T.C. İstanbul Kültür University
İstanbul Kültür University is a foundation university founded as public corporation on 15th of July, 1997 in accordance with the Code numbered 4281. It provides education and schooling pursuant to the Code of Higher Education numbered 2457, and it has the same rights and capacity as a state university.
The obvious goal of Turkish Republic, which is going beyond the civilized nations, is only possible by our youth’s receiving a quality education in all levels. In this respect, the main objective of İstanbul Kültür University is providing Quality Higher Education.
The problems encountered and the methods of solutions for these problems in the provision of quality education and schooling are not novel to the personnel of IKU because it was founded by the educators who has dealt successfully with education and schooling since 1930s. The university is managed by the Board of Trustees that consists of people with educational experiences and skills.
The Head and Members of the Board of Trustees, who spent years and proved to be successful in the sector of education, are well aware that quality is only possible with a perfect physical setting and distinguished, experienced and creative personnel. To this end, they paid attention to the realization of these two aspects.
The classes, offices and laboratories in the buildings in Şirinevler Campus are constructed carefully and equipped with adequate material to form an urban university. In addition to Şirinevler Campus, Ataköy campus was brought into service with a total field of 65.000 m2, 40.000 m2 closed and 25.000 m2 open space, in the education and schooling year 2004-2005. In this campus, there are also sports facilities together with halls for various scientific, social and cultural studies. In the 2009-2010 academic year, we opened our new campus which covers a 6000 square meter area for our students who get their education in vocational fields.
IKU Instructors
IKU instructors make up distinguished, productive and creative teaching staff. With this teaching staff, IKU has achieved many things even though it is a new institution. As an example, it surpassed half of the universities in terms of the number of articles published per instructor in 1998, and it ranked among the first ten universities in 1999. We rank 4th among foundation universities and 6th among state universities. Our objective is to rank among the first three universities in Turkey.
In IKU we apply programs that will develop students’ skills, and that will enable them to think abstractly and analytically. We direct our students in the way of becoming professionals and researchers who produce knowledge, create motivation and compete in the world arena. Additionally, we regard English language and computer skills as a must for all IKU graduates regardless of the department they graduate from.
IKU Faculties
In the 2007-2008 academic year, 7021 students are registered in 19 departments in 5 faculties, 13 programs in 2 vocational high schools, and 3 PhDs, 28 Post Graduate Programs in 2 institutes at IKU. In total, 622 instructors, 372 of whom are permanent and 250 hourly-wage ones, teach to these students. The rate of student/teacher is 10 in our university. The lessons and practices are administered in small groups by the active involvement of students.
24,4% of our students are the ones who are registered as scholarship student by OSYM. Also, higher education scholarship, monthly and monetary financial scholarships are provided to the foundation and 35% of the students. This means that, almost one out of three students benefits from the scholarships.
First students in associate degree and post graduate programs completed IKU in 1998-1999, and students completed their bachelor degrees in 2000-2001 academic year. All of our graduates have become successful in life or associate degree program graduates have started graduate programs through vertical transfer.
Post Graduate Program:
We do not consider post graduate program as a mass education carried out with a great number of students. We believe that a master with a thesis that is carried out according to personal interests in a mentor system gives “the privilege of being cultured”.
IKU gives great importance to artistic, cultural and scientific activities. Periodically, we organize classic western music concerts, recitals, conferences, and scientific meetings in our modern halls at Ataköy and Şirinevler Campuses. These activities are appreciated a lot by the students, parents and the public.
In addition to the gym in Ataköy Campus, we try to meet the sportive needs of the students’ clubs thanks to the agreements signed with various institutions in Ataköy, Bakırköy, and Yeşilköy, which are rich places in terms of sports facilities.
Health, consultation, and psychological counseling services are provided to the students by means of Health Directorate of the university. We refer to Ataköy Hospital as the contracted hospital when needed.
One of the biggest advantages that IKU offers to its students is the ease of transportation. Ataköy and Yenibosna subway, metrobus, and bus stations are very close to IKU. Our campus is on E-5 highway, and it is within reach of 10 minutes to Atatürk Airport and Bakırköy Sea Buses.
Giving modern and competitive education, IKU constantly follows the developments in the other countries’ universities and sets up connections with them. For example, we established contact with Herfordshire University from England, Idaho State University and Alabama University from USA, and Berlin Freie University and Gelsenkirchen University from Germany, for cooperation during the foundation period. Within the process of scientific cooperation, students’ program and training exchanges, mutual appointment of teaching staff, and development of scientific and technical projects have been given utmost importance. Our university started establishing contacts to become a member of EU Socrates / Erasmus programs. In this respect, some cooperation agreements are signed with various universities from Europe for Erasmus / Socrates programs.
Student and instructor exchanges with these universities still continue within the scope of this program.
IKU is the university of an administration, a teaching staff, and students who are loyal to and who adore Atatürk’s principles and reforms. I invite those students who want to receive a modern higher education with complacency to our university.
