The Theme of the Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards 2026 Announced

The 2026 theme for the Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards, held annually in accordance with the will of Sabancı University Honorary Chairman Sakıp Sabancı, has been announced. This year, researchers will be able to submit their work for evaluation under the title "Planetary Realities: Rethinking Governance Beyond Borders."

In this organization, the first international award program in the social sciences field held in Turkey, applications will be evaluated by an independent and international jury, as has been the case each year.

2026 Awards

• Jury Special Award: USD 25,000 to a researcher making distinguished contributions on the theme
• Article Awards: USD 10,000 each to three researchers under 45 years of age

A New Perspective on Global Challenges
The Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards, held continuously since 2006, draw attention this year through its theme to the borderless problems of our world. Emphasis is placed on how global-scale challenges such as the climate crisis, digital information regimes, pandemics and the sharing of space resources are still being met largely with nation-state-centered and fragmented solutions.

Within the scope of the 2026 theme, researchers are invited to reflect on the following questions:

• How can new forms of governance take shape in response to planetary challenges?
• How can information flows in the digital world be democratized?
• How can ethical frameworks such as justice, rights and equality be established at local and global levels?
• Are models possible that prioritize public benefit in opposition to profit-driven global platforms?
• How should collective responsibility be defined in the face of climate crisis, pandemics and space pollution?

In Harmony with Sakıp Sabancı's Legacy of Values
This year's theme demonstrates strong alignment with today's reality, where the world struggles to find common ground in the face of global challenges, digitalization raises new ethical and social questions, and younger generations issue calls of responsibility that transcend national borders.