2020 Scholars' Gathering

Sabancı Foundation Scholars’ Gathering has been organized for the second time at Sabanci Center on February 26, 2020 with the attendance of Chairman of the Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees Güler Sabancı.

Making the opening speech of Scholars’ Gathering attended by more than 400 scholars, Chairman of the Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees Güler Sabancı, referred to the main educational goals of the foundation and stated “As Sabancı Foundation, we have been exerting ourselves to the utmost for social change and development for the past 46 years. We gave 48 thousand scholarships. Scholarship is one of our outright supports and means a lot to us. Our scholarships have only one return: Your success. It is truly honoring to witness your success both in your educational life and career.

Pointing also to the fact that Sabancı Volunteers participated in Mentornity Program, in which forming a wisdom bridge by merging the excitement of students with the experiences of graduates is aimed, Sabancı added “The world we live in now is the world of networking. We have organized these scholars’ gatherings to become a part of this network, to motivate and get to know each other, and to remember that we are a family. Thus, Sabancı volunteers shall function as a bridge between our scholars and Sabancı employees.”

Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan shared her presentation, in which she introduced the activities of Sabancı Foundation in social change, culture arts and education. Bilsel Safkan also gave information about the latest updates made in Mentornity Program.

Following the speeches, the panel on “Achievements from Mentornity Program” has been conducted by the moderatorship of European Mentoring and Coaching Council International President Dr. Rıza Kadılar. Panelists; Kıvanç Uslu, Merve Yenigül, Özgür Metin, Şirin Tabanlı, Yağmur Çiçek Akkurt and Yiğit Varlı, who are mentor and mentee scholars of Sabancı Foundation, shared their experiences, improved awareness, and the contributions of mentornity program to their self-improvement and career development.

Referring to the notion and the significance of mentornity, Dr. Rıza Kadılar stated, “Mentornity is a social equalizer. It is a structured relationship, in which you learn collaboratively and are accepted for who you are.

After the gathering accompanied by a cocktail, Sabancı Foundation scholars got the opportunity to get to know each other and to do networking.