Suzan Sabanci Dincer has been a key partner with HBS since the opening of the School’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Research Center in Istanbul in 2013. “The center is a continuation of HBS’s efforts to build a deep understanding of and expertise in global business practice and innovation around the region,” says Sabanci Dincer, who is chair of Akbank, one of the largest banks in Turkey.

Sabanci Dincer’s commitment to furthering the School’s efforts in the Middle East have included generous investments of both time and money. She recently established the Sabanci Dincer Family Global Fund to support the MENA center as well as the School’s activities in Turkey and throughout the region.

“HBS is unique in its capability to fund rigorous research that analyzes how the financial sector is changing,” she says. “This work is sorely needed given the unfortunate economic and social consequences when the financial system fails.”

Sabanci Dincer’s gift will provide financial aid for international students as well as funding for faculty research that furthers global understanding. Being a member of the School’s Global Leaders Circle since its inception in 2013 has given her a broad perspective on global business.

“Too often we become so consumed by what’s happening in our own house we forget to look outside and check on the rest of the neighborhood,” she says. “HBS’s Global Leaders Circle offers the opportunity to engage with academics at the top of their field, as well as businesspeople and government officials.”

In addition to attending annual gatherings at HBS, Sabanci Dincer has hosted groups of students and faculty visiting Turkey on factfinding missions. “It has been a great opportunity to represent the Turkish business sector in such an important forum,” she notes. “Going forward, internationalization—a better understanding of each other and each other’s systems—will be of utmost importance.”

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