with hard hat painting, VR Hazard Hunt and giant Jenga activities.Theme: T2 · Social Justice, Equality, Well-being and InclusionSDG 3, 4, 8View details →
SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION2026Mentoring/ConsultingKADİM Mentoring NetworkAn advanced mentoring program in the Eastern Black Sea region in which women's cooperatives were matched with mentor institutions and supported on site.Theme: T5 · Community Empowerment and Local DevelopmentSDG 1, 5, 8View details →
SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION2026Collaboration/ProtocolZero-Waste Turkish Cuisine ProtocolA collaboration was established to reduce food waste and integrate sustainable gastronomy practices into educational processes.Theme: T4 · Environment and Climate ActionSDG 4, 12, 17View details →
EDUCATION2026Talk/SeminarJourney of Water SeminarAn experiential learning event on the water cycle and resource efficiency. The journey of water from source to user was addressed, and the seminar was held carbon neutral.Theme: T4 · Environment and Climate ActionSDG 4, 6View details →- Impact area
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