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Students from Izmir University of Economics have achieved significant success within the scope of the TÜBİTAK 2209-A Research Project Support Programme. Two independent research projects focusing on contemporary sociological issues, conducted under the supervision of Research Assistant Dr. Borabay Erbay, have been awarded funding by TÜBİTAK.

Within the scope of the supported projects, the study titled "Artificial Intelligence and Human Identity: The Transformation of Empathy and Identity Construction Among University Students (The Case of Izmir)" to be conducted by Zeynep Sıla Yasıter and Duru Deniz Kahya, and the project titled "The Impact of Digital Friendships and Real Relationships on the Socialization Process: A Qualitative Research on University Students" prepared by Öykü Gürlük will receive funding.

We sincerely congratulate our faculty advisor, Res. Asst. Dr. Borabay Erbay, and our undergraduate students for this outstanding achievement, which highlights and encourages the early involvement of undergraduate students in scientific research. We wish them every success in their research endeavors.

You are invited to our Sociology Seminar featuring Dr. Cansu Sönmez on October 30, 2025.

On Monday, October 13, 2025, we had the pleasure of welcoming one of our first graduates, Dr. Cansu Sönmez, to our department as part of an event organized by the IEU Sociology Club. We would like to thank her for this inspiring talk and hope to host her again in the near future.

Last Monday, as the Department of Sociology at Izmir University of Economics, we had the pleasure of hosting Professor Guy Standing. In his talk, Standing elaborated on the concept of the “precariat” as a new social class, emphasizing that today’s university students and graduates constitute one of its largest and most vulnerable components. He concluded his lecture on a hopeful note, reminding us that the future and the potential for change lie with young people.

İzmir University of Economics Department of Sociology is honored to host Professor Guy Standing as the first speaker of the Fall 2025 Semester.

We congratulate our graduate Ece Deniz Ergenç on successfully completing her master’s thesis at Eötvös Loránd University and being admitted to the PhD program at the same institution. We wish her continued success on her academic journey.

The research project titled "Public Responses to Renewable Energy Plants: Types and Causes of Support and Opposition," led by our faculty member Prof. Dr. Hayriye Özen, has been awarded funding under TÜBİTAK’s 1001 Program.

The project team includes Prof. Dr. Seda Can (Department of Psychology, Izmir University of Economics), Prof. Dr. Şükrü Özen (Faculty of Business, Izmir University of Economics), and Assoc. Prof. Özge Zihnioğlu (University of Liverpool). The study aims to examine the dynamics of public support and opposition toward renewable energy projects in Turkey from multiple perspectives.

Ekin Yıldırım, a student in the Department of Sociology at İzmir University of Economics, continues his journey at Gülnak Shipping, where he first started as an intern. This summer, he has taken on a full-time role, combining his academic background with hands-on professional experience.

Senior students of the Department of Sociology have successfully completed their poster presentations as part of the SOC 498 Sociology Project II course. Throughout the semester, students conducted original research and presented their findings through visually engaging posters, providing an opportunity to showcase their academic development and receive constructive feedback.