Our Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Trustees & Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Kültür College, Ful Akıngüç, our Rector, Prof. Dr. Fadime Üney Yüksektepe, Schools Coordinator of Kültür College, Biriz Kutoğlu and Legal Advisor of IKU, Lawyer İmren Öner, visited the Governor of Istanbul, Mr. Davut Gül, in his office.

Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver, our Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, was interviewed by Figen Atalay from Cumhuriyet newspaper. The interview, which has been published, covers topics such as expectations of the new generation from universities, the radical changes occurring in higher education, and the skills young people need to acquire.

To read the full interview, please click here.

As Istanbul Kültür University, we continue to take important steps in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the framework of the vision we have set for a sustainable future.

We are pleased to publish our reports within the scope of 2023 Sustainability Report, which covers the following SDGs:

SDG 3: Health and Quality of Life,

SDG 4: Quality Education,

SDG 5: Gender Equality,

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,

SDG 10: Reducing Inequalities,

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions,

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

For further information on the steps we are taking to contribute to a sustainable world, you can visit the Reports and Publications sections on the Sustainable Development Center (IKU SÜRKAM) website.

Sustainability is Kültür!

Following the earthquake on February 6, 2023, which heavily affected the southeastern part of our country, causing the loss of many lives, injuries, and the collapse of buildings, the “Earthquake-Resilient Parks Student Concept Project” was undertaken as a social responsibility initiative in collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture, the Architecture Club, and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality during the 2023-2024 Academic Year.

A total of fourteen students from the Department of Architecture contributed to the project, including Beyza Yılmaz, Celal Caner Sönmez, Cihad Alan, Ecrin Betül Tuz, Fatma Kuzu, Mehmet Küçük, Muhammet Alperen Erkani, Nazmiye İrem Bahadır, Nurcan Kalkan, Omar Bulatov, Osman Söylemez, Ömer Abdullah Karabulut, Özlem Işık, and Yaren Güler. The academic staff from the Department of Architecture, including Ayhan Usta, Evren Enginöz, Evrim Töre, İdil Akkuzu, Neslihan Dostoğlu, Ufuk Küçükyazıcı, served as advisors for the project.

The “Earthquake-Resilient Parks Concept Project” was designed to approach one of the country’s biggest problems, earthquakes, with a pioneering solution-oriented perspective. The goal of this project proposal was to minimize the potential problems caused by earthquakes and ensure that people’s basic needs are met. Safe gathering spaces for use in emergencies were provided, and infrastructure was developed to address fundamental needs. Proposals were created to quickly and effectively meet essential requirements such as shelter, water, food, and medical aid in the aftermath of an earthquake. Additionally, it was considered an important initiative in raising awareness and preparedness within the community regarding disasters. It was anticipated that such parks would not only provide psychological relief but also contribute to the increase of green spaces in urban areas.

On Thursday, November 14, 2024, an exhibition showcasing the project work was opened at the Ataköy building, 2nd floor central hall, with the participation of students and faculty members. After the opening speeches by Prof. Dr. Neslihan Dostoğlu, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Prof. Dr. Esra Bostancıoğlu, Head of the Department of Architecture, and Dr. Evren Burak Enginöz, Advisor to the Architecture Club; Celal Caner Sönmez, President of the Architecture Club, provided information about the projects. Certificates of appreciation were then presented to the students and faculty advisors. The exhibition, which continues in the 2nd floor central hall, is planned to be moved to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) in near future.

The third training session of the “Zero Tolerance to Violence on My Campus” project, carried out by the Yanındayız Association with the support of the Consulate General of Germany, was hosted by IKU Vocational School. The event, in which Assoc. Prof. Feyza Ak Akyol and Prof. Dr. İpek Merçil from Galatasaray University participated as speakers, was held on Thursday, November 7, at the Bakırköy Campus İncirli building.

As part of the “Meeting with the Industry” events, IKU Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema held a SETEM Film Production Workshop with the participation of Orhan Koçak, a screenwriter and producer from the Association of Film Directors, Writers and Composers (SETEM).

During the workshop held on Monday, November 11, in the multi-purpose hall on the 4th floor of the Ataköy building, detailed explanations were provided about the process of preparing a film project proposal, the film production supports of the T.R. Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the application conditions for these supports. The event concluded after Orhan Koçak answered the participants’ questions.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Toran, Academic Member and Head of the Department of Basic Education in the Faculty of Education at Istanbul Kültür University (IKU), attended the conference titled “Early Childhood Education in the Mediterranean” funded by the University of Malta and chaired by Prof. Dr. Valerie Sollars (Vice Rector of the University of Malta), between November 11 and 13, 2024. The conference, where the early childhood education policies of 13 countries in the Mediterranean basin were discussed, was also built on the foundations of the book titled “Early Childhood Education in the Mediterranean,” edited by Prof. Dr. Valerie Sollars and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Toran. The two-day conference was held in the form of “Round Table Discussions - Readings” and “Small Scientific Session.”

The “Small Scientific Session” was enriched by the participation and stimulating discussions of the faculty members of the University of Malta and the heads of the Ministry of Education of the Government of Malta. The “Small Scientific Session” was led by Dr. Josephine Degaura, a faculty member at the University of Malta. The conference concluded with inspiring critical insights from Prof. Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, one of the world’s leading sociologists and also a faculty member at the University of Malta.

Based on the discussions that took place during the conference and the constructive feedback received from these discussions the book titled “Early Childhood Education in the Mediterranean: Availability, Accessibility and Affordability of Services”, which will be finalized by the editors Prof. Sollars and Prof. Toran, is expected to become one of the fundamental references in its field. The book is planned to be published by Brill Publisher at the end of the year.

Didem Günerhan and Murat Ağaçdalı participated as speakers in the seminar organized on Monday, November 11, as part of the “IE3502 - Financial and Cost Accounting” course given in the Department of Industrial Engineering.

Our Head of Business Development, Industrial and Sectoral Relations Unit (İGESİB) Lecturer Selen Çeliköz and Project Assistant Ceyhan Tektel attended the meeting for the panel studies planned to be held within the scope of the “Children’s Rights Workshop” under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Asiye Nuhoğlu and Monik İpekel at Istinye University's Vadi H Campus on November 12, 2024. In the meeting, topics such as digital addiction, social education, peer bullying, children's law, and sustainability were discussed in the context of work on children's rights, aimed at viewing life and the world from a child's perspective, and and information was also given about the trainings provided by IKU İGESİB.

The English Teaching Club organized a seminar titled “Language Test Success Strategies” in order to provide the future teachers with insights on testing, and show students how the learning processes can be evaluated during the education-training process. The event, where Lecturer Dr. Sinan Bataklar and Lecturer Hüseyin Can from the School of Foreign Languages were the speakers, was held on Tuesday, October 22, at 14.00 in the Z-16 Conference Hall of the Küçükçekmece Campus.

Within the scope of #GameTalks events, the Department of Digital Game Design held a talk about the design process of gameplay experiences with the participation of Game Designer Serra Güzeller on Tuesday, November 5. Güzeller explained to the students how different areas such as aesthetics, mechanics, technology, and story come together in games through different games and also organised a game design workshop within the scope of the event.

Hosted by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Regional Employment Office, the 3rd Istanbul Career Fair was held on November 14-15, 2024 at Dr. Architect Kadir Topbaş Show and Fair Center. This year's event brought together nearly 150 companies and offered students and graduates job and internship opportunities.

The fair was attended by Doğa Kurtyiğit, Unit Officer from the Kültür Point Unit of the Dean of Students Office, and Ecem Uçar, Career Expert, on November 14, 2024.

Our representatives, who came together with the companies at the career fair, held discussions about the planned career days at our university. In addition, sponsorship agreements were also discussed for events to be held with student clubs.

A charity bazaar was organized by the Animal Protection and Survival Club in the foyer area of ​​the Ataköy building in the Bakırköy campus on Sunday, October 20, in order to meet the clinic and food needs of our little friends on our campuses.

The Department of Industrial Engineering organized a seminar as part of the "IE0505-Marketing Management” course, on Wednesday, October 13. Erkmen Erakkus, the founder of Kompanion, attended the event as the guest speaker.

On Tuesday, October 29, the Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Theatre Club students attended the documentary screening at Ataköy Youth and Sports Centre with the aim to gain deeper insight into Haldun Taner and his great work “I Close My Eyes and Do My Duty” which they are preparing to stage this year.

In cooperation with Istanbul Kültür University Marketing Club and the Program of Business Management, a panel talk titled “The Way to the Consumer's Heart Is Through the Brain: Neuromarketing” was organized on Wednesday, November 13. Neuromarketing Consultant Seda Genç attended the event as a speaker. The panel began with an opening speech by Marketing Club President Fatma Muhammedi. Seda Genç shared her insights on the significance of neuromarketing for both consumers and brands, as well as its role in the global and local markets. The event was moderated by Assist. Prof. Emine Anık, Head of the Program of Business Management & Marketing Club Advisor.

The Debate Club participated in the “Debate Training Days” event, held at Galatasaray University on November 9-10.

Within the scope of the School of Foreign Languages English activities, an event titled "The Importance of English in Career Development" was organised for the students of the Department of Industrial Engineering. The event, where Kübra Cengiz from Macmillan Education was the speaker, was held in two sessions (11.00 and 14.00) on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

The Program of IKU Tourism and Hotel Management organized a “Beverage Training” at the Radisson Blu Istanbul Ottomare Hotel on Wednesday, October 30. The training was conducted by Zeynel Karakuş, Food and Beverage Manager of the Radisson Blu Istanbul Ottomare Hotel.

The Program of Tourism and Hospitality Management will organise a “Galataport Istanbul Applied Training and Tour” event on Monday, November 18 between 09:30 and 13:00.

The Department of Economics will hold its first seminar of the 2024-2025 Academic Year, on the theme of “Product Safety and Inspection” on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 13:00 in the Küçükçekmece Campus Conference Hall. With the participation of students as well as sector representatives and the Chief Inspectorate of the Istanbul Group Presidency of the Inspection Board of the Ministry of Commerce, current practices and inspections in the trade in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and related sectors for human, animal, and plant health will be discussed.

In cooperation with the Interior Architecture and Design Club and the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, an interview titled “Current Approaches in Store Design” will be organised in order to convey the issues to be considered in retail design to students. The event, where Architect Mehmet Serhat Çetinkaya from Kelebek Mobilya will be the speaker, will be held on Monday, November 18 at 13:00 in the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.

The "Ceramic Workshop" event will be organized in collaboration with the Dean of Students, Kültür Point Professional Career Development Coordination, and Özyazıcı Hearing Impaired Secondary School. The event, which aims to develop the manual skills of hearing-impaired students and ensure their socialization, will be held on Tuesday, November 19 at 10:00 in the Ceramics Workshop in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.

The Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design will organise a seminar to enable designers to share their practical experiences with students through their projects. The event, where Interior Architect Jeyan Ülkü and Kültür Yıldız will be the speakers, will be held on Tuesday, November 19 at 13:00 in the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.

In cooperation with IKU ELT Club and the Department of Foreign Language Education, “Alumni Panel” will be organised in order to bring our graduates together with our students and benefit from their experiences. The event, where our graduates Lecturer Gülşah Köse and Lecturer Başak Yağmur will be speakers, will be held on Tuesday, November 19th, at 14:00 in the Küçükçekmece campus conference hall.

The Vocational School will host a talk titled “Mexico, Belize, Guatemala” to inform students about the Maya Culture, the Mu Civilization, and their belief systems. Prof. Dr. Güler Ertan, Emeritus Professor at Arel University, will be the speaker at the event which will be held on Tuesday, November 19, at 15.00 in the 1A01 lecture hall at the İncirli building of the Bakırköy Campus.

In collaboration with the Dean of Students’ Office Kültür Point and the English Teaching Club, a “Speaking Club” event will be held to provide students and staff with English-speaking practice under the guidance of language instructors. The event is scheduled for November 19, at 17.00 at the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

The Performance Arts Club and the Turkish Classical Music Choir will perform a concert titled “Devr-i Daim-2" under the direction of Conductor Tarkan Öngen. The concert will take place on Tuesday, November 19, from 19.00 to 23.00 at the Kültür College Alumni Hall.

The School of Foreign Languages will organize an event titled “How to Learn and Improve a Foreign Language?” for Vocational School students. The event, where Lecturer Kübra Cengiz will be the speaker, will be held on Wednesday, November 20, at 14.00 in the 1A01 lecture hall at the İncirli building of the Bakırköy Campus.

The Faculty of Law of IKU will hold the ceremony of the ‘Honorary Doctorate’ title awarded to Prof. Dr. iur Wolf-Dietrich Walker by our university on Wednesday, November 20 at 14:00 in the twin hall on the 6th floor of the Bahçelievler campus.

The Department of Computer Engineering will host a talk titled “A Career Beyond Engineering” to emphasize the importance of social skills, such as effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, in addition to technical skills for successful engineering career. The event, in which Ali Barış Bingüler from Amaris Consulting will be the guest speaker, will be held on Wednesday, November 20, at 14.00 in the ZB-2 lecture hall at the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

IKU Design Factory will hold an event titled “Big Mistakes of Entrepreneurs-1" featuring Özkan Yağız, Founder of PitGrowth, and Mürsel Ferhat Sağlam, Founder of Branding Türkiye. The event will take place on Wednesday, November 20, at 15.30 in the Design Factory at the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus. The event quota is limited to 45 people. Participants will receive a digital certificate of attendance.

Registration Form: https://forms.gle/pygWRoAabpJK3GNx6

The event titled “Creative Writing Club” aimed at students and staff interested in developing their English writing skills through exercises, will be organized with the collaboration of the Dean of Students’ Office Kültür Point and English Literature Society. The event will be held on Wednesday, November 20, at 17.00 at the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

As part of the “ERP with Uyumsoft” course, the Department of International Trade and Finance will organize a technical visit to Uyumsoft’s office at YTU Technopark on Thursday, November 21.

The Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering will organize a “MATLAB Campus License Usage Seminar” to raise awareness among students. Burak Süha Minaz, a Customer Success Engineer, will be the speaker at the seminar which will be held on Thursday, November 21, at 11.00 in Seminar Hall 2 at the Ataköy building of the Ataköy Campus.

The Department of Architecture will hold a conference titled “Geography as an Architectural Issue” aimed at educating the students about the relationship between architecture and place. The event, in which Master Architect Nevzat Sayın will be the speaker, will be held on Thursday, November 21, at 13.00 in the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall at the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

The Orchestra IKU will perform a “Factory Acoustic” concert themed “’90s Turkish Pop” on Thursday, November 21, at 14.00 at the Design Factory in the Ataköy Building of the Bakırköy Campus.

In cooperation with the Kültür Point of the Dean of Students Office and the English Language Teaching Club, a "Speaking Club" event will be organized for students and staff, who have difficulty speaking English, to practice the language with instructors. The event will be hosted at the Bakırköy Campus Ataköy Building, on Thursday, November 21, at 17:00.

The “MONDIACULT: Culture Summit as the Engine of Sustainable Development" will be organized in cooperation with the Sustainable Development Center (IKU SÜRKAM) and the Cultural Values Protection Club of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO. The event, where Prof. Dr. M. Öcal Oğuz, President of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO, will be a speaker, will be held on Friday, November 22, at 09.30 in the Akıngüç Auditorium and Art Center at the Bakırköy Campus Ataköy building.

In cooperation with the Kültür Point of the Dean of Students Office and the English Language and Literature Club, a “Creative Writing Club” event will be organized for students and staff who want to improve their English writing skills through practice. The event will be hosted at the Bakırköy Campus Ataköy Building on Friday, November 22, at 17:00.