The 6th International Sustainability Congress Hosted by Doğuş University Was Held

The “Doğuş University – Kocaeli University – INARS Congress 6th International Sustainability Congress,” preparations of which were carried out within the framework of the cooperation protocol signed between the Doğuş University Carbon Footprint and Sustainability Application and Research Center (DOUKAS) and the Kocaeli University Sustainability Office, was successfully held on Friday, December 19, 2025, at the Doğuş University Çengelköy Campus in a hybrid format (in-person and online).

Prof. Dr. Halit Targan ÜNAL, Director of DOUKAS, and Prof. Dr. Sevil VELİ, Director of the Kocaeli University Sustainability Office, chaired the congress sessions, while the organizing committee was chaired by Assistant Professor Hanife CANDIR ŞİMŞEK from Doğuş University and Associate Professor Canan CİMŞİT from Kocaeli University.

The opening speeches of the five-stage conference were delivered by Prof. Dr. Halit Targan ÜNAL, CEO of Sinter Metal Technologies, Tılsım VON LIECHTENSTEIN, Prof. Dr. Sevil VELİ, and Dr. Hasan ÖZÇELİK, President of the Public Oversight Authority (KGK). Additionally, following the stage where Tılsım VON LIECHTENSTEIN was awarded an Honorary Doctorate title, the Twin Transformation Vision was discussed. The Honorary Presidents of the Congress, Doğuş University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Erkut ALTINDAĞ and Kocaeli University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Elif ÖĞÜT, delivered their speeches.

In the Keynote Speakers Section, moderated by Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Itır TOKSÖZ BULLENS, international academics participated both in person and online. During the ongoing session of the congress, the Sector Phase, moderated by Prof. Dr. Şirin KARADENİZ, Advisor to the Rector of Doğuş University, invited speakers and industry representatives shared their current sustainability practices and experiences. Finally, as part of the program, a special meeting titled "Rectors' Meeting – Sustainability in Universities" was held with the participation of esteemed Rectors and Vice Rectors from Doğuş University, Kocaeli University, İstanbul Esenyurt University, İstanbul Nişantaşı University, and İstanbul Kültür University, moderated by Marmara University Faculty Member Refika BAKOĞLU.

Within the academic program of the congress, a total of 160 papers were presented, 63 in-person and 97 online. The conference was organized under the main theme of “Sustainability in its Environmental, Social, and Economic Dimensions: Building Transformation in the Planet, Society, and Economy through Inter-University Cooperation” and current developments in sustainability were addressed from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The papers, presented under the following headings:

* The Environmental Dimension of Sustainability,

* The Social Dimension of Sustainability,

* The Economic Dimension of Sustainability

contributed to academic and practical discussions.

The congress aimed to enhance the quality of academic research, bring together the knowledge and experiences of experts from different disciplines, and establish a strong link between theoretical approaches and practice. The processes related to the publication of the presented papers are currently under evaluation, and efforts are ongoing to incorporate the congress outcomes into the academic literature. Accepted papers will be published in the Congress Proceedings Book with an ISBN number; additionally, upon request, full texts by authors may be evaluated and published in supporting national and international peer-reviewed journals.