Istanbul Architecture and Urban Planning Research Academy, is aware of the complex global problems creating stress over cities worldwide and especially over Istanbul. To understand and alleviate these problems, AURA-İstanbul believes different disciplines need to work together. To ensure this much-needed cooperation, AURA-Istanbul Academy was established as a non-profit organization to operate on a global scale. One of its major goals is to prepare graduates of related fields for their academic and professional careers through its certification program. The other objective is to contribute to a future Istanbul database through research and design projects created at the Academy.