As the Local and Regional Policies Application and Research Center, we set out in 2011 to support our university's research-focused vision. Our center, which began operating shortly after the founding of our university, takes pride in being one of the first research centers of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University. With this long-standing history, we have preserved our determination to look at local and regional issues from a scientific perspective ever since our founding.
From our establishment to the present day, we encourage interdisciplinary research across a very wide range of areas, from local government to regional development, and from socioeconomic issues to historical and cultural matters. We do not leave academic knowledge production on paper alone; through the symposiums, panels and workshops we organise, we bring this knowledge together with society. With activities ranging from the role of women in the world of politics to current developments in the Middle East, and from historical processes to social issues, we keep the academic agenda alive.
Our main objective is to meticulously examine economic and social developments at the local and regional level using scientific methods, and to develop policy recommendations that have a real-world impact based on our findings. To this end, we are strengthening our cooperation with public institutions, local governments, the private sector and civil society organisations day by day, building a strong bridge of knowledge between our university and society. We envision becoming a respected and effective research center that is regarded as a reference point in this field, both nationally and internationally.
We never compromise on the principles of continuity, transparent management and high academic quality in our institutional operations. We carry out all our work in line with planned and measurable objectives, and we care about the societal impact of our research as much as its scientific quality. This approach enables our center to become a think-tank platform that helps shape policy-making processes.
We maintain a presence across a very wide field, from scientific data analyses to research into local issues, and from the Marmara Region to strategic studies extending to the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Middle East. We produce joint projects with the public and private sectors and conduct research that supports entrepreneurship and employment. Through more than a decade of this academic and societal work, we continue to add value to our university's mission of societal impact, working enthusiastically to make scientific knowledge the driving force of local and regional development.