Board of Trustees

Orhan ÖZOKUR was born in Balıkesir in 1946, finished his primary education in Üsküdar, İstanbul and graduated from Haydarpaşa High School. He completed his higher education in Şişli College of Economics and Administrative Sciences.

He served in the military as a reserve officer in Polatlı Artillery School and then in Kars Kağızman Artillery Division.

He started working in the hardware market (Hırdavatçılar Çarşısı) in Karaköy in 1960 while studying in high school. He continued to work throughout his studies at university.

In June 1973, he married Ahsen Özokur, daughter of late Sabri Ülker, founder of Ülker. He continued his career at Ülker and Yıldız Holding Group as Commercial Trading Manager and then as the Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of the Board of Directors until 2005.

He has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors in Ülker Golf Ice Cream Company between the dates 2005-2015.

He founded the Ülkerspor Basketball Team in 1993 and helped the team achieve various triumphs until 2005 as the President.

He is interested in many sports branches and is an avid player of tennis. He also enjoys playing the guitar and oud and serves as the president of İstanbul Music Foundation.

He is married with three kids and eight grandchildren. He prefers modesty in social conduct.

Mustafa BÜYÜKABACI - Vice President

He graduated from the Mechanical Engineering course in the Faculty of Engineering in Boğaziçi University. After graduating in 1984, BÜYÜKABACI did a master's in the same field and worked as a research assistant in the same department for a while.

As of 1989, he worked as a manager in various capital markets and investment companies.

He focused on Asset/Portfolio Management and investment, and in 1993, he joined Yıldız Holding as the founding general manager and board member of Taç Investment Partnership.

In addition, during his position in Yıldız Holding, he worked as a Capital Market and Finance Consultant in the areas of money, capital and stock markets. He also worked as a Board Member in Family Finans and other group companies.

Büyükabacı formed Bizim Marketable Securities and worked as the founding general manager and board member. In Yıldız Holding, he formed the land estates group and instituionalized the land estates operations of the group. He became the founding President for the Land Estate Group and left Yıldız Holding at the end of 2010. He is still involved in the land estate and capital markets investments with his self-owned investment company.

Özkan GÖKSAL - Vice President

He was born in Bozdoğan/Aydın in 1955. He finished his primary education in Bozdoğan. After that, he graduated from Bursa İmam Hatip (Religious) High School and Aydın High School.

He did his undergraduate degree (1978) and postgraduate degree (1980) in the Faculty of Ship Building in Istanbul Technical University. He worked as a design engineer in Turkey Ship Industry Inc. Camialtı Dockyard for 2 years. He did his military service as a Reserve Officer in Navy College Commandership of Navy Education Commandership (1981-1982).

After that, he had the following positions respectively; founder and general manager in Middle East Engineering Office (1982-1983), founder and general manager in Ensar Engineering Office (1983-1998), founder and general manager in Ensar Ship and Supplier Industry Ltd (1998 - ...), founder and board chairman in Bilge Consultancy and Publishing Ltd. (2001 - ...), founder and board chairman in Merdiven Construction and Tourism Ltd. (2009 - ...). The last 3 positions are ongoing. In addition to his business life, he has also had other positions; Member of Assembly in Maritime Chamber of Commerce; Member of Honour in Chamber of Naval Engineers; Board Member, Member of Inspectorate, Culture Council Founding Member in Maritime Industry Association; Founding Member in Dissemination of Knowledge Association; Trustee Committee Vice-President in Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University. Apart from the first position, his other positions are still ongoing. He is married with four children.

Mustafa Latif TOPBAŞ - Member

latif-topbas He was born in Istanbul in 1944. He started his business life in the textile industry in 1961 as a partner and manager in Bahariye Textile Goods Inc. In the following years, he worked as a founder and manager in various industrial and commercial companies.

Ebubekir TİVNİKLİ - Member

Prof. İsmail ADAK - Member

He was born in Edremit (Balıkesir) on 04.01.1949. He finished his primary education in 1960, secondary education in 1963 and high school in 1966 in Konya.

In 1973, he started as an Expert Assistant in the Iron Steel department of the Feasibility group in the Engineering Inc. TÜMAŞ. In 1974, he started studying his postgraduate degree in the Faculty of Mechanical and Naval Engineering in the University of Strathclyd in Glasgow, UK. He finished his degree in 1975 and returned Turkey. The same year, he did his military service as a Reserve Officer in Isparta. In 1976, he started working as a Research Assistant in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in the University of Sunderland in Sunderland, UK. He both gave lectures and did his postgraduate studies in this university. He got his MPhil degree in the University of Sunderland in 1978 and returned Turkey.

In 1978, he founded Intra Engineering Ltd. and Aksel Cellulose and Paper Inc. In these companies, he worked in the manufacturing facilities projects on an international level, as well as doing export and import of paper, cellulose and their supplier products. In the meantime, he went back to university and became a Doctor in 1991 and an Associate Doctor in 1992 in the Faculty of Technical Education in Marmara University. Between 1992-1996 he worked as a part-time lecturer in the same faculty.

He became a Professor in 2009 and started working in the Mechanical Engineering Department in the Faculty of Engineering in Yalova University.

Prof. ADAK is in the jury of the technical journal, published by the Chamber of American Mechanical Engineers. He is also the General Secretary of Adak Türkyar-Turkish Students Charity Association (London); Trustee Committee Member for Dissemination of Knowledge Association; Board Chairman for Science Education Organizations and Trustee Committee Member for Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.

He is married with three children and speaks English.

Prof. Mehmet BULUT - Member/Rector

Mehmet Bulut, President of the University, was born in Çanakkale in 1970. He completed his primary and secondary education in Çanakkale and completed his higher education in Economics field in Izmir. Between years 1994-1996, he graduated from two separate doctorate degrees in two different universities located in Ankara and Istanbul, then decided to study for doctorate in the Netherlands because of his objective study subject. He commenced second master's programs in the field of economic history in Posthumus Institute in 1998 and Ph.D. from Utrecht University in 2000. He became Assistant Professor in 2001, Associate Professor in 2003 and Professor in 2008.

Started his academic career as Research Assistant in 1993, he continued his career in Başkent University in Ankara. In this university, he conducted duties as Head of Department of Economics, Faculty Board and Member of Board of Directors. He became the Dean of Faculty of Political Sciences and Vice President at Yıldırım Beyazıt University in Ankara in 2011. As Board Member he was selected to Council of Higher Education (YÖK) by the Rectors and the representatives of the Universities and appointed by the President of Republic of Turkey in 2012.

He has conducted duties as a Member of Board of Directors for public and private corporations and companies such as Ereğli İron and Steel Co. (ERDEMİR), İskenderun İron and Steel Co. (İSDEMİR), Sollac Ambalaj Co., Erenco Engineering Co., Erdemir Romania Co., Yarımca Porcelein Co., and as a Member of Board of Supervisor and Auditor for companies such as Turkish Telecominication Co, TT NET Co. and AVEA Co.

He has been studying in fields of long term (longue durée) economic development, reasons for intercountry economical differences, performance comparisons, international economy policy, Ottoman economics and civilization, Ottoman-European-Atlantic Economic Relations, History of Economics, Economic Thinking, Financial History and Institutions.

Professor Bulut is also the member of Turkish Academy of Science (TUBA). As a visiting scholar he has been to Sweden/Dalarna, England/Cambridge and United States of America/Harvard and Princeton/IAS Universities. His Turkish and English books have been published by various publishing houses locally and abroad. His articles have been published on various international academic journals such as American Journal of Economics and Sociology (AJES-New York), Journal of Economic and Social History of Orient (JESHO-Leiden), Journal of European Economic History (JEEH-Roma) and Middle Eastern Studies (MES-London). English, Bulgarian, Arabic and Dutch speaking, Editor in Chief for Journal of Social Sciences- Adam Academy and Journal of Islamic Economics and Finance, married with three children. Professor Bulut was appointed as the President to Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University in 2013.

Sabahattin KIRKAN - Member

He was born in Adapazarı in 1939. He finished his primary and secondary education in Istanbul. He studied in Vefa High School between 1956-1957. He completed his higher education in Istanbul Technical University. In 1962, he graduated as a Senior Mechanical Engineer.

In 1962, he worked as the Production Manager in Gümüş Motor factory. Between 1962-1964, he worked as a Reserved Officer in the Military Construction Property Directorate in Sivas.

Between 1964 – 1966, he worked as a Process Manager in the Turkish Automotive Industry, between 1966 – 1967, he worked as a General Deputy Manager in Haymak Casting and Fitting industry. In the Turkish Automotive Industry, he did internship and analyses for 1 term in Germany.

In 1967, he founded KGM Heavy Mechanics Industry and Trade Inc. with his brother Nurettin KIRKAN and his classmate Yılmaz GÜRAY.

Between 1977 – 1978, he worked as an Under-secretary Assistant in the Ministry of Industry and Technology. He has been working in KGM Heavy Mechanics Industry and Trade Inc. since 1978. The company is involved in projects, production and assembly of material lifting systems.

He first started his social activities in the Economics and Culture Association. Since 1977, he has been; Board Member in the Dissemination of Knowledge Association; Execution Committee President in Hakyol Association; Trustee Committee Member and Chairman in the Dissemination of Knowledge Association; Trustee Committee Member in Fatih Knowledge and Culture Association; and Trustee Committee Member in Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.

Prof. Ramazan EVREN - Member

Ramazan Evren He was born in Antalya in 1954. He finished his primary and secondary education in Antalya. He studied Industrial Engineering in the Faculty of Mechanics in Istanbul Technical University.

He did his master's degree in Industrial Engineering in 1975 and got his PhD in 1979. After his PhD, he went to USA Purdue University as a visiting researcher and lecturer between 1981-82. After returning home, he became an Associate Doctor in Industrial Engineering department in the Faculty of Business Administration of Istanbul Technical University in 1984, and a Professor in 1989.

In the same university, he delivered lectures and did thesis supervision at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD levels on System Analysis, Operational Research, Decision Analysis, Multi-Purpose Decision Making. Meanwhile, he also worked as a project manager and consultant in public and private sectors. In 1992, he was appointed as the "Founding Rector" of the newly opened Sakarya University. During his position here as "the youngest rector of Turkey," he visited many USA and European universities to determine the placements of the Research Assistants to be sent abroad within the frame of raising high quality lecturers program.

While he continued his position as a lecturer in Istanbul Technical University, he also worked as a member for Higher Education Committee (YÖK) between 1996-2000. Between 2004-2005, he worked as the General Secretary for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. He worked as a Board Chairman for İGDAŞ and İDO Inc. He is currently a lecturer and Faculty Commission member in the Industrial Engineering department in the Faculty of Business Administration in Istanbul Technical University. Also, he works as a Rector Consultant in the same university, as well as being the Board Member and Vice-President for ARI Teknokent A.Ş.

He works in the areas of Multi-Purpose Decision Making / Decision Analysis. He has two published books in this area: "The Journal of European Operational Research" and "The Engineering Economist." He also has many international and domestic articles and declarations published in international journals. Prof. EVREN speaks English and German. He is married with two children. Since 2011, he has been working as a Trustee Committee Chairman in Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.

İsmet AĞAN - Member

He was born in Pertek (Tunceli) in 1940's and finished his primary and secondary education in Pertek. He finished high school in Erzurum Free Boarding High School.

He graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture in Ankara University in 1964 . Until March 1971, he worked as a Business Administration Engineer in the DSİ (State Hydraulic Works) Region (Diyarbakır) and then left for military service. After completing his military service as a Reserved Officer in Ankara Gata, he started working in DSİ Konya Regional Directorate in October 1972. In 1974, he started working as a Minister Consultant in the previously called Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock. Between 1975-1983, he worked as the Under-secretary Assistant in Agricultural Affairs General Directorate (Vegetable and Animal Production, Agricultural Education Production). Between 1983-1992, he worked as a manager in private sector.

Between 1992-1994, he worked, once again, as an Under-secretary in the Ministry of Agricultural and Village Affairs. Between 1994-1996, he was the Environment and Landscaper General Director in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Between 1996 and October 1997, he worked as the Director of Grain Board (TMO) and Deputy Under-secretary in the Ministry of Arigultural and Village Affairs. He retired in October 1997. In 1998, he worked as a manager in a co-operative. As of August 1999, he started working as a director in Dissemination of Knowledge Association. Here, he still works as the Chairman Consultant, Training Co-ordinator and Founding Representative. He is married with three children and six grandchildren.

Ömer Hulusi TOPBAŞ - Member

He was born in Istanbul on 04 August 1967. He finished his primary education in Private Erenköy Primary School and his secondary education in Kadıköy İmam Hatip (Religious) High School in 1985. He then continued his education in Business Management in Açıköğretim Faculty.

In the beginning of 1988, he went to the UK to learn English. Then, he started his postgraduate course here. But, due to military service, he returned Turkey and completed his service. Between 2000-2002, he was the Purchasing Manager in Serenit Ceramic Inc. On 02 April 2002, he started working as a General Manager in Bahariye Textile Goods Inc. and his position here still continues.

He is married with four children.