Cross Sectoral Dialogue About SDGs

International Law of the Sea Summer Academy 2024

In 2024, the KHAS International Maritime Law Summer Academy was held between 22 July and 8 August 2024 at Kadir Has University Cibali Campus, in collaboration with DEHUKAM (National Center for the Law of the Sea, Türkiye) and the National University of Singapore Centre for International Law (CIL-NUS).

The Summer Academy once again brought together judges from international courts, distinguished academics, and practitioners working in the field of international law. The program provided advanced training on the law of the sea and maritime law, combining theoretical lectures with practical case studies and interactive sessions. All courses were delivered in English by experts from leading international institutions.

The 2024 program included three intensive weeks covering key topics such as:

• Maritime Zones under National Jurisdiction, Marine Scientific Research, and Offshore Renewable Energy;
• Freedom of Navigation, Marine Pollution and Environmental Protection, Maritime Delimitation, Illegal Fishing, and Dispute Settlement Mechanisms;
• Climate Change and the Oceans, Human Rights at Sea, Ship Liability and Salvage, and Developments at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regarding Autonomous Ships.

Distinguished lecturers included figures such as Prof. Dr. Yücel Acer (DEHUKAM), Prof. Dr. Suzette Suarez (Hochschule Bremen), Prof. Dr. Erik Franckx (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Dr. Nilufer Oral (CIL-NUS/ILC), and H.E. Judge Maurice Kamga (ITLOS), among many others. The program also featured educational visits to institutions such as the Coast Guard Command and the Directorate General of Coastal Safety, offering participants valuable practical insights.

By bringing together participants from diverse backgrounds and institutions, the 2024 Summer Academy once again strengthened international collaboration in maritime law education and advanced understanding of emerging global maritime challenges.

For detailed information about the 2024 program, please visit: lawoftheseaacademy.khas.edu.tr

Kadir Has University Climate Change and Law Laboratory (CCLLAB) – 2024 Activities

Throughout 2024, the Kadir Has University Climate Change and Law Laboratory (CCLLAB) continued its mission of fostering academic dialogue on the intersection of climate change and law through a series of seminars and events featuring distinguished experts from academia and civil society.

As part of its Climate Change and Law Seminar Series, CCLLAB hosted Mehmet Botan Kayhan from the Environmental Policies and International Relations Department of TEMA Foundation on March 22, 2024. His presentation, titled “Climate-Specific Changes in International Law: Climate-Specific Agreements,” explored the evolution of international legal frameworks responding to climate change. The seminar was held online via Zoom and was open to all interested participants.

In 2024, CCLLAB also welcomed Asst. Prof. Dr. Najiba Mustafayeva, Assistant Professor at Ibn Haldun University and Adjunct Professor at ADA University, for a lecture titled “Human Rights in Climate Change Regime.” Dr. Mustafayeva discussed the human rights dimensions of climate governance, emphasizing the global legal and ethical responsibilities of states. The event was held online via Microsoft Teams and open to the public, reflecting CCLLAB’s commitment to inclusive academic exchange.

The Laboratory’s final event of the year took place on December 25, 2024, featuring Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bige Açımuz from Koç University Faculty of Law. Her seminar, titled “The European Court of Human Rights’ Verein Klimaseniorinnen Schweiz v. Switzerland Judgment and Its Implications,” analyzed one of the most significant climate litigation decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and discussed its broader legal and policy consequences for Türkiye and Europe.

All events were open to the public through online platforms, ensuring broad accessibility and engagement. Through these activities, CCLLAB continued to strengthen its position as a national and international hub for climate law research, policy dialogue, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

KHAS High School Law Academy: Current Developments in Law (2024)

As part of its outreach and educational engagement activities, Kadir Has University Faculty of Law organized the KHAS High School Law Academy: Current Developments in Law on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at the Cibali Campus.

The event aimed to introduce high school students to contemporary legal issues and to provide them with a first-hand experience of the university’s interactive and case-based approach to legal education. The program brought together KHAS Faculty of Law academics and students, creating a stimulating environment for young participants to explore the field of law.

Program Schedule – Wednesday, May 22, 2024

• 11:00 – 11:40 | Climate Damages – RD Kaan Can Yıldırım
• 11:40 – 12:20 | Damages Arising from Faulty Products – Asst. Alican Çalışkan
• 12:40 – 13:20 | Being a Law School Student at KHAS and Case-Based Education – Mehmet Emir Uçar (4th Year Law Student)

All participating high school students received certificates of participation, acknowledging their engagement and contribution to this academic event. The Academy reflects Kadir Has University’s commitment to legal education, youth outreach, and promoting awareness of current developments in law.

COLLABORATION WITH NGOs

HERITOPOLIS

Kadir Has University’s Istanbul Studies Center is a key partner in Heritopolis, an international initiative that bridges the realms of heritage and metropolitan challenges with the ultimate goal of promoting sustainable urban development. This partnership operates within the framework of the UNHabitat Universities Network Initiative (UNI), more specifically, the UNI Hub on Metropolitan Management.

Given the projected growth of metropolises to become the world’s most populous urban category by 2035, Heritopolis revolves around several vital research questions:

• What specific role can heritage play in advancing the sustainability of 21st-century metropolises?
• How can the metropolitan context redefine our understanding of heritage?
• What distinguishes metropolitan heritage from other forms of heritage?
• Can we perceive the metropolis itself as a heritage, and if so, how?

Heritopolis is committed to cultivating a holistic perspective, breaking free from traditional academic boundaries, and harnessing the insights of various disciplines and thought leaders. It embraces a triple helix approach that seamlessly integrates academia, governance, and industry to shape a progressive and comprehensive paradigm for the future of metropolitan development and heritage conservation.

To access additional information, kindly refer to the provided link: https://heritopolis.org/

KENT95 PROJECT

Kadir Has University’s Istanbul Studies Center, in collaboration with the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), has developed an interactive platform. This platform serves as a valuable tool for local governments, aiding them in monitoring their existing services and crafting strategies for forthcoming initiatives. Moreover, it empowers city residents by granting them access to comprehensive information about the services available in their urban area. You can explore this platform at https://map.kent95.org/

Kadir Has University Gender and Women’s Studies Research Center publishes the Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and Plus Employees in the Private Sector in Turkey and the Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and Plus Employees in Public Sector in Turkey annually, in collaboration with the NGO Kaos Gay Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association (Kaos GL).

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

CyberMACS Equips Future Cybersecurity Experts with Dual Master’s Degrees and Collaborative Industry Experience

In an era where cybersecurity plays a pivotal role in safeguarding digital landscapes and infrastructures, CyberMACS takes center stage as a beacon of excellence in cybersecurity higher education. The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree (EMJM) project offered by a Consortium of three highly-ranked universities: Kadir Has University (Istanbul, Türkiye), SRH Berlin School of Applied Sciences (Berlin, Germany), and Ss. Cyril and Methodius University (Skopje, North Macedonia) is on a mission to bridge the growing cybersecurity talent gap.

REDUCING THE CYBERSECURITY SKILLS GAP

The digital revolution has ushered in unprecedented complexities in the realm of cybersecurity. With cyber threats projected to cost the global economy a staggering USD 10.5 trillion by 2025, the demand for cybersecurity professionals is soaring. However, the workforce gap in this critical field continues to widen.

CyberMACS is an international master’s programme designed to equip students with the skills to detect, prevent, mitigate, and manage cyberattacks. This groundbreaking project, offered by the Consortium and cybersecurity industry partners, addresses the talent shortage and sets a new international standard in cybersecurity education.

UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMME

CyberMACS stands out with its distinctive features, setting the stage for the future of cybersecurity education:

• Dual Degrees: Students can graduate with “double” masters degrees diplomas, a testament to the programme’s commitment to academic excellence.
• Industry Collaboration: Since CyberMACS has a dedicated “Industrial Advisory Board”, CyberMACS universities and students can work closely with industry experts, creating a strong link between academia and real-world cybersecurity challenges.
• International Work Experience: Close collaboration with industry partners offers students valuable internships, mentorships, and contributions to curriculum courses, ensuring they are ready to land a job in the cybersecurity industry.

DIVERSE COHORT OF FUTURE CYBERSECURITY EXPERTS

Cybersecurity needs a diverse and inclusive workforce with respect to the sophisticated threats. In this vein, CyberMACS boasts a diverse cohort of 25 students, 16 males and 9 females, representing 16 nationalities in the first intake. This international mix enriches the programme’s experience, fostering multicultural perspectives among all participants.

SUCCESSFUL CULTURAL ORIENTATION AND JOINT INTEGRATION WEEKS

CyberMACS recently conducted two significant event series, the Cultural Orientation Week and the Joint Integration Week, setting the stage for a vibrant academic journey for its first students.

Cultural Orientation Week: The event included cultural exploration with city tours to historic sites of Istanbul like Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar, immersing students in Turkish culture.

Joint Integration Week: This programme brought together around 60 participants. Distinguished speakers from industry and academia discussed various aspects of cybersecurity, including digital trust, cybersecurity certification, legal aspects of cybersecurity, and more. Interactive working group sessions on cybersecurity pilot cases provided students hands-on experience on real-world cybersecurity challenges, and the week concluded with student group presentations.

ENGAGEMENT WITH SENIOR EXPERTS IN CYBERSECURITY

The Joint Integration Week featured associate partners and renowned speakers who shared their expertise in cybersecurity trends, enriching the program with diverse perspectives. Notable speakers included Dr. Knud Brandis (Ernst & Young, Germany), Prof. Dr Jeanne Pia Mifsud Bonnici (Groningen University), Prof. Dr Berk Canberk (Edinburgh Napier University), Prof. Dr. Boro Jakimovski (Inteligenta/UKIM), Kubilay Onur Güngör (Cyber Struggle), Erdem Kayar (Lostar), and Yalçın Gerek (Tacas).

CyberMACS is more than an educational program; it is a mission to train future-ready experts capable of addressing tomorrow’s cybersecurity challenges.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

The Kadir Has University Center and Women’s Studies Research Center have successfully concluded the Systematic Action for Gender Equality (SAGE) project, collaborating within a consortium that includes seven universities from across Europe.

Presently, the Center and Women’s Studies Research Center are spearheading the GenderEX: Gender for Excellence in Research in partnership with three esteemed international institutions. GenderEX is a project strategically designed to foster networking, knowledge exchange, and the implementation of best practices to promote the integration of the Sex and Gender Dimension in Research Content (SGDRC). This collaboration involves the Gender and Women’s Studies Research Center at Kadir Has University (GWSRC-KHAS) in Turkey, along with three renowned international partners in this field: the University of Lund (Sweden), the University of Genoa (Italy), and Technological University Dublin (Ireland).

Kadir Has University is the academic partner of the UEFA Football Law Programme (UEFA FLP). The UEFA Football Law Programme (UEFA FLP) is specifically designed for legal professionals who wish to keep up to date with the latest developments in football law and to broaden their understanding of relevant topics.

The program comprises four week-long sessions, which address key issues and topical aspects of football law. It has been developed by UEFA in close cooperation with internationally renowned academic experts and practitioners. Detailed explanations can be found in the UEFA Academy program catalog.

CROSS-SECTORAL DIALOGUE

Kadir Has University’s Center of Energy and Sustainable Development serves as a prominent exemplar of fostering cross-sectoral dialogue through its series of Energy and Climate Conversations.

The reports produced by the Center and Women’s Studies Research Center, which shed light on the experiences of LGBTI employees in public and private sectors, stand as a prime illustration of cross-sectoral dialogue in terms of gender equality.

Additionally, the Center and Women’s Studies Research Center have published the “Gender Equality Action Plan Toolkit for Institutional Change“, a comprehensive guide tailored to facilitate profound transformation towards gender equality within a diverse array of organizations and corporations spanning multiple industries and sectors.

KADIR HAS UNIVERSITY & ISTANBUL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY/MINISTRY OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: DESIGNHUB-IST

Located inside the grounds of Kadir Has University, the DESIGNHUB-IST Design, Education, and Application Centre is an active organization committed to developing projects, services, and applications that bring significant value to Istanbul’s design scene.

In keeping with our primary goal of elevating the status of creative industries in the country’s design sector, the DESIGNHUB-IST operates as a physical hub as well as a digital platform, providing a range of services to businesses engaged in design-related activities, particularly those developing into design hubs, mostly in Istanbul. Working in the more general field of interior design, our main goal is to support the development of high-end designs in areas like lighting, acoustics, and evidence-based/user-oriented design.

By means of our center, which serves as a platform for cooperative design research between academic institutions, government agencies, and the commercial sector, we aim to promote practical projects and knowledge sharing, promoting multidisciplinary service models. By working together, we hope to improve the nation’s service delivery system and quality of life while meeting a range of needs.

It is important to clarify that the information contained in this publication, which was created as part of the Istanbul Development Agency-sponsored “DESIGNHUB-IST Design, Training, and Application Center” Project, does not represent the opinions of the Ministry of Development or the Istanbul Development Agency. The project’s benefactor is the only one with content accountability.

ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

By hosting the Energy Forum, the Kadir Has University Center of Energy and Sustainable Development stands out as a notable example of cross-sectoral discourse.

DIVERSITY, INCLUSION and EQUALITY

To access the Center’s activity report for 2021 and 2022, kindly follow the provided link.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROTOCOLS:

Social responsibility projects initiated by Kadir Has University faculties and departments, student clubs, students and graduates form another indispensable source of outreach activities. As part of the KHAS New Education Model, students of Core Program take civic responsibility courses (KHAS 110 Civic Responsibility Project & KHAS 120 Civic Responsibility Project for International Students). In these courses, core program students design and implement social responsibility projects to reach out to various communities and publics with the aim of positive social change.

NGOs with which protocols were signed and project contents:

All Children Are Ours Association (2023-2024 academic years)

Within the scope of the cooperation developed with the association, the students carried out activities for Fatih Kırımlı Aslanbey Primary School 1st-4th grade students in Fener. Working groups were formed and paired with a primary school branch and the students met with children from the branch they were paired with in their fortnightly field studies. In some weeks, in-class activities were organised in the primary school (Dodo Reads Books, Dodo Tells Tales, origami, playground painting, free play hours in the school garden), while in other weeks, students from the primary school came to the university accompanied by their teachers and participated in the activities organised by the students taking the course at the university (film screenings in the school cinema hall, a visit to the Rezan Has Museum, origami exhibition). In addition, books for children were collected from the “book tree” established at the university and donated to the primary school. Before the fieldwork started, an expert psychologist from the association gave online trainings to the students on communicating with children, effective reading techniques, and body language.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Directorate of Urban Planning – Beyoğlu Senin project (2023-2024 academic years)

The students contributed to the Beyoğlu Strategy Plan prepared by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Urban Planning Directorate through participatory methods. IBB team stated that they needed youth participation in the study and directed the students to work with young people living in Beyoğlu. It was planned to carry out field studies to determine how young people living in the neighbourhoods of Beyoğlu use Beyoğlu, what their expectations, needs and demands are. Each of the 6 neighbourhoods of Beyoğlu was matched with a student group (Sütlüce-Örnektepe, Okmeydanı-Hasköy, Dolapdere-Tarlabaşı, Kasımpaşa, İstiklal Caddesi-Galata-Karaköy, Tophane-Kabataş-Cihangir). In the first phase of the study, students carried out data collection activities (determining the nursery-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, high schools, universities, research institutes, public urban service areas, private/legal urban service areas in Beyoğlu region and their characteristics). In the second phase of fieldwork, students met with young people aged 14-20 living in Beyoğlu in civil society organisations and conducted in-depth interviews (Sururi Neighbourhood Solidarity, Tarlabaşı Community Centre, Okmeydanı Environmental Protection and Beautification Association, Hasköy Culture House, Örnektepe Neighbourhood House, Bereketzade Muhtarlığı, Beyoğlu Citizen Assembly). Although it was planned to organise a Beyoğlu forum at Kadir Has University within the scope of the Beyoğlu Senin project, it could not be held. The cooperation ended with the finalisation of the IBB Beyoğlu Strategic Plan.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Directorate of Social Services – Neighbourhood Houses (2023-2024 academic years)

In the Neighbourhood Houses established by IBB Social Services Directorate for community empowerment in disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Istanbul, students volunteered and organised activities for children and women. In Örnektepe, Sulukule, Zafer, Cibali Neighbourhood Houses, they carried out free time activities and workshops (lesson support workshop, Papuduk, English support, game workshop). Before the fieldwork of the students, an expert psychologist from IBB provided online trainings to the students on children’s rights to bodily speech and trauma-sensitive volunteering.

Istanbul City Council (2023-2024 academic years)

Within the scope of the cooperation, students proposed and developed projects based on urban commons and participation under the mentorship of İKK and using the facilities of the council. In the first working year, 4 working groups developed projects with 4 different methods and themes: one group carried out focus group studies on Kadir Has University students’ access to culture and arts, one group worked on the urban mobility of students studying in the Golden Horn region, one group carried out a face-to-face leg of the “Participation Café” events organised by İKK in different neighbourhoods of Istanbul to identify and report the demands, expectations and requests of different groups regarding the city, one group carried out a face-to-face leg at IBB Sütlüce facilities for students studying in the Golden Horn region, and one group carried out an online Participation Café event for the same group via the Discord platform. In these activities, in which all groups developed their own working themes and methods, a mentorship model was developed with IKK; in this model, a project coordinator from IKK and a political scientist with expertise in the field of participation were determined as mentors, and these mentors met with the students periodically and gave feedback to their projects. In the second year, student groups were directed to submit project proposals for the “Participatory Budget”, a joint project of the Istanbul City Council and IBB. Citizens residing in Istanbul apply to the Participatory Budget, which aims to plan the IBB budget with a participatory approach, by proposing projects on certain themes; projects that pass a preliminary screening on the applicability of the projects are submitted to a public vote and the selected projects are implemented with the IBB budget. After the 6 February earthquakes, the theme of the Participatory Budget was determined as “disaster resilience” and the students developed their own project proposals with feedbacks under the mentorship of IKK and made their applications at the end of the term. 6 working groups developed different projects on the theme of disaster, such as developing an Istanbul animal disaster action plan and rights-based awareness-raising activities on disasters in the neighbourhood.

Basic Needs Association – TIDER (2023-2024 academic years)

Within the scope of the cooperation with Tider, which has the largest food bank network in Turkey, students carried out volunteer work in Beyoğlu Municipality Food Bank and Şişli Municipality Food Bank as they are close to the university. In these food banks, products that are close to their expiry date but are still healthy to consume, products that are not sold in the market due to reasons such as packaging printing errors, etc., or donated products are delivered free of charge and with a credit system to those in need determined by the social service directorates of local municipalities. The market system enables those in need to obtain the products they want in the quantities they want and to feel better about themselves. In these food banks, student groups carried out field work every two weeks, assisting and guiding those who came, sorting and placing products in the market, and placing the parcels. Some student groups contributed to the distribution of iftar meals at the Embrace Life Association Restaurant and Atlas Aid Association Restaurant. In addition, some student groups coordinated the donation of products (books, food, toys) to Tider in the donation piggy banks within the university.

Educational Volunteers Foundation of Turkey (TEGV) (2023-2024 academic years)

In this digital volunteering project planned for international students, students provided online English support workshops to disadvantaged children and youth in different provinces of Turkey. Before the work, TEGV team provided training on online communication techniques and volunteering for the students. Due to the difficulties of implementing TEGV’s volunteering procedure in the duration and scope of a one-semester course, the project was not continued in 2023-2024.

Wikimedia User Community Group Turkey (WMTR) (2023-2024 academic years)

In collaboration with the WMTR community of volunteer Wikipedists on digital volunteering and open source knowledge production, students created content for Wikipedia, “the free encyclopaedia to which everyone can contribute”, and its sister projects (Wikimedia Commons, Wiktionary, Wikisource, Wikidata). At the beginning of the semester, the WMTR team provided online training on the principles of Wikipedia, how it is used, and digital literacy. Students worked in groups throughout the semester on different topics such as endemic plants of Turkey, Istanbul biennials, independent film festivals in Turkey, nature reserves in Turkey, women writers and artists, and developed Wikipedia articles on these topics.

Within the scope of the course, 510 articles were created, 1120 existing Wikipedia articles were improved, 2170 total edits were made, 89 open source images were added, 4030 references were added.

Khas Social Support and Solidarity Club & Khas Activism Club (2023-2024 academic years)

Within the scope of the course, two student clubs within the university, which are engaged in social benefit-oriented activities, were co-operated with. The clubs provided mentoring support to students who developed their own projects or provided students with the opportunity to develop joint projects in the existing working groups of the clubs (human rights, environment and animal rights working groups were formed). Different projects were developed and implemented, such as collecting and sending donations of books and toys to children in village schools, organising bird house workshops and placing bird houses for birds in and around the school, organising an animal rights conference at the university with NGOs and rights defenders working in the field of animal rights as speakers, forums and trainings where gender norms were discussed.

Resif34 (2023-2024 academic year)

Resif34, which emerged as a project proposal of a student group developing an original project within the scope of Khas110 in the 2023-2024 academic year, turned into a student community the following year, and when they stated that they wanted to carry out joint work with the students who would take the course within the scope of Khas110, they were included in the collaborations in the course. Working on Istanbul’s water pollution and raising awareness of urbanites on this issue, Resif34 formed different working groups with the students and created their working topics/plans together with the students. The social media working group scanned water-related news and produced regular content/images to be published on the community’s social networks, the game group worked on the software and design of a digital game aimed at raising awareness about water pollution for children, and the activity group organised a coastal cleaning event in Yeşilköy at the end of the semester, which included concerts, talks on water pollution given by IBB and Turmepa teams, and a picnic.

Examples of original projects

Apart from NGO collaborations, students were also given the option to propose and implement their own original projects. These student groups presented their project plans and developed their projects under the mentorship of the course coordinator throughout the semester. Some examples of original projects: A weekly newsletter project where news, articles and columns on the right to water are shared within the university, reading activities on the climate crisis for students at Riyaziyeci Salih Zeki Primary School in cooperation with Günışığı Kitaplığı and the university Information Centre, collecting and recycling electronic waste at the university and donating the proceeds to the Educational Volunteers Foundation of Turkey, Organising cinema workshops with young people at Cibali Secondary School, organising a veganism and animal rights summit at the university, meeting and watching films with young people who have recovered from cancer in cooperation with Lösev, organising a two-day study-recreation camp with disadvantaged children living in Balat and Cibali, cat houses made with upcycling and placed around the university.