Our University
COP31 Coordination Office
Galatasaray University’s work relating to the COP31 process is being carried out by the University’s COP31 Coordination Office.
- Coordinator
- Assoc. Prof. Dr Hasan Bora Usluer
Faculty member at the Maritime Vocational School - hbusluer@gsu.edu.tr
- Address
- Galatasaray University, Çırağan Caddesi No: 36, 34349 Ortaköy / Istanbul
Why are we starting with the oceans?
One of the ten priority topics at COP31 is Oceans and Seas. This is a topic that has long been sidelined in climate negotiations and has only moved to the centre of the agenda in recent years. Yet the oceans have absorbed a significant proportion of the carbon dioxide emitted since the Industrial Revolution and a large part of the excess heat accumulated in the climate system. The cost of this has been rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, rising sea levels and the degradation of marine ecosystems.
Türkiye is a country surrounded by seas on three sides, and Istanbul lies on the shores of one of the world’s busiest waterways. The decarbonisation of maritime transport, emissions from port operations, sea-level measurement and climate risks to coastal areas are all on the agenda, both in global negotiations and in Türkiye.
Galatasaray University has an institution directly involved in this area through its Maritime Vocational School. The fact that the University’s COP31 Coordination Office also operates from this field establishes it as the natural focal point of the process.
Link to the Sustainable Development Goals. This focus aligns directly with Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) of the United Nations. The link between these two goals is also the fundamental rationale behind COP31’s ‘Rio Synergy’ theme: although climate, biodiversity and land degradation are governed by separate conventions, they are all part of a single system.
Areas where our work intersects with the COP31 agenda
Galatasaray University’s academic structure intersects with the COP31 agenda items across five main areas.
Seas and maritime transport
Decarbonisation of maritime transport, port and coastal management, hydrography and oceanography, sea-level monitoring, and climate risks to coastal areas.
Climate law and regulation
Implementation of the Climate Act; the legal framework of the Emissions Trading System; carbon taxation; compliance with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
Climate economics and finance
Carbon pricing, green finance instruments, sustainability reporting and corporate compliance, economic impact analysis of climate policies.
Climate communication and society
Climate journalism and disinformation, public attitudes, climate justice and the social dimension of a just transition, youth participation.
Green technology and entrepreneurship
Low-carbon footprint software and artificial intelligence architectures, green entrepreneurship and the commercialisation of climate technologies, campus-scale measurement of energy, emissions and pollution.
Units covering these areas
The University’s departments are directly linked to the COP31 agenda under the following headings:
| Unit | Overlap with COP31 |
|---|---|
| Maritime Vocational School | Oceans and seas, emission reduction in maritime transport, coastal and port management |
| Centre for Economic Research (GİAM) | Climate finance, carbon pricing, the economic impacts of CBAM |
| European Research and Documentation Centre | The European Green Deal, compliance with EU climate legislation |
| Tax Law Research and Application Centre | Carbon tax, the legal and financial framework of the ETS |
| Decision Analysis Research and Application Centre | Multi-criteria climate policy assessment, scenario analysis |
| Media Studies Research and Application Centre (MEDIAR) | Climate communication, climate journalism, combating disinformation |
| Centre for Social Research (TAM) | Climate justice, just transition, public opinion research |
| Strategic Studies Research and Application Centre | Climate diplomacy, climate and security |
| Centre for Corporate Governance, Audit and Compliance Studies | Sustainability reporting, corporate climate compliance |
| Centres for Technology Transfer, Entrepreneurship and Innovation | Green entrepreneurship, commercialisation of climate technologies |
| Zero Waste Unit | Zero waste, on-campus waste, energy and water management, sustainability awareness |
For all the University’s research centres, please visit the GSU Research Centres page.
Francophonie and climate diplomacy
Galatasaray University is an institution that publishes in Turkish, English and French. This is not merely a symbolic detail in the context of the COP: French is one of the United Nations’ official working languages, and a significant proportion of Francophone African and Pacific nations are represented in this language during climate negotiations.
Given that COP31 places Pacific island states at the centre of its agenda, and that discussions on climate finance and loss and damage revolve largely around the demands of the Global South, establishing links with Francophone academic networks could represent a unique contribution by the university to the process. Work in this area is currently at the preparatory stage.
The YÖK process and the universities’ contribution
As part of the preparations for COP31, a participation model covering 208 universities in Türkiye was established through collaboration between the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. Proposals for projects, research, collaboration and events were collected from the universities.
The process was officially launched to the public on 4 August 2026 at YÖK’s event titled ‘Science Diplomacy on the Road to COP31: Academic Launch’. During the programme, it was announced that a COP31 coordinator had been appointed for each university, that the COP-SCIENCE platform had been established to facilitate international academic collaborations, and that a YÖK Pavilion would be opened in Antalya.
According to the results announced by YÖK on 19 August 2026, a total of 3,373 applications from 2,767 participants were received during the process. The breakdown of applications by category is as follows:
| Category | Number of applications |
|---|---|
| Research, Technology Development and Innovation | 1,670 |
| Events, Panels and Workshops | 867 |
| Preparatory and Awareness-Raising Activities Ahead of COP31 | 490 |
| International Academic Cooperation | 180 |
| University–Industry Innovation Collaboration | 166 |
| Total | 3,373 |
Galatasaray University submitted ten projects under this framework: seven in the research, technology development and entrepreneurship category, and three in the side events and workshops category. The evaluation process for the projects has not yet been completed. You can view all the projects, their leads and the relevant COP31 topics on the Our projects page. The event calendar can be viewed on the Activities page.
For those wishing to contribute
- Academics: You may submit your proposals for research, publications, projects or events related to the COP31 agenda to the coordination office.
- Students: You can participate in the process through volunteering programmes, student societies and preparatory events.
- Organisations: You may contact the coordination office regarding proposals for joint events, research collaborations and support.
