Our Rectors
TED Üniversitesi has continued its academic development and institutional growth under the leadership of its rectors who have served in different periods since its establishment. The rectors who have served at our university, including the current rector, are listed below in chronological order.
Prof. Dr. Öktem Vardar received his undergraduate education at Robert College and completed his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of California, Berkeley. Between 1975 and 2004, he served at the Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Faculty of Engineering, where he earned the titles of associate professor and professor. His research focused on Machine Design, Fatigue, and Fracture Mechanics, and he established the Fracture Laboratory at the university. He also served as Vice Rector and Department Chair at Boğaziçi University.
In addition to his academic career, he held national and international roles including membership in the Yükseköğretim Kurulu (Council of Higher Education), membership in the Science Board of Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu (TÜBİTAK), and reviewer for the Institutional Evaluation Programme of the European University Association. He served as the founding Rector of TED Üniversitesi from 2011 to 2015 and led the university’s establishment process.
PProf. Dr. M. Murat Tarımcılar graduated from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Boğaziçi Üniversitesi and received his master’s and doctoral degrees from Louisiana State University. He pursued his academic career at George Washington University, where he served as Department Chair, Associate Dean, and Program Dean.
His research areas include data analysis, production management, and decision-making models. He has published internationally and provided consultancy services to various public and private organizations. He served as the Rector of TED Üniversitesi between 2015 and 2017.
Prof. Dr. H. Belgin Ayvaşık completed her undergraduate education in the Department of Psychology at Hacettepe Üniversitesi. She received her master’s degree from University of Michigan and her doctoral degree from University of Mississippi. She spent a significant part of her academic career at the Department of Psychology at Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, where she was promoted to the rank of professor in 2011.
Her research areas include substance use, traffic safety, and test development related to cognitive processes. She served as the Rector of TED Üniversitesi from 2017 to 2021.
Prof. Dr. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering from Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi and completed his PhD at Wichita State University. During his academic career, he served as a professor and department chair at Bilkent Üniversitesi. He also served as the founding Rector of Abdullah Gül Üniversitesi.
Since 2021, Prof. Sabuncuoğlu has been serving as the Rector of TED University, where he has led initiatives in academic excellence, digital transformation, and student-centered education. During his tenure, TED University ranked among the top three universities in Türkiye in nationwide student satisfaction surveys across both public and foundation universities.
He is also the founder of AFETTEK (Disaster and Emergency Technologies Platform) and the TAM Foundation, initiatives that bring together academia, industry, and public institutions to develop technological solutions and collaborative ecosystems for disaster resilience and societal impact.
Prof. Dr. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu also serves as an advisor and member in higher education within the G20 Global Solutions Initiative, one of the world’s leading international civil society networks focusing on sustainability and global policy solutions.
Since 2021, he has been serving as the Rector of TED Üniversitesi.