Within the scope of the “March 8 International Working Women’s Day” events, a talk titled “Round Table: Economic, Psychological, and Cultural Dimensions of Male Violence Against Women” was organized in collaboration with IKU SURKAM, the Department of Common Courses, Design Factory, and the International Women’s Solidarity Association.

The event, which was held on Friday, March 14, 2025, between 14:00 and 16:00 at the Design Factory in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus, was moderated by our Head of the Department of Common Courses, Assoc. Prof. Selda Salman-Sakızlı. Our Head of the Women and Social Research Unit, Assoc. Prof. Burcu Türk, our Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship, Assist. Prof. Artür Yetvart Mumcu, and our Head of the Department of Digital Game Design, Assoc. Prof. Zeynep Koçer Göztepe, were the speakers at the event. The event ended with a Q&A session following the sharing of ideas by Şima Sunder, President of the International Women's Solidarity Association Istanbul.

In cooperation with the Sustainable Development Centre (SURKAM), Dean of Students Office Kültür Point and Design Factory, “Sustainable You Talks: Transforming World, Responsible Individual” event was organized on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in the Design Factory at the Ataköy building, Bakırköy Campus. Within the scope of the event, panels were organized on the three main dimensions of sustainability: on social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Murat Üçer, Consultant at GlobalSource Partners Türkiye, Co-Founder of TurkeyData and Lecturer at Koç University, attended as the guest speaker in the panel on economic sustainability moderated by Prof. Dr. Burcu Yavuz Tiftikçigil, Vice Rector & Coordinator of IKUSURKAM.

Bringing together Europe's leading academic and sectoral organizations, the “EPD-Net (Filling The Gap: Development of Ecological Planning and Design Learning Network and an Adaptive Smart Training Module for Disaster Resilient and Sustainable Cities)” project is being implemented as an innovative initiative aimed at integrating ecological planning and design into disaster resilience strategies. The project, carried out in cooperation with 22 stakeholders from seven countries, is supported by the Erasmus+ Program.

Within the scope of the project, EPD-Net officially commenced with an opening meeting held online at 20:00 on March 17, 2025. In addition to speeches outlining the project's scope and content, Istanbul Kültür University Vice Rector, Prof. Dr. Gülce Öğrüç Ildız, delivered a speech of gratitude.

The EPD-Net project aims to develop new planning approaches by addressing the critical role of ecological planning and design in disaster risk management. EPD-Net seeks to enhance the sustainability and resilience of cities and societies by integrating advanced technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and artificial intelligence into ecological planning processes.

The project will bring together a wide range of stakeholders, including Prof. Dr. Neslihan Dostoğlu, Prof. Dr. Evren Burak Enginöz, Prof. Dr. Evrim Özkan, Assist. Prof. Zeynep Ayşe Gökşin, faculty members of Istanbul Kültür University Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture under the chair of Eskişehir Technical University, as well as many local and international academics, public institutions, private sector representatives, and non-governmental organizations. Internationally recognized experts, project partners, and relevant sector representatives will collaborate to build a safer, more sustainable, and resilient future within the scope of the EPD-Net project.

An important meeting regarding internship and job opportunities in the fields of nursing and elderly care in Germany was held by the Faculty of Health Sciences on Monday, March 10, 2025, with the participation of the Undersecretary of the German Ministry of Health, Prof. Dr. Franke. The meeting was attended by our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Gülce Öğrüç Ildız, our Advisor to the Board of Trustees Özkan Gül, our Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Asiye Gül, our Head of the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Prof. Dr. B. Semin Akel, our Head of the Department of Nursing Assist. Prof. Mukaddes Turan Miral, and the Head of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics and our Vice Dean Assist. Prof. Pelin Baltacı. During the meeting, student internship programs and employment opportunities in the fields of nursing and elderly care from Türkiye to Germany were discussed.

Prof. Dr. Gülce Öğrüç Ildız and Prof. Dr. Asiye Gül attended the dinner held at the German Consulate on the same evening upon the invitation of the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Regine Grienberger. At the dinner, academic and professional cooperation issues between the two countries were discussed. Our Vice Rector presented Consul Dr. Regine Grienberger and Undersecretary of the German Ministry of Health Prof. Dr. Franke with a memorial plaque from our university.

In cooperation with the Department of International Trade and Finance, and the Department of International Relations, the “Societal Gender Equality Workshop” was held on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at Küçükçekmece Campus within the scope of “March 8 International Women’s Day”. The workshop consisted of 6 tables, and the moderator of each table was as follows: Çağla Uzun, a graduate of Istanbul Kültür University Department of Preschool Teaching, moderated the “Women’s Participation in Education” table, Irmak Çil Arslan from Yanındayız Association, moderated the “Dating Violence” table in Turkish, Selen Çakırhan, a graduate of Boğaziçi University Department of Psychology, moderated the “Dating Violence” table in English, Melek Gider, a member of TUSES, moderated the “Economic Violence” table, Elmas Arus, a Council Member at IBB, moderated the “Women’s Poverty” table, and Zelal Yalçın, Advisor to the Mayor of Şişli Municipality, moderated the “Social Policies” table.

The discussion topics included obstacles to the girls’ education, supporting girls with scholarships, obstacles to women’s participation in the labour force, women’s employment in low-paid or precarious jobs, maternity leave, strong social policies that will contribute to women’s empowerment, the need to address dating violence as a social issue, and psychological support.

At the end of the workshop, our students received certificates of participation. We would like to thank our academicians, guests, valuable students who contributed to the workshop.

Our esteemed Prof. Dr. Atilla Özalpan, Founding Head of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (MOBIGEN), was commemorated on the 13th anniversary of his passing with a panel titled “Rising of Our Age: Molecular Biology and Artificial Intelligence” on Friday, March 14, 2025, in the Önder Öztunalı Seminar Hall at the Bakırköy campus Ataköy building.

In the panel, moderated by Prof. Dr. Ozan Kocadağlı from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, who is also a guest lecturer at our university, presentations on the applications of artificial intelligence in molecular biology and health, genetic data analysis and deep learning-based programs they have developed were given by Arda Tekin, a graduate student at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, and the legal dimension of gene editing techniques, the ethical limits of processing medical data by artificial intelligence and the legal dimension of patent processes of artificial intelligence-based biotechnological inventions were presented by Attorney Yıldız Tuğçe Erduran.

In the event, held with the participation of Prof. Atilla Özalpan's family, our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Gülce Öğrüç Ildız, Prof. Dr. Nihal Sarıer and Assist. Prof. İbrahim Ethem Tarhan from the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Dr. Sevim Akyüz and Prof. Dr. Emel Yavuz from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the academic staff and students of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, the panelists and participants interactively discussed the intersection of molecular biology and artificial intelligence from multiple perspectives, and their legal and ethical dimensions were also evaluated.

The Performance Arts Club organized an event titled “Growing with Art, Rising with Responsibility” within the scope of “March 8 International Women’s Day”. Elif Koman, Founder of T&D Works, attended as the speaker in the event held on March 10, 2025, at Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus. Elif Koman shared the difficulties she faced in the sector, and her experiences as a woman entrepreneur. Sharing the details of the projects in which she provides employment to women in the field of design, Koman emphasized the power of art to raise awareness of social responsibility and the place of women in business life.

The Leadership and Management Club organized a talk titled "Not Just One Day, Every Day is Women" within the scope of March 8 International Women's Day. Sabah Newspaper Writer Funda Karayel and Lawyer Belma Eren İlbay participated as speakers in the event held on Tuesday, March 11, at the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.

The event, which encouraged women to take a more active role in leadership, raised awareness among participants about gender equality. It was emphasized that women should take on leading roles in business, academia, entrepreneurship, and all areas of society and that women are important not only on certain days but every day.

The second seminar titled "Losing While Thinking You've Won: Fighting Addiction and Rehabilitation" was organized in collaboration with Istanbul Kültür University, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), IMM Campus Solution Unit, and the Social Adaptation Support Center (UDEM).

The seminar, held on Monday, March 17, 2025, at the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus, aimed to raise awareness about gambling addiction as well as other types of addiction.

Clinical Psychologist Ayla Yıldırım from the Addiction Control and Rehabilitation Branch Directorate, who participated in the event as a speaker, provided important information to the participants, especially touching on the issues of virtual gambling and screen addiction.

The seminar, which raised awareness about the effects of addictions on individuals and society, created a valuable sharing platform regarding solutions and rehabilitation processes.

The Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema organized the “Cinematic Video Production with Artificial Intelligence” workshop with the participation of artist and academician Lecturer Murat Fırat. In the workshop held on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in the 1st floor multi-purpose hall at the Ataköy building, Bakırköy Campus, the creative uses of artificial intelligence in the field of art and cinema were discussed.

During the workshop, Murat Fırat shared information about the current artificial intelligence tools, the possibilities offered by AI technologies in cinematic video production, and his experiences in his own artistic production process. At the event, Fırat’s AI-supported cinematic video works were presented. Afterwards, the audience had the opportunity to ask questions on art production with artificial intelligence. This workshop, held at the intersection of innovation and art, inspired students and cinema enthusiasts who want to explore the role of artificial intelligence in visual storytelling.

The Atatürk Principles and History of Turkish Revolution Research and Application Center (ATAMER) and the Atatürkist Thought Club (ADK) organized a trip to Çanakkale Martyrdom on Saturday, March 15.

The Türkiye Knitwear Industrialists Association (TRISAD) brought together sector representatives, academics and leading names from the business world at the iftar meal organized on March 18. Istanbul Kültür University Vocational School officials also participated in the gathering, which was held at Wish More Hotel.

The iftar program was attended by Zeytinburnu District Governor Âdem Uslu, TRISAD Chairperson of the Board of Directors Mustafa Balkuv, TRİSAD Board of Directors members and TRISAD Education Officer Murat Tataoğlu as well as Istanbul Kültür University Vocational School Director Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özer, Assistant Directors Lecturer Gözde Kuzu Uluçay, Lecturer Kerem Yücesan, Head of Program of Fashion Design Lecturer Neslihan Tokat Ozan, Lecturer Merve Kahveci and related academicians.

During the program, where TRISAD management and guests delivered various speeches, ideas were shared regarding the sector's current state, future collaborations, and education-industry integration.

In addition to discussions on recent developments and collaborations within the sector, TRISAD's educational projects were also highlighted at the event. The speeches underscored the importance of university-industry cooperation and emphasized the necessary steps to attract young talent to the sector.

The fourth session of the “Ceramic Workshop”, organized in cooperation with Istanbul Kültür University Dean of Students Office Kültür Point and Özyazıcı Special Education Vocational School, was held on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the Fine Arts Application and Research Centre (GSUAM) Ceramic Workshop at the Ataköy building, Bakırköy Campus.

The workshop, which our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Gülce Öğrüç Ildız and the Director of the Distance Education Application and Research Centre Assist. Prof. Neslihan Fatma Er attended as well, was held with 10 hearing impaired students under the guidance of Instructor Özhan Pak.

Within the scope of the “Workshop II” course conducted by Prof. Dr. Esin Kasapoğlu and Assoc. Prof. Gamze Alptekin from the Department of Architecture, a seminar titled “Waterproofing” was given by Civil Engineer Jozef Bonfil, who is a consultant in the field of waterproofing and thermal insulation at Vesline Chemicals on Tuesday, March 4.

The event titled "Occupational Health and Safety in Healthcare Institutions" was held by the Program of Medical Documentation and Secretarial on Monday, March 17, 2025, in the 1A01 amphitheater in the İncirli building of the Bakırköy campus. Medicana Health Group Occupational Health and Safety & Environment Group Manager Evrim Akbayır was the speaker at the event, and participants were informed about occupational health and safety in healthcare institutions.

The Mathematics-Computer Club organized the “Database Management with Oracle” training on Thursday, February 27 at the Design Factory in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus. In the training given by Ferdi Türkoğlu, Expert Database Administrator, and Alper Alçin, Oracle Database Administrator, participants were taught how to write SQL queries in Oracle database systems, data management processes and performance optimization techniques. In the training, where practical work was provided as well as theoretical information, the participants had the opportunity to reinforce what they had learned.

The Program of Flight Operations Management organized a talk titled "The Path to the Sky: Captain Pilot and Flight Dispatcher Collaboration" on Friday, March 14, 2025. AJET Airline Captain Pilot Evren Yılmaz and AJET Airline Dispatch Performance Manager Orhan Atmaca attended the event as guests, moderated by the Head of the Program of Flight Operations Management, Lecturer Evren Yılmaz.

At the event, where valuable insights were shared on the importance of cooperation between Captain Pilots and Flight Operations Experts in the aviation industry, our students had the opportunity to gain important information about the sector.

Within the scope of the "ARC0802 Workshop II" course conducted by Prof. Dr. Esin Kasapoğlu and Assoc. Prof. Gamze Alptekin from the Department of Architecture (English Program), a trip was organized to the "Avenue Bakırköy" construction site in Bakırköy, whose employer is Kiptaş, and whose contractors are Nuhoğlu Group and the Trend-Onur Alkan Partnership, through the mediation of Assist. Prof. Selen Yazıcı. During the trip, held on Friday, March 7, 2025, students had the opportunity to see and examine various insulation, rough construction, and finishing works on-site and receive information on technical issues from site engineers.

Members of the Mathematics-Computer Club participated in the “Mathematics Day Istanbul 2025” event held at Gebze Technical University on Friday, March 14. Through seminars, panels, and workshops organized at the event, the participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with various aspects of mathematics and had the chance to further improve their mathematical thinking skills by learning from experts in various fields.

With the support of Seiko, a wall shelf and special cladding work were carried out for the Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Vocational School (MYO) Opticianry Laboratory. Thanks to this cooperation, our students now have a more organized, modern, and functional learning environment. We would like to thank Seiko for supporting quality education in the optical sector.

Bahadır Karabağ, our 2013 alumni, and Mehmet Can Erdal, our 2016 alumni, participated as speakers in the seminar organized on Monday, March 17, as part of the “IE2401-Introduction to Industrial Engineering” course given in the Department of Industrial Engineering.

Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Vocational School Program of Opticianry organized an event titled “Top Segment Brands” on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The event, attended by Elit Glasses Training Officer Gülsüm Yapar as a speaker, was moderated by Assist. Prof. Gözde Yılmaz and Lecturer Neslihan Demiröz. During the event, strategies and examples of top segment brands were examined.

IKU Geek Club organized a “Board Games” event on Thursday, March 13th in order to strengthen the members’ bond with each other and relieve stress before midterms.

IKU Construction Club organized a technical trip to Boğaziçi Concrete Batching Plant in Zeytinburnu on Wednesday, March 12, in order to become better acquainted with the sector and observe concrete production processes on site.

Members of the IKU Debate Club participated in debate tournaments held at Galatasaray University on February 22-23 and at Başkent University on March 1-2.

The Department of Economics will organize an interview titled "Blockchain Technology in the Creative Economy: Digital Realm and Emerging Cases" to discuss the effects of blockchain technology in the innovative economy. The event where Iryna Skavronska from Istanbul Gelişim University will be the speaker will be held on Monday, March 24 at 11.00 at the Küçükçekmece Campus Conference Hall.

In cooperation with IKU Youth Office and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the “Financial Literacy Training” will be organized to provide participants with information about financial concepts and enable them to use this information in their financial decisions. The training, which will be given by Prof. Dr. Müge Çetiner, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, will be held on Monday, March 24 at 14.30 at Öncer Öztunatlı Conference Hall at the Ataköy building, Bakırköy Campus.

The Program of Medical Documentation and Secretariat will host an interview titled “Patient Services Processes in Health Institutions” to prepare students for the industry. The event, where Serdar Sarıbaş, Deputy General Manager of Private Medical Park Bahçelievler Hospital, will be the speaker, will be held on Tuesday, March 25, at 11:00, in the 1A-01 lecture hall at the Bakırköy Campus, İncirli building.

The preview of the documentary “Cosmopolis: Thin Line”, directed by Res. Assist. Okan Şeker and Fatih Öztürk from the Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema, will be held on Wednesday, March 26, at 14:00 in the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.

The Music Club will organize a karaoke event on Wednesday, March 26, between 15:00 and 18:00 in the "INNSide" area located on the B1 floor of the Ataköy building in the Bakırköy campus.

IKU Faculty of Science and Letters continues to organize “Coffee is Just an Excuse” meetings with the aim of sharing important studies in research and examination in the fields of Basic Science and Social Sciences. The seminar, titled “New Generation Transgenic Plants: From Agriculture to Pharmacy”, where Assist. Prof. Sinan Meriç from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics will be the speaker, will be held on Wednesday, March 26, at 15:00 in the Erdal İnönü Seminar Hall in the Ataköy Building of the Bakırköy Campus.

The Department of International Relations will organize an "Alumni Day" event to enable our graduates to share their experiences with our students. The event, where our graduates Abdüsselam Duman (Garanti BBVA, Treasury Officer), Can Berk Atasoy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Police Officer), and Ece Yazıcı (Kodland, Social Media Marketing Manager) will be speakers, will be held on Wednesday, March 26, at 18:00 on the CATS platform.

In collaboration with the IKU ELT Club and the Department of Foreign Language Education, a seminar titled “Emotional Intelligence and Empathy in Education” will be held to educate prospective English Language Teachers at the Faculty of Education on the role of empathy in teaching and the impact of emotional intelligence on education. The event, featuring Psychological Counselor Neslihan Okulu as the speaker, will take place on Thursday, March 27, at 12:00 in the Z-16 conference hall of the Küçükçekmece Campus.

The Department of Digital Game Design will organize an event titled "Game Talks: Cultural Heritage & Urban Play" to help students explore how games serve as a cultural element, how they are passed down through generations as part of cultural heritage, and how cities are designed in relation to street games. The event, where researcher Beril Toper will be the speaker, will be held on Thursday, March 27, at 13:00 in the 1C-11/13 amphitheater of the Ataköy building on the Bakırköy campus.