In light of the United Nations declaring 2025 as the "International Year of Cooperatives," our Faculty has initiated a significant collaboration with the Sakarya Provincial Directorate of Trade. Within this scope, we will academically examine the role of cooperatives in economic and social development and share the findings with policymakers and decision-makers in Sakarya.

Our first meeting took place on Monday, February 3, 2025, at the Sakarya Provincial Directorate of Trade. Representing our Faculty were Dean Prof. Dr. Sinan Esen, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metin Saygılı, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zafer Adıgüzel, while the Directorate was represented by Director Emre Atmaca and relevant department managers. Discussions focused on the contribution of cooperatives to sustainable development goals, their place within the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and their impact on public policies. Throughout 2025, the academic research conducted aims to strengthen cooperatives in Sakarya and support economic sustainability.

The theme of the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives has been determined as “Cooperatives Build a Better World.” This theme emphasizes the cooperative model’s capacity to provide solutions to global economic and social challenges and its critical role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to the roadmap announced at the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Global Cooperative Conference in New Delhi, worldwide initiatives will be carried out to promote cooperatives, strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, and support sustainable business models. In Turkey, broad-scale activities will be implemented throughout the year under the leadership of the Ministry of Trade, with contributions from the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, the Ministry of Family and Social Services, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.