Istanbul Bilgi University ( ) is a private, non-profit university in Istanbul, Turkey. It was actually established in 1994 under the name ISIS (Istanbul School of International Studies), but its name was changed to Istanbul Bilgi University with the foundation of the school on June 7, 1996. Today, with its 4 faculties, 4 institutions, 32 undergraduate, 28 graduate programs, and a vocational school, Bilgi is one of the leading universities of Turkey, and celebrated its 10th anniversary year in 2006. Bilgi's motto is "non scholae sed vitae discimus".On February 10, 2009, Istanbul Bilgi University announced that it would join the Laureate international Universities network.

History

The Bilgi Educational and Cultural Foundation, the basis of Istanbul Bilgi University, was established on October 31, 1994 for the realization of the following objectives:

• To establish and operate educational and instructional institutions focusing on foreign languages, social sciences, science and technology at all levels and kinds,
• to conduct scientific and cultural research,
• to establish and operate museums to protect Turkey's cultural heritage,
• to organize seminars, briefings, conferences and/or similar gatherings for the advancement of the nation’s cultural life,
• to extend provisional or monetary support to persons or representational organs that participate in cultural activities.

Istanbul Bilgi University took its place as a private, non-profit institution within the Turkish system of higher education in accordance with a decision of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The aim was to introduce a fresh outlook to an obsolete educational system, and to establish an independent international institution of education in Istanbul.

Mission

The founding premise of Istanbul Bilgi University is that the ultimate goal of the advancement of knowledge is the happiness and well-being of the individual and of society.

Bilgi seeks to educate free-thinking, creative, intellectually-curious and enterprising individuals who will contribute to a world, in which knowledge is the primary driving force in society, in which knowledge is accessible to all and, indeed, in which access to it has come to be seen as a fundamental human right.

Istanbul Bilgi University is responsible for providing a basic education for its students in diverse fields, an education that fosters open-minded, multi-dimensional ways of thinking and an education with the requisite degree of flexibility that will enable Bilgi graduates to meet the boundless challenges of an ever-changing future.

Organization

Education

Bilgi is administrated by a Board of Trustees has 9 members. The university's rector is elected by a vote of the board members every four years.

Istanbul Bilgi University is a member of the European University Association (EUA), the International Association of Universities (IAU) and the OECD/IMHE (Program on Institutional Management in Higher Education). Bilgi is also an active participant in the Erasmus exchange network and has strong academic affiliations with numerous universities abroad.

Bilgi has 4 faculties, a vocational school, and four institutions which form the university's graduate school.

Faculty of Communication Advertising Art Management Cultural Management Film and Television Management of Performing Arts Media and Communication Systems Photography and Video Public Relations Television Reporting and Programming Visual Communication Design Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Business Administration Business Economics Business Informatics Economics Economics and Management Honours Economics Honours European Union Studies International Finance International Relations International Trade and Business Mathematics and Economics Honors Political Economy and Social Philosophy Political Science Faculty of Law Law Faculty of Arts and Science Comparative Literature Computer Science Financial Mathematics History Mathematics Music Psychology Sociology

School of Advanced Vocational Studies Design and Printing-Publishing International Trade Management Management Online Journalism and Publishing Photography and Videography Public Relations and Advertising Radio and Television Programming Graduate School Institute of Social Sciences Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences MArch in Architectural Design European Institute Graduate Programs PhD in Economics PhD in Mathematics PhD in Organization Studies PhD in Political Science MA in Comparative Literature MA in Cultural Studies MA in Cultural Management MA in Clinical Psychology MA in European Studies MA in Film and Television MA in History MA in Human Resource Management MA in International Political Economy MA in International Relations MA in Marketing Communication MA in Philosophy and Social Thought MA in Psychology MArch in Architectural Design MBA e-MBA MFA in Visual Communication Design MSc in Economics MSc in Mathematichs MSc in Financial Economics MSc in Accounting and Auditing MSc in International Finance LL.M. in Business Law LL.M. in Human Rights Law

Scholarships

Bilgi offers several scholarships to support its students throughout their academic life at the university. These scholarships are as stated below.

University entrance scholarship

In order to be eligible for this scholarship, students have to achieve the minimum score for the scholarship capacity of the department in which they want to study at the national university entrance examination. Entrance scores for the scholarship capacity are highly competitive for each department, but once the student enters Bilgi with an entrance scholarship, he can continue his studies for seven years without having to pay the school fee.

International Baccalaurate scholarship

Students who have an IB degree can benefit from discount made on the school fees. The discounts vary according to the achievement of the student at his IB degree.

Academic achievement scholarship

Students who have not received an entrance scholarship can benefit from the academic achievement scholarship. Students who have ranked first in an academic year which they are continuing their studies will be exempt from the school fees for the following academic year.

Sports scholarship

Students who have shown great performance in one of the sports teams of Bilgi and/or who have been selected to the national team can benefit from this scholarship. The amount of the scholarship is determined by the Scholarship Committee.

Arts and culture scholarship

Students who have represented Bilgi in any culture or arts branch in a national or an international level can benefit from this scholarship. Although priority is given to the academic achievement of the student while being considered for scholarship, importance is also given to the representation of Bilgi in events of culture and arts.

Student activities

Student union

Students at Bilgi are represented by a Student Union elected by the students each year during the fall semester. The union has the right to interfere in various issues regarding the school. Academic representatives from each department, elected by the students in the fall semester, are also a part of the union.

Student clubs

Clubs are an important part of the student life at Bilgi. The students get the chance to benefit from the lively atmosphere and spend free time with the clubs. Bilgi has over 40 clubs, some of which are listed below.

Art Club Bilgi Community Club Business Economics Club Chess Club Cinema at Bilgi Club Colours of Bilgi Club Dance Club Ecological Life Club Forum of European Journalism Students Club History Research Club Japanese Club Literature Club Martial Arts Club Model United Nations Club [186492]

Modern Lawyers Club Mountaineering Club Public Relations Club [186493] Psychology Club Rainbow LGBT Club Rintintin Animal Rights Club Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Club [186494] Rock Club Social Sciences Club Socialist Thinking Club Substance Abuse Prevention Club Theatre Candela Theatre Triole Travel Club Turkish Club Women Studies Club

Student festivals

In addition to its brilliant academic atmosphere, Bilgi is famous for its lively student organizations. Two festivals are conducted each year by Bilgi students. Summerfest, where the students get the chance to enjoy themselves after a long period of hard study, usually takes place at the end of the spring semester. The Winterfest takes place at the end of the fall term forming a pleasant environment for the students amid the cold days of winter.

Libraries and Museums

Bilgi has two libraries, one in Dolapdere and one in the Kuştepe campus, and is planning to open the biggest library in Turkey in its SantralIstanbul campus. Bilgi Library offers an extensive system to support university degree programs, research and teaching. An impressive collection of books, periodicals, e-books, e-journals, academic internet resources, music scores and other printed material are available in the library. Extensive audio-visual and sound recording collections are also available. The virtual library contains more than 25.000 electronic books, 23.000 electronic journals, 37 electronic databases and encyclopedias. Access to these resources is available over internet, on-campus and off-campus.

In addition to its state-of-the-art library at the SantralIstanbul campus, Bilgi opened a modern arts museum, named [Santralistanbul], which hosts conferences, seminars, and exhibitions started in the fall semester of 2007.

Sports and athletic facilities

In addition to its outstanding opportunities of education, Bilgi is also a school of sports and arts, where the students enjoy the privilege of being able to benefit from the university's facilities. The sports teams of Bilgi are famous for their success at the national and international competitions conducted throughout the year. The university has over 15 sports teams.

Bilgi has an indoor sports hall at the Kuştepe campus where students can enjoy playing basketball, volleyball, handball, badminton, and performing aerobics. Bilgi's Dolapdere campus has a semi-Olympic indoor swimming pool, a basketball court, a fitness center, and a dance hall.

Overview of campuses

With its three campuses, in the heart of Istanbul, Bilgi is a "city university". Dolapdere is the campus, where freshmen, English preparatory program, computer science, mathematics, and law students attend. It is a ten-minute walking distance to Taksim Square. A ten-minute walking distance to Mecidiyeköy, Kuştepe is the home to sophomores, juniors, and to the seniors. The SantralIstanbul campus, located in the Silahtarağa neighborhood at the upper end of Golden Horn, is the new campus, which hosts some art and science departments of the university, a contemporary arts museum, and a state-of-the-art library open to the public.

Notable faculty

Chris Stephenson Asaf Savaş Akat Murat Belge Taner Berksoy İsmail Cem (1940-2007) Feride Çiçekoğlu Edhem Eldem Ricky Ford Selen Gülün Can Kozlu Pınar Kür

Ömer Madra Betül Mardin Donovan Mixon Ali Nesin Celil Oker Soli Özel Fatih Özgüven İpek Özkal-Sanver Jale Parla M. Remzi Sanver İhsan Bilgin

Ertugrul Ahmet Tonak Murat Güvenç Bülent Somay Ferda Keskin Ulus Baker Ferhat Kentel Semra Somersan Murat Paker Dirk Johan Stromberg Haluk Şahin Turgut Tarhanlı

Mete Tunçay Suraiya Faroqhi Serhan Ada İlter Turan Gareth Winrow Şule Kut İlhan Usmanbaş Serap Yazıcı Arus Yumul Derviş Zaim Niyazi Öktem

Laszlo Nemeth Ege Yazgan Koray Akay Goksel Asan Butch Morris Tansel Korkmaz Nesrin Topkapı

Notable alumni

• Togan Gökbakar - Winner of the 2005 Altın Koza Film Festival in the student category. Director of the film "Gen" released in cinemas in Turkey in 2006. (The film department team was disbanded by the rector in 2005. The department was supposedly accused by lack of encouragement of students in film production.)
• Cenk Sidar - Business Consultant
• Elif Turan - Jazz vocalist
• Evrim Özsuca - Jazz vocalist
• Serra Sabancı (1975) - Businesswoman and member of the board of directors of Sabancı Holding

See also

• List of universities in Turkey

External links

• Istanbul Bilgi University Publications
• Istanbul Bilgi University Department of Computer Science
• Cinema at Bilgi
• Bilgi Egitim
• Bilgi Career Center
• Bilgi in Pictures
• Bilgi Classifieds
• Matematik Dünyası-Popular Mathematics Journal edited by Ali Nesin (in Turkish)
• SantralMüzik-Online Journal on Music (in Turkish)

References

• Istanbul Bilgi University official website