The Faculty of Engineering and the Energy Investors Association (GÜYAD) hosted a panel for the 2023 World Sustainability Day, which is celebrated on the last Wednesday of every October. Vice Rector Prof. Ezhan Karaşan and GÜYAD Chairman Cem Özkök gave the opening statements at this hybrid event, which was held at EE-01 as well as broadcast live. Other speakers included Elvan Tuğsuz Güven, Chairperson, HESİAD; Birol Ergüven, CEO, Limak Enerji; Ali Karaduman, CEO, Mogan Enerji; Osman Şahin Köşker, General Manager, Kontrolmatik; Hakan Birhan, Director, Garanti BBVA Investments and Finance Unit; Nesrin Töre Şen, Director, Kalyon PV R&D; Emre Okuyan, Deputy Director, İş Enerji; Prof. Dr. Yasemin Afacan, Department Chair of IAED, Bilkent University; and Asst. Prof. A. Alperen Günay, of ME, Bilkent University.
The speakers discussed various renewable energy technologies and their reflections in sustainability and delivered a joint message that fossil-fuel based energy conversion should be minimized as soon as possible for a sustainable future. The speakers also agreed that this will only be possible if the collaborations between research universities and industry are enhanced significantly. Several faculty members from Bilkent’s Sustainability Committee also attended the meeting, and further joint events on specific topics were confirmed verbally.
