1994 The Board of Directors of Sabancı Holding decided in July 1994, under the leadership of Sabancı Foundation, to establish a "world university" to be taken as an example in higher education in the world. The Board of Trustees of Hacı Omer Sabancı Foundation initiated the works for the establishment of Sabancı University at its meeting on 14 September 1994.
1995 Parallel to the establishment works, a "Search Conference" was organized, inviting academicians, university administrators and businessmen from all over the world to lead the formation of the mission of Sabancı University.
1996 Sabancı University was established by Hacı Omer Sabanci Foundation as a new foundation university that has a public entity status pursuant to the provisions of Law No. 2547 concerning foundation higher education institutions.
1997 The groundbreaking ceremony of Sabancı University was realized with the participation of the then President of Republic of Turkey Süleyman Demirel.
1998 Honorary Chairman of Sabancı University Board of Trustees Sakıp Sabancı assigned "Atlı Köşk" (The Mansion with the Horse), in which it hosts a rich collection of Islamic calligraphy and paintings, to Sabancı University to be transformed it into a museum.
1998 The "Fred Emery Commemoration Conference" was organized by Sabancı Holding in order to reveal the guiding principles of creating a "World University" in Turkey. In this activity, the results of the participatory design process that started with the "Search Conference" were evaluated.
1999 Sabancı University was inaugurated on 20 October 1999 with the participation of the 9th President of the Republic of Turkey Süleyman Demirel and the Sabancı family.
2000 The University Center was opened with a concert of Akbank Chamber Orchestra under the direction of conductor Cem Mansur.
2018 Sabancı University President Ayşe Kadıoğlu handed over her duties to Hasan Mandal at a ceremony hosted by Sabancı University Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı. Hosting the ceremony, Founding Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı spoke about the selection process for the new president, and thanked all faculty and administrative members who supported the process. Güler Sabancı spoke: "This is the dawn of a new era. We will all run a new leg now. We have built a young and successful university through your support. We come from a point of success. But success is a moving target. We will go even further. We have created together, and we will continue developing together."