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The Social Collaborations Region Application and Research Center at Istanbul Medeniyet University (SOCIOPARK) and the Istanbul Association for Ideas and Social Research (İFTAM), the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Congress—which brought together academic knowledge production and best practices in the fields of social entrepreneurship, social innovation, civil society, governance, and social impact—was successfully held on June 12–13, 2026, hosted by our university.

The congress, held at the Ziraat Bank Conference Hall in the Central Library, was attended by our Rector, Prof. Dr. Gülfettin Çelik; the Rector of Marmara University, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emin Okur; Istanbul Deputy Governor Hasan Gözen; our Vice Rector, Prof. Dr. Yaşar Bülbül; the Vice Rector of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Prof. Dr. Nihat Erdoğmuş; Borsa Istanbul Board of Directors Chair Prof. Dr. Erişah Arıcan, Borsa Istanbul General Manager Dr. Korkmaz Ergun, and Borsa Istanbul Audit and Supervision Board Chair Filiz Demirkıran, as well as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Prof. Dr. Ahmet Koçak, Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences Prof. Dr. Eyüp Sevimli, Dean of the Faculty of Law Prof. Dr. Özcan Günergök, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science Prof. Dr. Faruk Bal, Director of the IMU Autism Application and Research Center Prof. Dr. Yeşim Güleç Aslan, Director of IMUSEM Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaya Göktepe, Director of DILMER Dr. Selim Tiryakiol, BİLTAM Deputy Director Asst. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Armağan, SOCIOPARK Board of Directors members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Özkan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Züleyha Sayın, Asst. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Arı, Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ekrem Kaya, and Advisory Lecturer Dr. Ahmet Şefik Hatipoğlu, along with our academic and administrative staff; as well as Al Sharq Forum General Manager Dr. Yasin Uğraş, Civil Society Center Chairman Ömer Faruk Terzi, Dulda Social Innovation Center Director Dr. Abdullah Sabit Tuna, and ICYF Cabinet Coordinator Farid Zakir İbrahim, along with numerous representatives from the public sector, academia, the financial sector, civil society, and international organizations.

During the opening program, Prof. Dr. M. Lütfi Arslan, Director of SOCIOPARK at Istanbul Medeniyet University, highlighted the importance of social entrepreneurship and innovation in generating sustainable solutions to social problems. Emphasizing that the conference was not merely an academic event but part of a long-term effort aimed at building the capacity of civil society organizations, Arslan stated that social entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and digital transformation are among the key elements shaping the future of civil society.

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Arslan also touched on the SOCIOPARK approach, noting that this model—which supports institutions and individuals seeking to generate social benefit—contributes to transforming good intentions into sustainable social impact. Stating that social entrepreneurship must aim not only for economic sustainability but also for social transformation, Prof. Dr. Arslan emphasized the importance of developing a unique understanding of social entrepreneurship rooted in Turkey’s deep-seated traditions, such as foundations, imece, and ahilik.

In his speech, our Rector, Prof. Dr. Gülfettin Çelik, stated that social innovation is a strategic field that bridges the gap between academic knowledge and on-the-ground needs. Prof. Dr. Çelik noted that the conference serves as an important platform for strengthening the social entrepreneurship ecosystem, highlighting best practices, and bringing together researchers from different disciplines around a common ground for discussion.

In his speech, Istanbul Deputy Governor Hasan Gözen highlighted the importance of collaboration among public institutions, universities, and civil society organizations in solving social problems. Noting that social entrepreneurship and innovation are key elements of social development, Gözen stated that generating sustainable social impact is only possible through collective wisdom, solidarity, and innovative approaches. Emphasizing the importance of young people turning toward social impact-driven initiatives, Gözen noted that the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Congress would bring together diverse stakeholders, paving the way for new collaborations and solution-oriented efforts.

Following the opening remarks as part of the program, certificates of participation were presented to attendees of the Social Entrepreneurship Academy. As certificates were awarded to participants who completed the academy program, attention was drawn to the importance of supporting project ideas and application-oriented work developed in the field of social entrepreneurship.

On the first day of the congress, following the opening program, a session titled “Main Session: Best Practices” was held. Chaired by Prof. Dr. Nihat Erdoğmuş, Vice Rector of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, the session featured Dr. Yasin Uğraş, General Manager of the Al Sharq Forum; Ömer Faruk Terzi, President of the Civil Society Hub; and Dr. Abdullah Sabit Tuna, Director of the Dulda Social Innovation Center, who shared their experiences in the fields of social entrepreneurship and civil society.

During the Social Entrepreneurship Academy Project Presentations session held in the afternoon, project ideas developed in the field of social entrepreneurship were shared with participants. Chaired by S. Nur Yılmaz, the session addressed topics such as capacity building for humanitarian aid workers, system-focused NGO management, and a “social bridge” approach connecting neurotypical youth with young individuals on the autism spectrum in the workplace.

Later that day, the session titled “Social Entrepreneurship, Social Impact, and Systemic Transformation” took place. Chaired by Prof. Dr. Bilal Çankır, the session featured discussions on social gastronomy entrepreneurship, the transformation of social entrepreneurship practices within the context of Ashoka Turkey, and the development of a social innovation-focused model by our university’s FOTOSES Social Research Laboratory. The first day concluded with a closing and evaluation session.

On the second day of the conference, academic papers on social entrepreneurship and innovation were presented in concurrent and thematic sessions. The morning sessions addressed topics such as digital transformation, innovation, education, impact governance, public-NGO relations, and governance. In this context, topics such as the role of artificial intelligence agents in impact measurement and adaptive impact governance in social entrepreneurship, the transformation of NGO training programs into social entrepreneurship platforms, the development of social entrepreneurship ecosystems in local governments, governance approaches in public-NGO relations, and the transformation of foundation institutions into social institutions were discussed.

The second day continued with sessions on NGO management and human resources, volunteering and community building, financial sustainability and models, and impact communication. The sessions evaluated topics such as workforce turnover in NGOs, organizational capacity, social innovation and intrapreneurship, determinants of volunteering, social capital, community building, support experiences of post-earthquake search and rescue volunteers, financial models based on social innovation, and the financial sustainability of startups in the technology park ecosystem.

The conference also addressed topics such as storytelling in social enterprises, digital engagement, value-based human resource management, strategic human resource management, and impact communication through academic presentations. Thus, social entrepreneurship was discussed not merely as an economic or managerial practice, but as a multidimensional field centered on communication, human resource management, community building, sustainability, and social transformation.

Online paper sessions were held during the final segment of the program. In sessions conducted in both Turkish and English, topics such as community service initiatives at universities, local youth policies, STEM education, the example of the Konya Social Innovation Agency, digital literacy and individual entrepreneurship, a digital social innovation model aimed at increasing cultural participation among older adults, and the solidarity economy and social innovation in Jordan were presented.

Throughout the two-day congress, academics, researchers, civil society representatives, social entrepreneurs, and participants from various institutions came together to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices in the fields of social entrepreneurship and social innovation. The congress served as a platform for interdisciplinary discussion aimed at strengthening social impact, while also contributing to the development of collaborations among universities, civil society, the public sector, and the private sector.

The Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Congress concluded as an important platform for increasing the visibility of social-benefit-oriented work, bringing together academic knowledge and field experience, and fostering new collaborations.