OzU AI Platform Holds Its Third Event of the Year Under the Theme “AI as an Ecosystem”

Launched by Özyeğin University to bring together academic expertise with business experience, OzU AI Platform held its third event of the year on October 12, 2026, at Swissôtel The Bosphorus Istanbul. Held under the theme “AI as an Ecosystem,” the event explored AI’s far-reaching impact across a wide range of areas, from management and business models to ethics, governance, leadership, and collaboration, drawing on diverse perspectives from academia and the business world.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Barış Tan, President of Özyeğin University, emphasized that AI has moved beyond its role as a technology used for specific business processes to become a multi-stakeholder ecosystem transforming both organizations and academia. He highlighted the growing importance of ethics and governance in this transformation and stressed the need to establish structures that strengthen communication, interaction, and collaboration among the ecosystem’s various constituents.

The first session featured Dr. Cansu Canca, Director of Responsible AI Practice at Northeastern University’s Institute for Experiential AI. In her talk, “Governance and Ethics,” she examined the role of corporate governance in ensuring the trustworthy and responsible use of AI. Dr. Canca emphasized that AI governance is not optional for organizations. On the contrary, it is a prerequisite for harnessing the technology safely and effectively. In a subsequent fireside chat with Hamit Hamutcu, Founder of AIxEd, she discussed the responsibilities involved in developing, deploying, and overseeing AI systems.

The program continued with “AI Transformation,” a talk by Alper Benli, Global Head of Data & AI Business Operations at Ericsson. Drawing attention the emergence of a “digital workforce” powered by AI agents, Benli explored how AI is transforming business processes, decision-making mechanisms, and business models. In the following fireside chat with Dr. İsmail Arı, Director of Knowledge, Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship at Özyeğin University, Benli highlighted that AI transformation must be approached as a holistic organizational strategy championed by senior leadership and translated into tangible business value.

The final session of the day was a panel titled “AI as an Ecosystem: From the Boardroom to Employees, Platforms to Business Partners—How Are Organizations Transforming in the Age of AI?”. Moderated by Dr. Erinç Albey, Director of OzUBEX and a faculty member at the Faculty of Engineering at Özyeğin University, the panel brought together Evren Dereci, CEO at KoçDigital; Esel Çekin, Board Member at Migros, CCI, and Fiba Retail; and Ozan Bayülgen, Country Chair and Managing Director at Korn Ferry for Türkiye and Central Asia.

During the panel, Evren Dereci underscored the importance of identifying the right business problems for AI applications and scaling the resulting benefits across the organization. Esel Çekin discussed AI’s role in driving efficiency, propelling growth, and transforming business models, as well as the strategic responsibilities of corporate boards in the age of AI. Ozan Bayülgen explored how leadership capabilities are evolving in the age of AI, the importance of preparing employees for AI transformation, and the role of organizational culture in encouraging innovative ideas. The panelists emphasized that successful AI transformation requires technological investments to be backed by long-term strategies, senior leadership to take ownership of the process, and AI initiatives to deliver tangible business results.

Founded in 2025, OzU AI Platform now brings together 29 organizations across nine sectors and five universities. The Platform has organized 23 events to date, reaching more than 3,000 participants. Continuing to strengthen knowledge exchange and collaborative innovation between academia and industry, OzU AI Platform will bring together academics, industry representatives, and students once again at AI Week, scheduled for December.