Necmettin Erbakan University (NEÜ) was founded on July 14, 2010 and aims to combine scientific ethics and universal values with a local and global sustainability approach. The university sees its mission as promoting people and the environment, strengthening international cooperation, intensifying interdisciplinary research and building sustainable relationships between industry and service sectors. NEU is one of Türkiye's leading state universities. It offers a wide academic spectrum with 20 faculties, 4 institutes, 7 vocational schools, 2 colleges, 8 departments, 6 administrative units, 1 continuing education center and 18 coordination offices. The university has 2,426 academic and 1,775 administrative staff and serves more than 50,000 students at various educational levels. The project is led by the Faculty of Applied Sciences under the coordination of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özdal Koyuncuoğlu and is jointly carried out with Prof. Dr. Fırat Yaldız from the Faculty of Political Science and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saadet Korucu Kış from the Faculty of Educational Sciences.
University of Thessaly was founded in 1984 and welcomed its first students in the academic year 1988-1989. Administratively based in Volos, it has developed in the whole region of Thessaly and Central Greece in Volos, Larissa, Lamia, Karditsa and Trikala. The UTH is organized in 8 Schools, 35 Departments and 71 Post-graduate Study Programs. 36,622 undergraduate and approximately 4,500 post-graduate students and doctoral candidates are currently studying at our University. It is staffed by 844 faculty members and 427 members of administrative personnel. As a member of UNAI, the University of Thessaly is dedicated to embedding the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into every facet of its operation-from its academic curriculum to its infrastructure, administration, personal relationships, and research activities. The University’s ambition is not only to align with these global goals but to fully integrate them into its everyday life, creating a campus culture that lives and breathes sustainability, equity, and innovation.
The university promotes innovative projects that address ecological and social challenges by providing financial and logistical support to student initiatives. These projects enable students to actively shape local and global sustainability solutions. Sustainable development and social responsibility are an integral part of the IBU's over 50 degree programs, including law, economics, engineering, education and psychology. In the context of sustainable partnerships, the IBU is committed to sustainable business and climate-friendly innovations through cooperation with international universities, research institutes and companies. The IBU is in an excellent position to make a decisive contribution to the KA220-HED TranSustain HE project and other EU-funded initiatives. The International Balkan University is committed to promoting sustainable higher education strategies with the aim of creating future-proof universities and anchoring global sustainability goals in higher education.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) was founded on April 25, 1926. It is the main body in Türkiye for collecting, analyzing and publishing data related to the economy, population, society and environment. The institute is based in Ankara and is under the Ministry of Finance. TÜİK employs a large number of statisticians, data analysts and researchers who work on developing and improving statistical methods and providing reliable data bases. The institution works closely with ministries, universities and international organizations such as the OECD, the World Bank and Eurostat to ensure statistical harmonization and comparability at the global level. TÜİK collects important information needed to shape policies and make decisions. The institute works closely with international organizations such as Eurostat, especially in the implementation of EU-compatible systems such as NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics). Especially in the area of sustainability, TÜİK provides essential data sets on the environmental performance, social justice and economic development of universities. By participating in the project, TÜİK will further expand its role as a leading statistical authority and actively contribute to the implementation of sustainable measures in Turkish universities.
Institute for Legal Sciences, Research and Development, Maribor (OPHIZ) is a Slovenia-based research institute specializing in applied studies and scientific research in the social sciences, particularly law. Established on 16 June 2017, OPHIZ conducts applied research addressing social challenges, participates in national and international programs — including EU-funded projects — and maintains strong academic networks with universities and research institutions across Europe. The institute’s members are actively engaged in interdisciplinary research aimed at contributing to societal development. As a project partner, OPHIZ provides essential expertise in the legal, institutional and governance dimensions of sustainability in higher education. Its experience in analyzing higher education legislation, sustainability governance frameworks and the legal protection of sustainability initiatives significantly supports the development and implementation of the project's sustainability assessment model.
The Regional Development Administration (KOP) was established in 2011. It was established to support the development of the areas involved in these projects. The main goal of the KOP is to support sustainable growth in the region. Its aim is to improve the economic well-being of the local population, make good use of natural resources and showcase what the region has to offer. The KOP Regional Development Administration is responsible for a total of 50 districts, 263 cities and 1002 villages in Aksaray, Karaman, Konya and Niğde provinces, with Konya as the center. The KOP Administration supports sustainability practices that start at the local level and guides regional development policies. In addition, the UNIKOP University Association was established to strengthen the cooperation of universities in the KOP region. This Association contributes to the development of academic and project partnerships between universities in the region. The KOP Administration will take part in the pilot phase of the methodology and software to be developed within the scope of the project and will ensure the participation of the universities affiliated with UNİKOP in the pilot implementation. In this way, KOP will play an active role in the field of sustainability together with regional development actors and contribute to the development of solutions that are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and comparable to those of European Union countries.
This project is co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme (2021–2027), Key Action 2 – Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education, administered by the Turkish National Agency (TR01), Grant Agreement No. 2025-1-TR01-KA220-HED-000362010.
TranSustain HE Project Coordination Team
TranSustain HE Project Coordinator
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