Our Advisory Board

"Columbia Global Centers | Istanbul is like an open window for the Turkish academia and civil society that lets in fresh air in an era when nation states appear to close all doors and windows and withdraw into their inner core."      Prof. Üstün Ergüder

The Center’s Advisory Board provides oversight and is composed of prominent academics, public figures, and business leaders. The Board meets annually and provides ongoing leadership and counsel regarding the Center’s activities. 

  1. LEON AMRAM ’88BU; industrialist; entrepreneur; investor

  2. TAYFUN BAYAZIT ’83BU; Chairman, Marsh McLennan Group, Turkey and Bayazit Consulting Services

  3. EROL BİLECİK P:’22EN; Chairman, Index Group; Former President, TUSİAD

  4. JEAN MAGNANO BOLLINGER ’72TC, P:’02LW, ’11IA; a practicing artist with an academic background in education

  5. HANZADE DOĞAN BOYNER ’99BU; Chairwoman of Doğan Online and Hepsiburada Group; Vice Chairwoman of Doğan Holding; and Doğan Media Group, and Chairwoman of Aydın Doğan Foundation

  6. VUSLAT DOĞAN SABANCI ’96IA; Founder, V Foundation; Vice President, Aydin Dogan Foundation; Board Member, Dogan Holding and Hepsiburada.com; Chair, Hurriyetemlak.com

  7. ÜSTÜN ERGÜDER; Chair, Executive Committee, Education Reform Initiative; Founding Director, Istanbul Policy Center, Sabancı University; Former President, Magna Charta Observatory of Academic Freedom and Institutional Autonomy, Bologna, Italy; Former President, Boğaziçi University

  8. PROFESSOR AHMET EVİN ’66CC, ’73GSAS; Founding Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Professor Emeritus, Sabancı University; Senior Scholar, Istanbul Policy Center

  9. HIS EXCELLENCY EKMELEDDİN İHSANOĞLU academic; diplomat; 9th Secretary General, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC); former member, Turkish Parliament and PACE; Founder and Chairman, History of Science Department, Istanbul University; Founding Director-General, IRCICA; Honorary President, the Turkish Society for History of Science

  10. KORHAN KURDOĞLU ’91IA, P:’20CC; CEO, Tab Food Investments (TFI)

  11. EMRE KURTTEPELİ ’90EN, P:’22EN; Founder and Chairman, Mynet Group

  12. AYŞE SİNİRLİOĞLU, Ambassador (Ret.)

  13. MUSTAFA SAY ’84BUS; Founder and Managing Partner, AccessTurkey Capital Group

  14. AGAH UĞUR P:’17CC, P:’19AC; former CEO; VC partner; startup investor

P: Parent of Columbia student or alum