Soysal pursued further education in the United States, where she received her master's (1973) and doctoral (1976) degrees in mathematics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.[2]
Soysal also held office as vice dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and the chairman of the Department of Mathematics. Between 1992 and 2004, Soysal was elected dean of the School of Arts and Sciences for four consecutive terms. She also represented Boğaziçi University in the Interuniversity Council (Üniversitelerarası Kurul) and she held board membership for the Turkey branch of UNESCO.
Between 2008 and 2012, he served as a member of the Scientific Board of TÜBİTAK, the Executive Board of the TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center and the Board of Directors of the Feza Gürsey Basic Sciences Research Institute. Between 2009-2013, he served as a member of the General Assembly of the Council of Higher Education (Turkey)[3]
Soysal was appointed as the president (natively rektor) of Boğaziçi University in 2004, and was the first woman who occupied the office. She served as president until August 2008.[4] She retired from her position as professor at Boğaziçi University end 2014.[5]