Istanbul Bilgi University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Istanbul Bilgi University (Turkish: İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi) 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, 2 institutions, 28 undergraduate, 20 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".
The agreement reached to sell the university to Laureate Education, Inc. requires a conversion of the non-profit status to a for-profit one. It is unclear how this will be accomplished. It is equally unclear what effect this will have on faculty and other staff.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] Mission
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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.
[edit] Organization
[edit] 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 two institutions which form the university's graduate school.
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[edit] Scholarships
Bilgi offers several scholarships to support its students throughout their academic life at the university. These scholarships are as stated below.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Student activities
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
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[edit] Student festivals
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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.
[edit] Libraries and Museums
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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.
[edit] Sports and athletic facilities
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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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Notable faculty
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[edit] 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
[edit] See also
[edit] 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)
[edit] References
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