Sakarya University (SAU) maintains a comprehensive institutional approach to women’s empowerment and access, combining research, policy, mentoring, scholarships, and dedicated training opportunities. The Women’s Studies Application and Research Center (SAÜKAM) leads academic and applied research on issues that concern women and develops policies to strengthen women’s participation and leadership in society. Within SAÜKAM, studies are conducted to identify areas where women remain under-represented and to enhance women’s orientation in these fields.
Complementing this, Sakarya Teknokent and its Incubation Center provide education, mentorship, and entrepreneurship infrastructure for women founders. Female entrepreneurs are supported to establish start-ups or business units within the Technocity, benefiting from access to facilities, business training, and innovation networks.
At institutional level, the SAU Sustainability “Women’s Progress” Hub documents the university’s women-focused access mechanisms, including dedicated Women’s Mentoring Schemes, Women’s Access Schemes (entrepreneurship support via Technocity and Incubation Center), Applications for Encouraging Women, and non-discrimination and parental-support provisions such as childcare. The Sustainability Reports underline SAU’s scholarship policy—prioritising low-income students and demonstrating that women applicants are more likely to receive scholarships. In addition, national measures such as the YÖK special quota for women aged 34 and over continued to apply in 2024 and are cited on SAU’s Student Access pages. These measures collectively remove social and financial barriers for women’s participation.
Practice in 2024 is clearly evidenced through the “Women in Business” Micro-Credential Programme, run under the Geleceğine Yön Veren Kadınlar Academy coordinated by TOKAS (Social Contribution and Sustainability Office). This free, mentor-supported training targeted 3rd- and 4th-year female students and launched on 3 May 2024, with modules delivered on 4–5 May and 11–12 May, followed by a Project & Interview Simulation Workshop (15 May) and final session (22 May). Sessions were held with industry experts and academics at the Technocity Incubation Center. The programme was publicised via SAU News, TOKAS, and the SAU Events platform, and its learning outcomes and modules are formally embedded in the Education Information System (EBS) and Candidate Student Portal, confirming that it is part of SAU’s official micro-credential catalogue.
Complementary women-focused initiatives reinforced this framework: SAU and faculty-level units promoted the “Geleceği Yazan Kadınlar – Artificial Intelligence” training (applications due 9 December 2024), expanding women’s access to digital and AI skills; and a series of visibility and networking events—including the “Women in Legal Professions” panel (4 March 2024) and “Women in Climate Justice” symposium (13 May 2024)—provided mentoring, inspiration, and leadership examples for female students and staff.
In 2024, SAU worked with KADEM (Women and Democracy Association) and the SAU KADEM Youth chapter (Genç KADEM) to advance women-focused studies, education, and support on campus. Guided by the principle “Not one day, but every day,” SAU Genç KADEM marked Teachers’ Day in November 2024, honouring SAU academics who educate future teachers and spotlighting women’s leadership in education. Through KADEM-led outreach and peer support, women students benefited from guidance, solidarity networks, and values-based engagement that complements SAÜKAM’s research and the University’s mentoring and entrepreneurship pathways.
Together, these policies and actions demonstrate that Sakarya University in 2024 systematically provided women’s access programs spanning research, mentoring, entrepreneurship support, financial aid, and sectoral empowerment—aligned with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).
