Sustainability
We shape tomorrow’s balance with today’s knowledge.
Sustainability is among the core institutional priorities of Kapadokya University and is positioned at the center of its education, research, and societal contribution activities. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the University approaches environmental, social, and economic sustainability as an integrated whole and encourages its students and all stakeholders to act with these goals in mind. As one of the main pillars of the 2023–2028 Strategic Plan, sustainability is promoted across all university units and is closely monitored through internal quality assurance processes. By publishing its Climate Action Policy Document, the University has elevated its climate-friendly transformation to an institutional policy and launched zero-waste initiatives, environmental trainings, and awareness projects on its campuses.
The Sustainability Commission operating within Kapadokya University guides the alignment of institutional strategies with the SDGs, while the Sustainability Office contributes to the dissemination of a sustainability culture through its projects, trainings, and content production. The platform sdg.kapadokya.edu.tr, coordinated by the Office, shares the University’s sustainability-related activities with the public and focuses especially on climate change. In particular, the Turkish-language content available on iklim.kapadokya.edu.tr makes the climate crisis more comprehensible and fills an important gap by providing qualified resources in this field.
The Environmental Humanities Research and Application Center, which operates in the field of environmentally oriented human sciences, examines the relationship between nature, culture, and humanity through an interdisciplinary lens. Its journal, Ecocene: Cappadocia Journal of Environmental Humanities, pioneers academic production in this field through Turkish and English-language scholarship. Furthermore, the Environmental Humanities Series published by Kapadokya University Press disseminates environmental social science research in book format, making knowledge production accessible to broader audiences.
The Social and Strategic Studies Application and Research Center at Kapadokya University carries out focused projects in the field of sustainable tourism. As an institutional member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the Center collaborates with national and international stakeholders in the development of sustainable tourism standards. To date, more than 1,200 participants have received training in sustainable hospitality, destination management, and sectoral education.
Kapadokya University implements a sustainable management approach at the institutional level and has been recognized nationally and internationally for its achievements in this field. The University has earned the Biosphere Corporate Sustainability Certification, and in 2024 achieved significant success in both the THE Impact Rankings and the UI GreenMetric rankings in its first year of application. Additionally, by joining global sustainability networks such as UN SDSN, AASHE STARS, and HESI, the University has strengthened its international collaborations.