Program overview
This year’s Summer Policy Immersion Program for high school students explores the vital connection between sustainability and public policy, equipping participants with the knowledge and tools to address global environmental challenges. With “Building a Sustainable Future” as the 2025 theme, the program highlights the role of public policy in driving climate action, balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility, and developing data-driven solutions for a greener world.
Through interactive sessions, case studies, and a hands-on project, participants will gain essential skills in policy analysis, sustainability strategies, and research methods. This immersive experience prepares young minds to contribute to meaningful change at both local and global levels.
The program will cover the following topics:
• Introduction to Sustainability:
Learn what sustainability is and why it matters for the future of our planet.
• Global Sustainability Challenges:
Explore major environmental and social challenges affecting the world today.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
Understand global goals and how they shape policies for a better future.
• Public Policy Fundamentals:
Discover how governments create and implement policies to solve real-world problems.
• The Policy Cycle:
Learn the steps policymakers take to develop and improve laws and regulations.
• Carbon Footprint & Our Impact on the Planet:
Explore how human activities affect the environment and which policies can reduce these impacts.
• Collecting Data for Policy Analysis:
Learn how to gather and use information to make informed decisions.
• Identifying and Addressing a Sustainability Challenge:
Work on a hands-on project to find solutions to real sustainability issues.
Mode of Learning
Live Sessions
Location
Virtual
Language
English
Duration
5 Days
Program Hours
01:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Program Start
July 20, 2025
Program End
July 24, 2025
Learning Outcomes
Define key sustainability concepts and explain their importance in addressing global challenges.
Describe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and analyze their role in shaping policies and decision-making.
Examine how human activities, such as energy use and pollution, impact the environment, and assess strategies to reduce these effects.
Develop fundamental research skills to collect, organize, and evaluate information.
Create a project that identifies a real-world sustainability challenge, proposes policy-based solutions, and effectively presents findings.
Who Should Attend?
High School Students
High school students interested in sustainability, policy-making, and research.
Proficiency of written and spoken English
The program will be delivered in English. Applicants should be proficient in written and spoken English.
Faculty
Dr.Emre Hatipoglu
Emre Hatipoglu is an Associate Professor at KSPP and a Principal Fellow at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in Riyadh. He has published extensively on energy policy, foreign policy, and international political economy. His current research examines how geopolitical events shape energy markets and vice versa. Dr. Hatipoglu's research has been published in leading journals in their respective fields, such as Energy Economics, Journal of Politics, and Foreign Policy Analysis. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Penn State University.
Before joining KAPSARC in 2019, Dr. Hatipoglu was an Associate Professor at Sabanci University, Istanbul, where he was the coordinator of the International Studies (BA), Conflict Analysis and Resolution (MA), and European Studies (MA) programs. He is a Fulbright Senior Scholar and served as a member of the advisory board at Columbia University’s Sabanci Center for Turkish Studies from 2016-2019.
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Dr. Dugyu Mehmetoglu
Post Doctoral Associate at Carnegie Melon – Doha
Dugyu holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from Koç University.
Research interests: Sustainable development, energy transition, and energy security.
Previous roles:
• Visiting Researcher at IFRI’s Center for Energy, Paris.
• Project Assistant in the EU Horizon 2020 Project: FEUTURE.
Awards and honors:
• Koç University’s 2021 Academic Excellence Award.
• KUTEM Best Energy Paper of the Year Award.
• Young Visiting Researcher Fellowship by the Embassy of France.
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