We are looking for new team members. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in!
Şeref Taha Kiremitçi
Taha is a PhD student at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University. He received M.S. and B.S. degrees from the same department in June 2023 and July 2026, respectively. His current research interests include game theory, optimization, equilibrium selection, multi-agent learning, and decentralized learning.
- S. T. Kiremitci, “When one bit suffices: Decentralized learning from welfare maximization to optimal equilibrium selection,” M.S. Thesis, Bilkent University, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 2026.
- S. T. Kiremitci and M. O. Sayin, “Decentralized optimal equilibrium learning over dynamic networks,” in IEEE CDC, 2026.
- S. T. Kiremitci, A. S. Donmez, and M. O. Sayin, “Achieving Pareto optimality in games via single-bit feedback,” in IEEE ICASSP, 2026. [url]
- S. T. Kiremitci, A. S. Donmez, and M. O. Sayin, “Decentralized optimal equilibrium learning in stochastic games via single-bit feedback,” 2026. [url]
Shuwei Pei
Shuwei Pei is a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen, specializing in intelligent transportation systems with a focus on autonomous vehicle coordination at intersections. He is also a joint PhD researcher at Bilkent University. He holds a Master’s degree in Vehicle Engineering from the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), where his research focused on multi-agent deep reinforcement learning for fleet-level dispatching and multi-objective trajectory optimization in autonomous mining trucks. Shuwei’s current work combines game-theoretic models and reinforcement learning to develop cooperative decision-making strategies for autonomous vehicles in complex, interactive traffic scenarios.
- S. Pei, M. O. Sayin, S. Ahmed, “Control of mixed-autonomy traffic via autonomous vehicles with lane-changing behavior,” in IFAC World Congress, 2026.
- S. Pei, J. Borger, A. Kosay, M. O. Sayin, and S. Ahmed, “Distributionally robust multi-agent reinforcement learning for intelligent traffic control,” in IFAC World Congress, 2026. [url]
Arda Koşay
Arda is an M.S. student at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University. He received his B.S. degree from the same department in June 2025. His research interests include game theory, reinforcement learning, intelligent transportation systems and the development and analysis of simulations for complex systems.
- A. Kosay, A. Kara, and M. O. Sayin, “Stabilizing traffic without autonomous vehicles,” in IFAC World Congress, 2026.
- S. Pei, J. Borger, A. Kosay, M. O. Sayin, and S. Ahmed, “Distributionally robust multi-agent reinforcement learning for intelligent traffic control,” in IFAC World Congress, 2026. [url]
- Y. Saltan, A. Kosay, C.-W. Lin, and M. O. Sayin, “Strategic control of intersections for efficient traffic routing without tolls,” in IFAC CPHS, 2024. [url]
- A. Kosay, Y. Saltan, J.-J. Wang, C.-W. Lin, and M. O. Sayin, “Controlling traffic without tolls: A non-monetary framework for autonomous intersections,” 2026. [url]
Arda Kara
Arda Kara is a senior undergraduate student in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University. His research focuses on reinforcement learning, distributed systems, multi-agent systems, and quantum computing. He is currently a researcher at Yale University’s SmartNets Lab, where he works on distributed quantum compilation for multi-QPU systems, developing learning-based approaches for routing, mapping, and resource allocation.
- A. Kosay, A. Kara, and M. O. Sayin, “Stabilizing traffic without autonomous vehicles,” in IFAC World Congress, 2026.
Alumni
Ahmed Said Dönmez
Said received his B.S. and M.S. degrees with a full scholarship and high honors from Bilkent University in 2023 and 2025 with a CGPA of 3.96 / 4.00 and 4.00 / 4.00, respectively. During his undergraduate years, he won high-achievement scholarships from the Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry and ISBANK. He received the 2nd rank among more than 2 million students in Turkey’s Nationwide University Entrance Examination in 2018. He won a silver medal in the National Mathematical Olympiads of Turkey in 2017. He moved to industry after getting his M.S. degree.
- A. S. Donmez, “Toward foundations of multi-team learning: Convergence, coordination, and equilibrium,” M.S. Thesis, Bilkent University, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 2025. [url]
- A. S. Donmez, O. Unlu, and M. O. Sayin, “Logit-Q dynamics for efficient learning in stochastic teams,” SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization, 2025. [url]
- A. S. Donmez, Y. Arslantas, and M. O. Sayin, “Team-fictitious play for reaching team-Nash equilibrium in multi-team games,” in NeurIPS, 2024. [url]
- A. S. Donmez and M. O. Sayin, “Generalized individual Q-learning for polymatrix games with partial observations,” in IEEE CDC, 2024. [url]
- S. T. Kiremitci, A. S. Donmez, and M. O. Sayin, “Achieving Pareto optimality in games via single-bit feedback,” in IEEE ICASSP, 2026. [url]
- Y. Arslantas, A. S. Donmez, E. Yuceel, M. O. Sayin, “Omniscient attacker in stochastic security games with interdependent nodes,” in IFAC World Congress, 2026.
- A. S. Donmez, Y. Arslantas, and M. O. Sayin, “Actor-dual-critic dynamics for zero-sum and identical-interest stochastic games,” 2026. [url]
- S. T. Kiremitci, A. S. Donmez, and M. O. Sayin, “Decentralized optimal equilibrium learning in stochastic games via single-bit feedback,” 2026. [url]
Yusuf Saltan
Yusuf received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University in 2023 and 2025, respectively. He moved to industry after getting his M.S. degree.
- Y. Saltan, “Design of non-monetary incentives for efficiency in selfish routing via strategic intersection control,” M.S. Thesis, Bilkent University, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 2025.
- Y. Saltan, A. Kosay, C.-W. Lin, and M. O. Sayin, “Strategic control of intersections for efficient traffic routing without tolls,” in IFAC CPHS, 2024. [url]
- A. Kosay, Y. Saltan, J.-J. Wang, C.-W. Lin, and M. O. Sayin, “Controlling traffic without tolls: A non-monetary framework for autonomous intersections,” 2026. [url]
Ege Yüceel
Ege received a B.S. degree with a full scholarship and high honors from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University in June 2024. He moved to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, for doctoral studies.
- Y. Arslantas, E. Yuceel, Y. Yalin, and M. O. Sayin, “Convergence of heterogeneous learning dynamics in zero-sum stochastic games,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2025. [url]
- Y. Arslantas, E. Yuceel, and M. O. Sayin, “Strategizing against Q-learners: A control-theoretical approach,” IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2024. [url]
- Y. Arslantas, A. S. Donmez, E. Yuceel, M. O. Sayin, “Omniscient attacker in stochastic security games with interdependent nodes,” in IFAC World Congress, 2026.
Yiğit Yalın
Yiğit received a B.S. degree with a full scholarship and high honors from the Department of Computer Engineering at Bilkent University in June 2024. He moved to Max Plank Institute for a Ph.D. on computer and information science.
- Y. Arslantas, E. Yuceel, Y. Yalin, and M. O. Sayin, “Convergence of heterogeneous learning dynamics in zero-sum stochastic games,” IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2025. [url]
Onur Ünlü
Onur received a B.S. degree with a full scholarship and high honors from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University in June 2023 with a CGPA of 3.97 / 4.00. He moved to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, for doctoral studies.