– A Bridge to Science
Message From the Chair
Transforming Investment in Science into Social Value
The true value of investment in science is measured by the impact it creates in people’s lives.
Sometimes, that impact can be seen in a healthy habit a child develops, sometimes in a new path opening up for a young researcher, and sometimes in scientists from different countries coming together around a shared purpose. At the Sabri Ülker Food Research Institute Foundation, what inspires us is this journey of knowledge reaching people, becoming part of everyday life, and carrying its value into the future.
Throughout July and August, we brought this approach to life through a wide range of initiatives.
Through our strategic research partnership with Newcastle University and Hacettepe University, we laid the foundations for a new scientific collaboration between Türkiye and the world.
Communications for our Global Science Platform reached 6.7 million people, helping scientific knowledge connect with wider audiences.
We launched the new phase of fieldwork for our Balanced Nutrition Education Project, which aims not only to teach children about healthy nutrition but also to help them make that knowledge part of their daily lives.
In Erzurum, we saw first-hand the progress on the Ülker Gastronomy Anatolian Vocational and Technical High School, currently under construction. It means a great deal to us that the young people who study there will be able to shape their own paths through a strong education and become the skilled professionals of the future.
We advanced preparations for the İstanbul Science Summit, which will bring together scientists from around the world.
Through the Sabri Ülker Award for Future Science Leaders, we continued to support young researchers and their work. Communications for the 2026 edition of the Award reached 16.5 million people across 11 countries, while our international campaigns reached 2.9 million. We also launched the Science Ambassadors Network to bring young researchers and scientists together in a long-term international community. The launch campaign reached 3.5 million people.
In the digital sphere, we took new steps to make scientific knowledge more accessible to healthcare professionals. To date, 3,185 healthcare professionals have completed our training programmes, while our World of Pharmacy and World of Paediatrics content has been viewed 11,198 and 9,001 times respectively. Through these initiatives, we aim to help pharmacists and physicians keep their knowledge current and bring what they learn into their daily practice.
Although these initiatives touch different areas, they all have one thing in common: people are at their heart. A child sharing what they have learned with their family, a young person shaping their future through education, a researcher pursuing new questions, a scientific connection made in İstanbul growing into a lasting international collaboration…
This is where we see the true value of social investment.
At the Foundation, we believe that knowledge grows when it is shared and that science gains meaning when it connects with people. In the period ahead, we will keep opening up opportunities for children and young people, supporting scientists, bringing scientific knowledge to wider audiences, and connecting Türkiye’s growing scientific expertise with the world.
Because I believe that knowledge that touches people’s lives is among the most valuable legacies we can leave to future generations.
Chair of the Sabri Ülker Food Research Institute Foundation
Chair of the Sabri Ülker Food Research Institute Foundation
Our Science Platform Opening From Türkiye to the World
Strategic Research Partnership with Newcastle University and Hacettepe University
With the strategic cooperation protocol we signed in July with Newcastle University and Hacettepe University, we launched a long-term international research platform in the fields of childhood nutrition, physical activity, obesity, and mental health.
Within the scope of the programme:
• Joint research will be conducted over four years.
• Three doctoral researchers will be supported.
• Researcher exchange programmes will be implemented.
• Joint scientific capacity will be developed.
• A sustainable science network will be established between Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
Through the communication activities of the collaboration, we reached 5.6 million people and ensured that our scientific partnership became visible to broad audiences.
Value We Create | Global Scientific Capacity
We do not regard this partnership merely as a four-year programme that will produce new research.
Supporting researchers, increasing the sharing of knowledge and experience among institutions, and establishing new international connections will, in the long term, create stronger scientific capacity.
Our impact chain:
Joint research → Researcher development → International science network → New scientific evidence → Stronger solutions for child health
This structure will contribute to establishing a sustainable bridge of science between Türkiye and the United Kingdom and to transforming scientific knowledge produced in the field of child health into social benefit, while supporting the development of the research leaders of the future.
We Are in the Field So That Children Can Transform Knowledge Into Experience
Balanced Nutrition: From Knowledge to Behaviour
In August, our field preparations accelerated for the Balanced Nutrition Education Project, which will be implemented on a workshop basis in five pilot provinces during the 2026–2027 academic year.
Within this scope, we visited the schools where the project will be implemented in Erzurum and İzmir and held productive meetings with our school administrators. During these meetings, we gained important insights into the regions’ distinctive dietary habits, the schools’ existing facilities, and the students’ needs.
The information obtained from the field visits will guide the design of the workshops to be conducted in the new term in a way that is aligned with local needs, effective, feasible, and sustainable.
Value We Create | SROI Perspective
The investment here is not only in an educational content, but in a learning model that can create behavioural change.
The workshop-focused and hands-on structure of the Balanced Nutrition Education Project supports children in turning the theoretical knowledge they acquire into practice in their daily lives and in developing lasting behavioural changes.
The transfer of the knowledge a child learns at school into experience in the kitchen, of experience into behaviour, and of behaviour into the family constitutes the project’s social value chain.
Our impact chain:
Knowledge → Experience → Behaviour → Family → Long-term public health
Investing in the Gastronomy Professionals of the Future
From Education to Employment, from Skills to Sectoral Capacity
As part of our Erzurum visit, we examined on site the work at the Ülker Gastronomy Anatolian Vocational and Technical High School, whose construction is progressing rapidly.
The school, launched to support qualified vocational education in the field of gastronomy, is intended to help young people strengthen their theoretical knowledge through practical training and to contribute to their development as well-equipped culinary professionals needed by the sector.
Bringing together the understanding of healthy, safe, and sustainable food with vocational education, the high school will offer a comprehensive learning environment that will provide young people studying gastronomy with knowledge, skills, and experience.
Value We Create | Human Capital and Sectoral Capacity
By bringing together qualified vocational education and practical gastronomy experience, the school will support not only young people in acquiring a profession, but also the development of the qualified human capital that the gastronomy sector will need in the future.
Our impact chain:
Vocational knowledge → Practical experience → Competency → Employment → Strong sectoral capacity
We Are Bringing the World’s Scientists Together in İstanbul
Sabri Ülker İstanbul Science Summit 2026
The global application process for the Sabri Ülker İstanbul Science Summit, to be organised in October in cooperation with The Nutrition Society, was launched in July; preparation and communication activities continued at full pace in August as well.
The Summit, to be held with a focus on childhood nutrition, health, and food security, will bring together academics, young researchers, and international scientists in İstanbul on a common scientific platform.
While the Summit’s official website was launched, application and information activities were continued through this platform.
Value We Create | Global Impact
We do not regard the Summit merely as a two-day scientific event.
We are building a long-term impact platform where every new scientific connection can turn into new research, partnerships, and knowledge production.
Our impact chain:
Scientific gathering → New connections → New research → International partnerships → Stronger public health solutions
The Sabri Ülker İstanbul Science Summit constitutes a strategic investment that creates an international meeting space for the sharing of scientific knowledge and experience, while strengthening Türkiye’s visibility in science diplomacy and the Sabri Ülker Food Research Institute Foundation’s position in the global science ecosystem.
Discover the Summit:
https://sabriulkeristanbulsciencesummit.org/
We Are Bringing Scientific Knowledge to Society
Nutrition and Health Communication Programme
As part of our Nutrition and Health Communication Programme, which we carry out with the goal of transforming scientific knowledge into public health, new interviews were published that bring the knowledge and experience of healthcare professionals together with society.
In the interview conducted with Dr. Mehmet Ali Öney, Board Member of ANKAHED, the following topics were addressed:
• Simplification of scientific knowledge,
• Strengthening physician-patient communication,
• Increasing health literacy.
Meanwhile, Pharm. Berke Mert Ertürk, Chair of the Young Pharmacists Council of the Ankara Chamber of Pharmacists, drew attention to the risks created by misinformation about health spreading rapidly on social media and evaluated the critical guidance role undertaken by healthcare professionals for society.
Value We Create | The Social Impact of Scientific Knowledge
Research and scientific knowledge can create real impact only when they are correctly understood by society.
While supporting the scientific communication skills of healthcare professionals, our programme contributes to ensuring that reliable information reaches society in a correct, simple, and understandable way.
Our impact chain:
Scientific knowledge → Healthcare professional → Accurate communication → Health literacy → Informed health decisions
This approach strengthens the role of healthcare professionals as a reliable source of information in society, while contributing to the fight against misinformation and to the improvement of public health.
We Measure and Share Our Impact
Our 2025 Annual Report Is Now Available
Our 2025 Annual Report, prepared in line with our understanding of transparency, accountability, and social impact, has been published.
Our report presents the following to our stakeholders:
• The scientific projects carried out throughout the year,
• Social impact activities,
• Our strategic objectives,
• The tangible outputs achieved.
The report was shared not only on our corporate website but also with our colleagues through the Engage platform.
Value We Create | Transparency and Accountability
We address our impact not only through the activities we carry out, but together with the social benefit we create.
Our Annual Report enables us to share transparently with our stakeholders the purposes for which we use our resources, the outputs we obtain, and the value we aim to create through our work.
Our impact chain:
Activity → Measurement → Reporting → Transparency → Stakeholder trust
Review the report:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12cO-R-EJAbEDhJ29NBccdFipoXyVQwRI/view
Today’s Researchers, Tomorrow’s Science Leaders
Sabri Ülker Award for Future Science Leaders
Communication activities for the 2027 application period of the Sabri Ülker Award for Future Science Leaders were launched in July.
Within this scope, the video series prepared with the participation of our Chair of the Board of Directors, Yahya Ülker, was published on digital platforms; information and international visibility activities regarding the new application period were continued.
In August, questions about the award’s jury structure, its significance for researchers, and the application process were answered by our Foundation’s Secretary General, Begüm Mutuş.
The foundation of the award is an independent and international evaluation structure. The jury, composed of scientists who stand out in their respective fields and hold international prestige, evaluates research on the basis of scientific quality, originality, and the impact it can create.
Value We Create | Investment in Human Capital
For us, the value of the award is not limited to rewarding a successful piece of research.
Our aim is to increase the visibility of young researchers, support their scientific courage, and invest in the development of the research leaders of the future.
The impact of an opportunity provided to a researcher today can grow exponentially throughout their career through the research they will produce, the scientists they will train, and the international collaborations they will establish.
Our impact chain:
Opportunity → Scientific courage → Researcher development → New research → Global scientific impact
The independent and international jury structure ensures that the evaluation process is conducted on the basis of scientific competence, impartiality, and transparency. While our award programme encourages young scientists to make the global impact of their work visible, it also creates a sustainable science platform that brings them together with international research networks.
Our message to researchers considering applying:
“Science begins with curiosity. Believe in the value of your research, pursue your questions, and do not hesitate to make your impact visible. You could be the science leader of the future.”
We Are Expanding Access to Scientific Knowledge
Our Digital Transformation Journey
In line with our 2026 OKR objectives, our work to strengthen our digital infrastructure continued in July and August in accordance with the planned schedule.
Within the scope of the project carried out with the support of the Yıldız Tech team:
• User experience is being improved.
• Accessibility is being increased.
• The content management system is being renewed.
• Corporate identity consistency is being strengthened.
Our new website is planned to go live in test mode on 1 September 2026.
Value We Create | Digital SROI
We do not regard digital transformation merely as a technological renewal.
While making the Foundation’s reliable scientific content more accessible, our new digital infrastructure will strengthen our scientific visibility, our engagement with stakeholders, and our international reach.
Our impact chain
More accessible scientific content → Wider reach → More scientific engagement → Stronger international visibility → Higher social knowledge value
For this reason, our digital infrastructure will be one of the strategic tools that scale the Foundation’s scientific and social impact.
Our Impact Chain During the July & August Period
1 long-term international research platform
A four-year sustainable science network was established between Türkiye and the United Kingdom through the collaboration with Newcastle University and Hacettepe University.
Support for 3 doctoral researchers
An investment was made in the development of the research leaders of the future and in strengthening international scientific capacity.
Communication reach of 5.6 million people
The visibility of our international research partnership was increased among broad audiences.
5 pilot provinces
Preparations were made for the experiential and workshop-based education model of the Balanced Nutrition Education Project.
Fieldwork in 2 provinces
Local dietary habits, school facilities, and student needs were directly assessed in Erzurum and İzmir.
1 new education investment
With the Ülker Gastronomy Anatolian Vocational and Technical High School, contribution was made to the training of the gastronomy professionals of the future and to strengthening the qualified human capital of the sector.
1 global scientific gathering
The global application process for the Sabri Ülker İstanbul Science Summit was launched; international communication and preparation activities were continued.
New science communication content
Interviews bringing the knowledge and experience of healthcare professionals together with society were published.
1 corporate impact report
Our 2025 Annual Report was published, and the results of our work were shared with stakeholders in line with our understanding of transparency and accountability.
1 global researcher platform
The 2027 communication process of the Sabri Ülker Award for Future Science Leaders was launched; the independent and international evaluation structure was shared with young researchers.
1 digital transformation
Preparations for the test launch of the new infrastructure, which will scale access to scientific content, stakeholder engagement, and the Foundation’s international visibility, were brought close to completion.
These indicators reveal not only the answers our activities in July and August provide to the question “What did we do?”, but also to the question “What value are we creating?”
Our Common Goal
From Science to Impact, from Impact to Lasting Value
As the Sabri Ülker Food Research Institute Foundation, we address our work — ranging from scientific research to nutrition education, from supporting young researchers to developing vocational capacity, from health communication to digital transformation — within a single impact ecosystem.
Because for us, success is not only how many projects we carry out, how many people we reach, or how many events we organise.
The real question is this:
What has our investment changed in people’s lives, and how sustainable is the value it has created?
This question also lies at the centre of our SROI approach.
Knowledge → People → Behaviour → Capacity → Social Value
Every step we took in July and August strengthened a different link in this chain.
Our international research partnerships supported scientific capacity, our educational investments supported human capital, our fieldwork supported behavioural change, our science communication activities supported access to reliable information, and our digital transformation efforts supported the scalability of the impact we create.
We will continue to build bridges to science, invest in the human capital of the future, and transform reliable scientific knowledge into measurable, scalable, and lasting value for society.
