| Workshop | Registration Fee |
| Innovation for Sustainability 14 May 2026, 09:00 – 17:00 Istinye University (Vadi Main Campus, Floor 1, Room 102) 09:00-17:00 |
0 USD |
Workshop Title:
Innovation for Sustainability
Date and place:
14 May 2026 / 09:00-17:00 / Istinye University (Vadi H Campus)
Workshop Abstract
This workshop focuses on recent advances in materials design, characterization, and first-principles modeling for solar-driven water splitting and energy conversion. Topics span electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, defect engineering, low-dimensional materials, and photoelectrochemical systems. By bringing together experimental and theoretical perspectives, the workshop aims to provide mechanistic insights and predictive strategies for next-generation materials enabling efficient and sustainable hydrogen production.
Workshop scopes include:
- Catalytic materials for hydrogen production and conversion
- Photocatalytic and electrochemical materials
- Membrane materials for hydrogen separation and electrochemical devices
- Materials interfaces and transport phenomena
- Defect engineering and materials tuning
- Low-dimensional and nanostructured materials
- Advanced materials characterization
- Computational and data-driven materials design
- Materials stability, durability, and scalability
| Innovation for Sustainability Workshop – Moderator: Şenol Pişkin 14 May 2026 – Istinye University (Main Campus, Hall – A (ANK-102) |
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|---|---|---|
| Time | Session | Title/Speaker/Affiliation |
| 09:30 – 09:35 | Opening Remarks | Workshop Chair (Prof. (Assist.) Dr. Esmail Doustkhah) |
| 09:35 – 10:05 | Keynote Talk | Title: Clean Energy Transition for the Philippines – Going nuclear Professor Alvin B. Culaba, (Center for Engineering and Sustainable Development Research (CESDR) at De La Salle University Manila, Philippines) |
| 10:05 – 10:35 | Keynote Talk | Title: Advancing Sustainability in Sunscreens: Engineering Safer and Efficient UV-Protectants Prof. Yusuke Ide National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan |
| 10:35 – 11:05 | Invited Talk | Title: Digital Twin Ecosystems for Sustainability: A Convergence of Computational Science, AI and XR Assistant Prof. Şenol Pişkin Department of Mechanical Engineering, Istinye University, Türkiye |
| 11:05 – 11:15 | Coffee Break | |
| 11:15 – 11:45 | Invited Talk | Title: Integrating Sustainability and Digital Transformation: Smart Practices Across Industries Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saliha Karadayi-Usta Department of Industrial Engineering, Istinye University, Istanbul, Türkiye |
| 11:45 – 11:50 | Group Photo | |
| 11:50 – 12:20 | Invited Talk | Talk Title: Beyond Noble Metals: High-Entropy Materials as Robust Catalysts for Sustainability Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ugur Unal Koç University, Istanbul, Türkiye |
| 12:20 – 12:35 | Title: From Waste to Wealth: Sustainable Upcycling Assistant Prof. Esmail Doustkhah Clean Energy Research Center, Istinye University, Istanbul, Türkiye |
|
| 12:15 – 14:00 | Lunch Break | |
| 14:00 – 14:30 | Invited Talk | Title: Making Solar Harvesting More Sustainable; Passive Cooling by Hydrogels Dr. Pichaya Pattanasattayavong Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Thailand |
| 14:30 – 15:00 | Invited Talk | Title: Advancing Atom Economy and Sustainability through Computational Materials Science Dr. M. Hussein N. Assadi Center for Emergent Matter Science, Riken Institute, Japan |
| 15:00 – 15:10 | Panel Discussion | All Speakers |
| 16:10 – 16:20 | Closing Remarks | Workshop Chairs |
Workshop Keynote Speaker
Professor Alvin B. Culaba, Ph.D.
De La Salle University Manila, Philippines
Talk Title:
Clean energy transition for the Philippines – Going nuclear
Short Bio: Professor Alvin B. Culaba, Ph.D. is the Vice President of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Republic of the Philippines and the Commissioner on Science & Technology, UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines. He had served as Philippine Energy Adviser (2007-2010) and as independent board member of the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (2014-2016). As an expert panel member of the Philippine Joint Congressional Commission on Science, Technology, and Engineering (COMSTE) he assessed the S&T competitiveness of the energy sector and was commissioned to undertake energy policy studies that led to the crafting of the country’s energy twin-bill, the Biofuels Act of 2006 (RA9367) and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA9513). A leading researcher in energy and environmental sustainability, he is amongst the top 2% of the world’s scientist by Stanford-Elsevier. He sits as editorial board member and reviewer of prestigious international journals. He has delivered numerous keynotes and plenary lectures in international conferences and is a Visiting Scholar to universities in Asia, UK, and the USA. He was a former Executive Vice President of De La Salle University Manila, past Presidents of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) and the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE), USA. He is Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director and co-founder of the Center for Engineering and Sustainable Development Research (CESDR) at De La Salle University Manila.
Workshop Speakers:
Yusuke IDE
Yokohama National University, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan
Talk Title:
Advancing Sustainability in Sunscreens: Engineering Safer and Efficient UV-Protectants
Short Bio: Yusuke Ide is a group leader at the Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan and a professor of NIMS-YNU joint graduate program, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University (YNU), Japan. He received his Ph.D. from Waseda University in 2007 under the supervision of Prof. Makoto Ogawa. After working as a research associate in his laboratory, in 2010, he moved to Hiroshima University to work as an assistant professor (Prof. Tsuneji Sano’s laboratory). Since 2012, he has been working at NIMS. His current interests include the development of high-performance but cost-effective and environmentally friendly materials (e.g., iron-based one) alternative to existing commodities and industrial products. He also tries to synthesize key materials for realizing hydrogen society.
Dr. Pichaya Pattanasattayavong
Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Thailand
Talk Title:
Making Solar Harvesting More Sustainable; Passive Cooling by Hydrogels
Short Bio: Dr. Pichaya Pattanasattayavong obtained his PhD in Solid-State Physics from Imperial College London, UK, in 2015. He has since joined VISTEC, first as a Lecturer and promoted to Assistant Professor in 2021. His research focuses on advanced materials for opto/electronic applications. He has won numerous grants and awards, such as Thailand’s Young Scientist Award (2020), Outstanding Mid-Career Grant from National Research Council of Thailand (2022), research grant from the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (2022), Distinguished Lectureship Award from Chemical Society of Japan (2024), and most recently, Thailand’s Young Materials Research Award (2024). He is the Co-PI of Thailand’s research team in the international project WPlast2H2, supported by the Southeast Asia-Europe Joint Funding Scheme (JFS).
Ugur Unal
Koç University, Istanbul, Türkiye
Talk Title:
Beyond Noble Metals: High-Entropy Materials as Robust Catalysts for Sustainability
Short Bio: Ugur Unal is professor of Chemistry Department at Koc University. He also serves as the director of Koc University Surface Science and Technology Center (KUYTAM). His current research interests are 1) Synthesis and applications of 2D layered materials and high-entropy materials, 2) photocatalytic energy conversion 3) electrocatalytic energy conversion 4) understanding the charge transfer mechanism at the catalyst surface.
Dr. Şenol Pişkin
Department of Industrial Engineering, Istinye University, Istanbul, Türkiye
Talk Title:
Digital Twin Ecosystems for Sustainability: A Convergence of Computational Science, AI and XR
Short Bio: Dr. Şenol Pişkin is a researcher and Principal Investigator at Istinye University, where he leads the ISU XR Lab and CARE Labs. His multidisciplinary research focuses on the intersection of Extended Reality (XR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), computational science, robotics, and medical technology. Dr. Pişkin specializes in developing advanced computational models and immersive technologies to address complex engineering and healthcare challenges. He is actively engaged in directing high-impact research initiatives and is deeply involved in preparing and executing projects supported by prominent funding frameworks, including TÜBİTAK and Horizon Europe. Through his leadership, his research groups are dedicated to leveraging AI, advanced simulations, and digital twin ecosystems to drive technological innovation and foster practical, sustainable solutions. https://care-labs.net
Dr. M. Hussein N. Assadi
RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), Japan
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Istinye University, Türkiye
Talk Title:
Advancing Atom Economy and Sustainability through Computational Materials Science
Short Bio: Dr. Hussein Assadi was educated at Charles Sturt University and the University of New South Wales, Australia. He has worked in Japan at Osaka University as a JSPS Fellow (2013–2015), the National Institute for Materials Science (2016–2019), and RIKEN (2022–present). A materials scientist by training, he is passionate about understanding nanoscale fundamentals to improve human health and the environment. He is particularly interested in the potential of artificial intelligence, data science, and quantum chemistry in addressing environmental challenges. His current research focuses on advancing nanomaterials for green energy, healthcare, waste reduction, and developing safer alternatives to harmful compounds. He has authored more than 100 scientific articles and presented invited talks at more than 20 international conferences.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saliha Karadayi-Usta
Istinye University, Türkiye
Talk Title:
Integrating Sustainability and Digital Transformation: Smart Practices Across Industries
Short Bio: Saliha Karadayı Usta graduated from the Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Program with an honour degree in 2012. She completed her Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in 2014, with a thesis focused on risk analysis in service supply chains. She subsequently earned her PhD in Industrial Engineering from ITU in 2020, conducting research on the design of medical tourism service supply chains. Between 2013 and 2020, she served as a research assistant in the Department of Industrial Engineering at ITU. She was appointed Assistant Professor in 2020 and promoted to Associate Professor in 2023. Since 2022, she has been a faculty member in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Istinye University. Since February 2023, she has served as the Head of the Department of Industrial Engineering at Istinye University, and since October 2023, she has held the position of Vice Dean for Research at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences. She has been a member of the Editorial Board of the Sustainability section of Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio) since September 2023, and a member of the Editorial Board for the Business, Environmental Studies, Tourism and Hospitality, and Risk Management sections of Humanities & Social Sciences Communications (Nature Portfolio) since June 2025. Since June 2025, she has also served as a Corporate Sustainability System Mentor within the Turkish Exporters Assembly, providing consultancy services to the sector. Between November 2023 and August 2025, she was a member of the Entrepreneurship and Incubation Center Commission at the İstinye Garage Incubation Hub. In addition, she has been a member of the Technology Advisory Board of Bilişim Vadisi since July 2023. Her research interests include sustainability, Industry 4.0 and digital transformation, supply chain management, and risk analysis.
Dr. Esmail Doustkhah
Istinye University, Türkiye
Talk Title:
From Waste to Wealth: Sustainable Upcycling
Short Bio: Dr. Esmaeil Doust Khah Heragh (Esmail Doustkhah) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Istinye University, Istanbul, Türkiye, and currently serves as the Director of the Clean Energy Research Center (TEAM). He received his Ph.D. in 2017 and has held prestigious international fellowships, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship at Koç University and the JSPS Fellowship in Japan, conducting research at institutions such as the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS). His research focuses on photocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, and the design of advanced functional materials—including porous layered materials, metal oxides, perovskites, and heterostructures—for sustainable energy applications, integrating experimental approaches with density functional theory (DFT) and machine learning to accelerate materials discovery and optimize catalytic performance. He has coordinated and contributed to multiple national and international projects, including TÜBİTAK 1071 and EU-LAC collaborations, and is actively engaged in advancing photocatalytic systems with improved efficiency, stability, and scalability. In addition to his research, he serves as an Early Career Editor for Applied Catalysis O: Open and as an editor for BMC Chemistry.
