Özge Subașı on values, choices and care (CAL113, S6E7)

Özge Subaşı is the Director of Futurewell: CoCreation and Wellbeing Group in the Media and Visual Arts Department at Koç University in Turkey. In this episode, Özge shares a journey from industrial design to interaction design, with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and justice. The work with visually impaired children and older people significantly influenced Özge's transition into human-centered design. Özge's story reflects a life of multiple relocations—whether moving schools as a child, transitioning disciplines, or navigating new countries and cultures. Özge describes “always coming from somewhere and not being in the system.”The episode emphasizes the importance of holding true to core values, such as listening without prejudgment, fostering open communication, and caring for both the individual and the community. Özge's practical examples illustrate how these values influence research and teaching choices, as well as navigating trade-offs, particularly while completing an evaluation document. The discussion also addresses challenges with Özge's depression during the academic journey and strategies for maintaining personal wellbeing. Additionally, the episode highlights some difficulties faced by academics in Türkiye, including engaging with the international community and managing issues related to travel and visas.Özge's commitment to personal values, to trying different ways of being an academic researcher, and to fostering an empathetic and inclusive work culture is really inspiring.Overview00:00 Intro00:29 Episode Introduction03:37 Introduction and Background04:39 Early Career and Education08:10 Transition to Interaction Design11:50 Values and Philosophy14:15 Challenges in Academia18:07 Building a Collaborative Culture26:37 Balancing Academic Expectations34:42 Navigating Academic Trade-offs36:04 Embracing Personal Values38:36 Prioritizing Mental Health42:26 Building Supportive Environments47:00 Challenges in Academia53:45 International Collaboration and Travel01:02:22 Concluding Thoughts01:04:36 EndRelated Links: Futurewell: CoCreation and Wellbeing Group, Media and Visual Arts Department, Koç UniversityÖzge’s LinkedIn page Özge on Instagram @allthefooldays (personal page on food & family) and @sozges on X

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.