2025-2028 Strategic Plan Objectives and Sub-objectives

Strategic Objective 1: Learning-Oriented, Qualified, and Innovative Education                (IUE aims to transform its current education through a learning-oriented and personalized educational approach that supports students' identity development, self-efficacy, and well-being.)

1. The use of student-centered learning and assessment methods will be expanded.

   1. Student-centered educational methods, such as flipped learning, team-based learning, project-based education, case-based education, problem-based learning, and simulation, will be utilized more extensively in accordance with course objectives.

   2. In alignment with student-centered learning methods, measurement and evaluation methods will be transformed toward formative assessment.

2. A personalized educational infrastructure will be prepared for students.

   1. Artificial intelligence and digital technologies will be integrated into processes to provide a personalized educational experience.

   2. A system will be established to provide students with career management support from the moment they enter the university in order to enhance employability.

   3. Mechanisms will be developed to recognize students' prior and extra-curricular learning.

   4. A comprehensive digital learning portfolio system containing academic and social transcripts, internships, micro-credentials, etc., will be established for students.

3. Mechanisms providing students with "learning-by-doing" opportunities in the workplace will be strengthened.

   1. A monitoring and evaluation system involving all stakeholders will be created to increase the effectiveness of the internship program.

   2. In undergraduate programs where internships are mandatory, internships will be converted into long-term periods (at least one semester).

4. A micro-credential ecosystem will be established to increase employability in the globally competitive labor market.

   1. An institutional infrastructure will be established to work in coordination with academic units for the design, development, promotion, delivery, and sharing of quality-assured micro-credentials and digital badges.

   2. A micro-credential ecosystem will be established in cooperation with external stakeholders, and micro-credential courses will be offered.

5. Students' data/digital literacy and research competencies will be developed.

   1. Courses that enhance students' data literacy and develop their research competencies will be expanded university-wide.

   2. Minimum coding training will be popularized.

   3. Students' research knowledge and skills will be developed by enabling undergraduate and graduate students to conduct research projects or participate in existing ones.

6. Mechanisms supporting students' academic, physical, and psycho-social well-being will be strengthened, and additional mechanisms will be created.

   1. Activities aiming to contribute to students' personal, social, cultural, and athletic development will be carried out; these will increase their social responsibility and awareness, helping them become individuals who add value to society and themselves.

   2. In cooperation with academic units, support mechanisms will be developed through the Student Guidance and Support Unit to increase students' academic success and retain them within the system.

   3. Regulations will be implemented to increase the effectiveness of academic advising.

   4. The number of students supported by scholarships will be increased.

7. Mechanisms will be established to develop the teaching skills of academicians.

   1. Faculty members will be provided with training and technical support on student/learning-oriented education and assessment methods, as well as the use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

   2. Mechanisms will be created to encourage faculty members to develop innovative learning materials and methods.

8. Mechanisms will be established to ensure the sustainability of qualified education.

   1. The number of accredited programs will be increased.

   2. An internal evaluation mechanism will be established to assess academic programs.

9. The university's level of internationalization in education will be elevated.

   1. The number of international students and academicians will be increased by improving support mechanisms.

   2. Students will be encouraged to gain international academic and professional experience.

   3. International mobility of academic and administrative staff will be increased, encouraging them to gain international experience.

   4. Cooperation with international organizations regarding education will be increased.

Strategic Objective 2: Creative, Innovative, and High-Impact Knowledge Production       (IUE aims to transform its current knowledge production in the fields of research, education, and social contribution in a way that provides creative and innovative contributions through high-quality and high-impact studies and outputs.)

1. The university's qualified knowledge production (the highest quality works in the fields of science and art, e.g., articles published in Q1 and Q2 journals) and its impact on scientific fields will be increased.

   1. Qualified knowledge production and its impact on scientific fields will be increased in priority areas (Sustainability, Disaster Management, Artificial Intelligence, Complex Systems, Social Inequalities, Neuroscience).

   2. The number of industry-sponsored, nationally, and internationally supported projects in priority areas will be increased.

   3. Qualified knowledge production will be increased in all research fields, including priority areas.

   4. Collaborations with international institutions and organizations in priority research areas will be multiplied, and partnerships will be developed by participating in networks with a similar R&D focus.

2. Interdisciplinary and collaborative research will be increased.

   1. Thematic teams will be formed to increase interdisciplinary studies.

   2. An internal communication platform will be created to increase interdisciplinary studies.

   3. Qualified national and international researchers from universities and other research institutions, who are competent and internationally recognized in their fields, will be enabled to work within IUE as visiting researchers.

3. Infrastructure will be strengthened and resources will be increased to enhance research capacity, particularly in priority areas (Sustainability, Disaster Management, Artificial Intelligence, Complex Systems, Social Inequalities, Neuroscience).

   1. Laboratory, software, hardware, database, and machinery/equipment opportunities for research will be strengthened.

   2. Collaborations will be established with national and international research institutions sharing similar goals regarding the sharing of technical infrastructure.

   3. The employment of experts, technicians, scholars, and post-doctoral researchers required for research will be increased.

   4. Efficiency of processes will be enhanced by making necessary improvements with a holistic perspective in research management processes (fixture and material management, standardization, and digitalization of processes, etc.).

   5. A platform will be created to facilitate the tracking of knowledge production data by all academic staff.

4. The knowledge production capacity of the academic staff will be strengthened.

   1. An evaluation system will be developed to optimize the workloads of academic staff in order to increase their knowledge production.

   2. Training will be organized on developing the research and publishing knowledge and skills of academic staff, as well as the effective and ethical use of artificial intelligence and other digital tools in research.

   3. An academic mentorship system will be established to increase research and publication capacity.

5. The scope and priorities of the Academic Incentive Program (AIP) will be redefined.

   1. AIP will be redefined and integrated with the remuneration/wage system.

   2. Support for participation in scientific meetings will be restructured within a holistic system based on academic performance.

   3. To increase the number of citations, open-access fees will be covered for articles published in Q1 journals that are not granted open-access support by TÜBİTAK.

6. The research capacity of existing graduate programs will be strengthened, and new research-oriented programs will be developed.

   1. Interdisciplinary doctoral programs will be launched in priority research areas.

   2. Supports provided to PhD students (comprehensive scholarships, Scientific Research Projects (BAP) project support, externally funded project scholarships) will be increased.

   3. The number of joint publications by faculty members and students at the master's and doctoral levels will be increased.

7. The rate of research undergoing technology transfer at the university will be increased.

   1. The technology transfer rate will be increased by preparing the university's intellectual property and technology transfer policy.

   2. A commercialization ecosystem will be created to ensure effective cooperation with public and industrial organizations.

Strategic Objective 3: Strong Social Contribution (IUE aims to provide a strong social contribution towards improving community health, increasing economic and social welfare, reducing inequalities, preserving cultural heritage, and supporting environmental sustainability.)

1. The "Healthy Campus Project" will be implemented to protect and improve the health of the IUE community.

   1. Research will be conducted to increase well-being and reduce identified risks; sustainable policies and action plans will be determined.

   2. Beautiful and Balçova campuses will be enabled to obtain FISU "Healthy Campus" accreditation.

   3. "Art on Campus" events will be diversified to increase the quality of life for academic and administrative staff, as well as students.

2. Contributions will be made to the development of İzmir's cultural identity.

   1. Activities will be carried out to secure a UNESCO Chair position and join the UNITWIN Network in order to increase international visibility regarding İzmir cultural studies.

   2. Cooperation protocols will be signed, and projects will be developed with İZKA (İzmir Development Agency), local governments, and NGOs to contribute to the preservation and development of İzmir's cultural memory.

   3. Studies will be carried out to protect İzmir's cultural heritage and cultural identity.

   4. A digital platform will be established to support the development of creative and cultural industries in the city and the interaction among researchers working on this topic.

3. Structures and mechanisms will be established to increase resilience against disasters and disaster-related problems.

   1. A research center on disaster management and risk reduction will be established, and interdisciplinary studies will be carried out in cooperation with public institutions, NGOs, and local governments.

   2. Disaster awareness training and drills will be conducted to prepare the IUE community for disasters.

   3. The number of IUE-originated printed and digital products on disaster management and risk reduction will be increased.

4. The impact and effectiveness of social contribution activities will be increased.

   1. The Social Contribution Office (SCO) will be established to coordinate social contribution activities more effectively.

   2. Social contribution, education, and knowledge production activities will be carried out in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

5. Structures and mechanisms will be established to popularize science at the social level.

   1. Mechanisms will be created to ensure the dissemination of scientific truths in society and to prevent the spread of misinformation.

   2. In accordance with the principles of Citizen Science, the participation of local people and our alumni in research projects will be ensured.

   3. A Science Bridge will be established through training and research aimed at K12 students and teachers.

Strategic Objective 4: Governance Transformation of the University (A governance model that supports sustainable and transformative change in line with corporate values, mission, vision, and strategic targets will be developed and implemented.)

1. Supportive mechanisms will be established to ensure that the core values determined with the participation of university employees (academic freedom, equity, reliability, accountability and transparency, creativity and innovativeness, health, well-being, and solidarity) become living values.

   1. To transform IUE values into concrete behaviors, actions, and practices, exemplary attitudes and behaviors related to each value will be defined, shared, and encouraged using a participatory method.

   2. Mechanisms will be developed to monitor the extent to which core values are put into practice.

   3. Regulations regarding all processes and operations of the university will be aligned with core values.

2. It will be ensured that good governance principles are integrated with the institutional culture and are effective and visible in all processes.

   1. Decisions taken in academic boards will be made accessible to relevant stakeholders.

   2. It will be ensured that the applications and requests of students and all employees are traceable and that they are informed about the results.

   3. Mechanisms will be created for the effective participation of stakeholders in management processes.

   4. A unit-based budgeting system will be established.

3. A competency-based human resources management system will be established.

   1. Core competencies related to academic and administrative duties will be determined and utilized in the selection and recruitment of staff.

4. A Quality Management System (QMS) will be established.

   1. All processes and workflows will be simplified by taking the opinions of users into account, and metrics will be developed to measure their effectiveness by identifying critical processes.

5. Effective internal communication mechanisms will be developed.

   1. Workshops open to the participation of all stakeholders will be organized regarding the core tasks and strategies of the university.

   2. An intranet system will be established to facilitate internal communication.

   3. Horizontal and cross-communication between units will be increased through temporary task forces with specific topics.

   4. Social events will be organized to strengthen open communication between units and individuals.

   5. Meetings will be organized for the Rectorate and academic unit administrators to come together with academicians and students and receive feedback.

6. The university's management information systems will be made more effective.

   1. With the development of the SPOT model (Single Point of Truth), individuals will be enabled to instantly monitor relevant data within their area of authority.

   2. The student information management system will be renewed.

   3. The research projects information management system will be developed.

   4. The Human Resources information management system will be renewed.

   5. The space and event management system will be developed.

Strategic Objective 5: New Campus and Sustainable Spatial Transformation (Mechanisms will be developed to effectively manage both campuses so that the Güzelbahçe Campus, built with a modern, sustainable architectural approach, enables IUE to realize its aimed transformation in education, creative, innovative, and high-impact knowledge production, and strong social contribution activities.)

1. Qualified education, knowledge production, and social contribution activities will be carried out in coordination and with a continuous improvement approach at both Balçova and Güzelbahçe campuses.

   1. Mechanisms will be established to plan and execute the gradual transition to the Güzelbahçe campus.

   2. The course scheduling methodology will be restructured to ensure coordinated educational delivery across both campuses.

   3. A sustainable model will be developed to provide transportation between the two campuses and between the city center and the campuses.

   4. The identity of being an "IUE member" will be strengthened by offering a rich campus life experience on both campuses.

   5. The number of new socialization and sports facilities will be increased on the Balçova Campus to ensure that our students and employees experience the university in a healthy and safe environment.

   6. A Student Center will be established on the Güzelbahçe Campus, where all students can come together, featuring student clubs, workshops, and co-working spaces where students can develop innovative and creative ideas.

   7. Physical facilities provided to student clubs will be increased.

2. Mechanisms will be created to ensure environmental sustainability on campuses.

   1. A Sustainability Office will be established to formulate university-wide sustainability policies and to coordinate and monitor the efforts to be carried out in line with these policies.

   2. The water footprint will be reduced through methods such as graywater utilization, the use of low-flow fixtures, and rainwater harvesting.

   3. The amount of waste will be reduced by implementing a comprehensive waste management program.

   4. The carbon footprint in campus operations will be reduced through energy efficiency measures, the use of renewable energy, and carbon offset programs.

   5. A sustainability leadership program will be created, ensuring that students and staff participating in this program volunteer as sustainability ambassadors in their respective units.