Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) commemorated the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on the 87th anniversary of his passing with a ceremony held on Monday, November 10, 2025, at 09.05 in the front garden of the Ataköy building, Bakırköy Campus. The ceremony was attended by Chairperson of the Board of Trustees Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver, Rector Fadime Üney Yüksektepe, Vice Rectors, Secretary General Ender Rıza Ekici, deans, academic and administrative staff, and students. 

The ceremony commenced with the laying of a wreath at Atatürk’s bust by Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver and Prof. Dr. Fadime Üney Yüksektepe, and concluded with a moment of silence and the signing of the National Anthem. 

In collaboration with the Department of International Trade and Finance of Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) and DIŞYÖNDER, the “2nd Foreign Trade Summit” was held on November 7, 2025, with the theme “Vision of a Türkiye with a Sustainable Foreign Trade Surplus.” 

The summit brought together high-level participants including Deputy Minister of Trade Sezai Uçarmak, Vice President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) & President of Istanbul Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Exporters’ Association (İDDMİB) Çetin Tecdelioğlu, Director General of Exports at the Ministry of Trade Mehmet Ali Kılıçkaya, Director General of Product Safety and Inspection Hakkı Karabörklü, General Manager of Türk Eximbank Ali Güney, President of SEDEFED (Federation of Industrial Associations) Emine Erdem, and Chairperson of Damat Tween Board of Directors Süleyman Orakçıoğlu and Ahu Orakçıoğlu. 

Gathering representatives from academia, the public sector, civil society, and the private sector, the summit provided a platform to discuss new strategies aimed at enhancing Türkiye’s foreign trade capacity. In the opening speeches, it was emphasized that the vision of achieving a sustainable foreign trade surplus is not merely an economic goal but a holistic development approach encompassing environmental, technological, and social transformation. Universities were highlighted as key actors in this process, contributing through knowledge production, innovative policy of development, and qualified human resource training. Throughout the sessions, topics such as green transformation, digitalization, competitiveness, university-industry collaboration, and sustainable growth were addressed from multiple perspectives. Senior representatives from public institutions, executives of exporters’ associations, academics, and business leaders shared their evaluations regarding Türkiye’s foreign trade vision. Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, who was unable to attend the event due to his schedule, sent a message conveying his best wishes for a “productive summit” to the DIŞYÖNDER community and Istanbul Kültür University. The summit served as a strong platform for knowledge exchange, shared vision-building, and new collaborations among public, academic, and private stakeholders. 

On November 10, 2025, the second day of the summit continued with seven sessions featuring a total of 26 paper presentations. During the parallel and online sessions, conducted with the contributions of academic partners, the future of foreign trade was examined from various perspectives. Participants also had the opportunities for knowledge exchange and networking with representatives from both academia and industry. 

Organized by the Department of Digital Game Design, “FallJam 2025 – Halloween!” offered students an unforgettable 48-hour game development experience.

Held between November 7–9, the event brought together creative minds who worked tirelessly to turn their digital game ideas into playable projects.

Throughout the jam, students stayed at the school for the entire duration; sleeping in classrooms, working late into the night, and fully immersing themselves in the creative process. The atmosphere was filled with teamwork, inspiration, and determination, resulting in an impressive lineup of original digital games.

During the final presentation session, each team showcased their game to the jury and peers, receiving valuable feedback and recognition for their efforts. The jury praised the creativity and dedication demonstrated within such a short timeframe.

Following the event, many students expressed their excitement to continue improving their games. FallJam 2025 – Halloween! once again highlighted the department’s vibrant community and its passion for game creation.

Istanbul Kültür University has added a new initiative to its ongoing efforts to strengthen the project development and management capacities of its researchers. Organized under the coordination of the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) on November 11-12, 2025, the event featured comprehensive sessions on Project Cycle Management (PCM) training, Erasmus project processes, effective application strategies for European Union (EU) funds, TÜBİTAK support mechanisms, and project management processes.

In addition to Istanbul Kültür University academics, the event was attended by representatives from the municipalities and district governorships of Bahçelievler, Bakırköy, Bağcılar, Küçükçekmece, and Adalar. Participants shared their experiences on utilizing national and international funding resources more effectively and had the opportunity to strengthen inter-institutional collaboration. 

The winners of the Zeki Yurtbay Design Competition, organized by Yurtbay Seramik for the 12th time this year and whose main theme was determined as "Dozen", received their awards at the ceremony. The award ceremony held at Dedeman Istanbul on Friday, October 24, 2025, was attended by Yurtbay Seramik Board of Directors, jury members, students who were deemed worthy of the award with their designs and their relatives.

The award of Nil Yıldırım, a student of Istanbul Kültür University Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture, who won the "Honorable Mention" award, was accepted by her family who attended the ceremony because she is continuing her master's degree abroad. We congratulate our student and wish her continued success.

Assoc. Prof. Zeynep Koçer Göztepe, Head of the Department of Digital Game Design, Assist. Prof. M. Orhan Göztepe, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design, and Lecturer Şeyma Nur Tahmaz, an academic from the Department of Digital Game Design were invited to attend the event entitled "Play for Impact: A UK–Turkiye Knowledge Exchange on Games and Social Change" held at Bahçeşehir University (BAU) Galata Campus on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

The event, organised in collaboration between Bahçeşehir University and the University for the Creative Arts (UCA, UK), aimed to strengthen academic and cultural interaction between the United Kingdom and Türkiye in game design, creative industries, and social impact-focused production processes. Participants exchanged ideas regarding student and faculty members interchanges, developing joint research projects through international funds, establishing interdisciplinary research teams, and production models that create social benefits in the field of game development. Throughout the event, discussions were held on areas where games could be used as a tool for social change. Representatives from UCA and BAU shared exemplary projects in the fields of creative technologies and game development, while new opportunities for collaboration were explored among participating institutions for joint workshops, research networks, and programmes of student exchange.

The Department of Communication and Design held a workshop titled "Analogue Photography and Film-Soaking Techniques" on Tuesday, October 27, with Fashion Photographer Umut Sokolovic as the guest.

While our students participating in the workshop received in-depth information about analogue photography, they also had the opportunity to gain experience in shooting techniques, machine use, film processing and scanning.

The tenth session of the "GameTalks" series organized by the Department of Digital Game Design took place on Wednesday, November 12, with Dr. Ali Fasih Sayın as the guest speaker.

Dr. Sayın, who has worked on major titles such as Crysis and Hunt: Showdown, delivered a presentation titled “Narrative Design in Games.”

In his talk, Dr. Sayın discussed how storytelling is integrated into the game design process and how effective narratives can shape the player experience. Drawing from his professional experience in the industry, he shared insights into narrative development across different game genres, helping students gain a practical understanding of the topic.

During the event, students had the opportunity to engage in an interactive discussion with Dr. Sayın, asking questions and exchanging ideas about the role of storytelling in games.

Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Vocational School (MYO) welcomed Onur Kurtay, Member of the Board of Directors Responsible for Sales at Corm Group, as part of the "Management in Logistics and Transportation" course taught by Dr. Bülent Karakoyunlu. During the event held on Monday, November 10, 2025, his field experiences in sales process management and operational efficiency were shared with our students.

One of our academicians from the Faculty of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Lecturer Şeyda Şen was accepted as a member of the ICOMOS Turkish National Committee.  

ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), an international and non-governmental organization, was founded in Warsaw in 1965. ICOMOS, whose main purpose is developing principles, techniques and policies for the protection and evaluation of historical monuments and sites, and supporting and directing all kinds of related research, is a well-established non-governmental organization.

Today, ICOMOS has national committees established in more than 110 countries and more than 7500 members. Prof. Dr. Neslihan Dostoğlu, one of our faculty members from the Department of Architecture, is also a member of the ICOMOS Turkish National Committee.

As part of the European Union-supported ELICIA project coordinated by Istanbul Kültür University, a training course titled “Generative AI for Art & Design” will be held. The training offers a practical application course on artificial intelligence models (diffusion, GAN, neural audio, etc.) used in the production of visual and audio content.

The training is completely free of charge and open to all our undergraduate, graduate, master's and doctoral students.

After completing the registration form, participants will be able to access the module documents and Teams link via email.

Students who successfully complete at least two of the modules within the course will be eligible to receive an internationally recognised certificate signed by the EIT (European Institute of Innovation & Technology).

Course Modules:

- Creative Artificial Intelligence Applications
- Digital Entrepreneurship Approaches
- Prototyping and Project Development
- Teamwork & Pitching Techniques

In cooperation with the Atatürkist Thought Club and ATAMER; within the scope of the "November 10 Atatürk Commemoration Events", a trip to Anıtkabir will be organized on Friday, November 14 at 23.50, departing from the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

"Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Training" will be organized by the Dean of Students Office - Kültür Point in order to comprehensively teach what artificial intelligence is, how it works and in which areas it is used in daily life and the business world. The training, which will be given by Artificial Intelligence Engineer Şükrü Yusuf Kaya, will be held online via Microsoft Teams on Saturday, November 15 at 20.00.

The Istanbul Kültür University Alumni and Members Association (IKUMED) will organise the "Kömürköy - Osmanca Kalesi - Balkaya Trekking Tour" event on Sunday, November 16. The day trip will start from Etnoköy in Balkaya, Kırklareli, and end at the historic Osmanca Kalesi. To join this trip, which will blend nature, history, friendship bond and delicious food, please contact Cemal Turan (0 545 647 57 57).

The Vocational School will organise a talk titled "Those Who Make a Difference: Aret Vartanyan" to inspire students to turn their dreams into reality in a rapidly changing world and to raise self-awareness. The event, featuring author Aret Vartanyan as the speaker, will be held on Monday, November 17, at 13:00 in the Akıngüç Auditorium and Arts Centre in the Ataköy Building on the Bakırköy Campus.

The short film "Everett Yorumu" by our Department of Radio, Television and Cinema student Orçun Poyraz, which was a finalist at the Los Angeles Fantasia Film Festival, will be screened on Monday, November 17 at 14:00 in the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall at the Ataköy Building on the Bakırköy Campus. The screening will be followed by a presentation by our student Orçun Poyraz.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences will hold a seminar titled “Artificial Intelligence and Technological Dysfunction.” The event, featuring Dr. Mustafa Çetinkaya from Istanbul Galata University as the speaker, will be held on Monday, November 17, 2025, from 15.30-16.15 in the Erdal İnönü Seminar Hall of the Ataköy building, Bakırköy Campus.

Dean of Students Office - Kültür Point will organise "Turkish Sign Language Training" to support healthy communication with hearing-impaired individuals, raise social awareness and instil a sense of social responsibility in our students. The training, to be delivered by instructor Ahmet Tombul, will be held online via the CATS platform on November 17-18 and 24-25, 2025, from 17:00 to 20:00.

The Department of Nursing will organise a symposium titled "The Right to a Safe Life: Approaches that Make a Difference in Combatting Violence Against Women" to raise awareness among students about fighting violence against women. The event, featuring Psychologist Tuğçe Dülger, Social Worker Nur Banu Şen Sevinç, and Specialist Psychologist Ayşegül Özadak as the guest speakers, will be held on Tuesday, November 18, at 10:30 in the C Block B1 Seminar Hall at the Bahçelievler Campus.

In collaboration with the Vocational School and the Design Factory, a conference titled "The Strange World of Quantum: How Real is Reality?" will be held to explain the basic principles of quantum physics and encourage participants to approach the concept of reality from a different perspective. The event, featuring our Vocational School Director Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özer as the speaker, will be held on Tuesday, November 18, at 15:00 at the Design Factory in the Ataköy building on the Bakırköy Campus.

The Dean of Students Office - Kültür Point will organise "3DS MAX Introductory Training" to enable participants to gain professional skills in three-dimensional modelling, architectural visualisation, animation and rendering techniques. The training sessions, which will be instructed by Interior Designer & 3DS Max Instructor Vasfiye Çelik, will be held online via Microsoft Teams on November 18 and 21, 2025, at 20.00.

Organised by the IKU Creative Club, the "Creative Talks-III" event aims to inform students about the evolving world of public relations. The event, featuring Selin Oran, the Founder of Piar Agency, as the guest speaker, will be held on Wednesday, November 19, at 11:00 in the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall at the Ataköy building on the Bakırköy Campus.

In collaboration with the Department of Public Relations and Advertising, the Effective Communication Club will host a talk titled "The Visual World of the Future," which will convey how visualisation technologies and artificial intelligence can be used effectively in the worlds of advertising, design, and media. The event, featuring speakers Cansu Ece Erdem and Hitay Öztürk from MCG Digital Marketing Agency, will be held on Wednesday, November 19, at 12:00 in the multipurpose hall in the 4th-floor multipurpose hall of the Ataköy building on the Bakırköy Campus.

A seminar titled "Lifelong Learning" will be organized by the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in order to support the personal development of students. The event, where TürkNet Senior Development and System Operations Engineer Aren Güler will be the speaker, will be held on Wednesday, November 19 at 13.00 at B1 Floor Amphitheater 1 in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

A talk titled "Effective CV Preparation and Interview Tips" will be organized by the Industrial Engineering Club in order to support students' career planning processes. The event, where Career Counselor and HR Specialist Ayşenur Güler Karaman, a 2017 graduate of the Department of Industrial Engineering, will be the speaker, will be held on Wednesday, November 19 at 13.00 at the Erdal İnönü Seminar Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science will hold a seminar titled "Topological Data Analysis with Spectral Theory". The event, featuring M.Sc. Ayşe Mutlu as the speaker, will be held on Wednesday, November 19, at 14:00 in the 1st floor multipurpose hall in the Ataköy building on the Bakırköy Campus.

The Department of Business Administration will organize a conference titled "The Role of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Financial Consultancy and Independent Audit Professions" in order to explain the importance of digitalization in the financial consultancy and independent audit professions. The event, where ISMMMO President Erol Demirel will be the speaker, will be held on Thursday, November 20 at 11.00 at the Küçükçekmece Campus Conference Hall.

A conference will be organized by the ELT Club to enable the students of the English Language Teaching Department to get to know the basic principles and classroom practices of the Task-Based Language Teaching approach. The event, where Prof. Dr. Zübeyde Sinem Genç from Bursa Uludağ University Department of Foreign Language Education will be the speaker, will be held on Thursday, November 20 at 13.00 at the Z-16 Conference Hall of the Küçükçekmece Campus.

Within the scope of the "Knowledge of Interior Space" course given in the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, Architect Burak Pelenk, Founder of Buda Architecture, will be the guest of our university. The event, which will be held in order to understand, analyze and interpret the relationship between the learned theoretical knowledge and applications in the practical field, will be hosted on Thursday, November 20 at 13.30 at the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

In cooperation with the Center for Sustainable Development (SÜRKAM) and the Underwater Society, a talk titled "Sustainable SEN Talks: Underwater Cleaning and Life Below Water" will be held in order to raise awareness about underwater cleaning and the aquatic ecosystem. The event, where Barış Ersemiz and Hakan Önal from the Underwater Cleaning and Awareness Movement Association will be the speakers, will be held on Friday, November 21 at 13.00 at the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

A trip to the Istanbul Archeology Museum in Gülhane-Fatih will be organized by the Kültürhane Club on Friday, November 21 at 14.00.

Within the scope of the course “İÇM0921 Project Development and Feasibility” offered by the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, a conference titled “Investment Planning and Digital Management Tools in the Construction Industry” will be held to inform students about investment, planning, and the use of digital management tools in the construction industry. M.Sc. Civil Engineer A. Sinan Alemdar will be the guest speaker at the event, which will take place on Friday, November 21, 2025, at 14.00 in the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall.