Established in 1996, Sabanci University (SU) in Istanbul, Turkey ranks among the highly rated research institutions in Turkey. The University employs more than 700 staff members and teaches to 4100 undergraduate and 1100 graduate students. SU is consistently ranked among the top three universities in Turkey and is currently ranked 44 in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings. According to the Entrepreneurial and Innovative University Index of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), SU has been internationally recognized as one of the most innovative and research-oriented universities in Turkey. In the 2020 Times Higher Education global ranking list, Sabanci University ranked 451-500 and ranked first among Turkish Universities.

As an initiative of SU, Education Reform Initiative (ERG), is an independent and not-for-profit think-and-do-tank that contributes to systemic transformation in education for the development of the child and society through sound evidence, constructive dialogue, and innovative/critical thinking. Evidence-based decision-making processes in education concerning stakeholder engagement and ensuring the access of all children to quality education are the key elements of systemic transformation.

ERG, established in 2003, is a good example for the Turkish civil society since it is an initiative supported by leading foundations in Turkey. ERG carries out its research and education activities through the ERG Education Observatory unit and Education Laboratory and Teacher’s Network.

The unit involved as the partner to this project Teachers Network aims at teacher empowerment through creating a sustainable learning environment in which teachers can collaborate with their colleagues and stakeholders to education from various disciplines. The network aims to create change with the teachers, not on behalf of the teachers. The main aim is to form a learning society where every single part of the network co-creates via utilizing interaction among different disciplines, adopting the concept of lifelong learning, and developing constant collaborations with every stakeholder in the field of education.