Boğaziçi University

Boğaziçi University
Boğaziçi Üniversitesi
Former names
Robert College
(1863–1971)
Motto
Yarından Sonrası İçin
Motto in English
"For the Day After Tomorrow"
TypePublic research university
Established1863 (1863)
FounderCyrus Hamlin and Christopher Rheinlander Robert
RectorMehmet Naci İnci
Academic staff
1,183
Administrative staff
798
Total staff
1,981
Students14,548
Undergraduates12,409
Postgraduates1,507
632
Location
Istanbul
,
Turkey
Campus7 campuses
LanguageEnglish
Colours  Blue
  Navy blue
NicknameBoğaziçi Sultans
(American Football)
Affiliations
Websitebogazici.edu.tr

Boğaziçi University is a public research university in Istanbul, Turkey. Its main campus in Bebek is located just west of the Bosphorus, from which the institution takes its name. It is historically linked to Robert College, the first American college founded outside the United States.[2]

History

Robert College was founded in Bebek in 1863 by Christopher Robert, an American philanthropist, and Cyrus Hamlin, a Congregational missionary.[3][4] In 1869, the first campus (now the Boğaziçi South Campus) was built on the ridge near Rumelihisarı with permission from Sultan Abdülaziz.[3]

According to a college catalogue compiled for the 1878–1879 academic year, "the object of the College is to give to its students, without distinction of race or religion, a thorough education equal in all respects to that obtained at a first-class American college and based upon the same general principles."[5]

After Cyrus Hamlin, the college was administered by George Washburn (1877–1903) and Caleb Gates (1903–1932).[3] Established as an institution of higher learning independent of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), though with a significant number of missionaries among its faculty in its earlier years, the college adopted an entirely secular and non-denominational educational model in 1923 in compliance with the new republican principles of Turkey.[6]

Before 1971, Robert College, had junior high school, high school, and university sections under the names Robert Academy, Robert College, and Robert College Yüksek Kısım. In 1971, the Bebek campus and academic staff of Robert College were decided to be turned over to the Republic of Turkey to be transformed into a public university named Boğaziçi University, the renamed continuation of Robert College's university section (i.e. Robert College Yüksek Kısım).[7] The rest of Robert College moved into the Arnavutköy campus of the American College for Girls; despite continuing to call itself a college, it became merely a high school.[8]

On 10 September 1971, as part of this transformation, Robert College bequeathed its Bebek campus—today's Boğaziçi South Campus—comprising 118 acres, along with its buildings, library, laboratories, facilities, personnel, and students, to the Turkish government. Boğaziçi University was subsequently established as a Turkish public university. Since then, the university has gradually evolved from a small liberal arts college into a research university.[9]

Robert College, circa 1880

Governance

The rector serves as the university's chief officer, presiding over both the University Senate and the University Executive Council. The Senate is the principal academic body and is responsible for decisions on curriculum, research policy, and academic standards; it is composed of vice rectors, deans, directors of institutes and schools, and members elected by the faculties. The University Executive Council oversees administrative and budgetary matters and comprises the deans and members elected by the Senate. Each faculty, school, and institute also maintains its own executive council and academic board.[10]

At its inception in 1971, Boğaziçi University inherited a culture of participatory governance from Robert College. The first rector, Aptullah Kuran, was appointed by the Ministry of National Education, but faculty councils met regularly and played a significant role in institutional decision-making. Deans were elected by their faculties.[11]

Rector selection

Following the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, the newly established Council of Higher Education assumed the authority to appoint rectors at all Turkish universities, including Boğaziçi. In 1992, as part of the post-coup political normalization, Boğaziçi's faculty proposed an advisory election system. Under this model, faculty members voted for rector candidates, and the three receiving the most votes were forwarded to the Council of Higher Education, which selected one name — typically the top vote-getter — for formal appointment by the President of Turkey. Boğaziçi faculty also developed an informal convention whereby candidates who had not received the highest vote would withdraw from consideration if selected over the leading candidate.[12] This system remained in place until 2016.

In 2016, the President departed from the advisory election outcome and appointed Mehmed Özkan, the deputy of the former elected rector, rather than the candidate who had received the majority of the faculty vote. Özkan subsequently received a vote of confidence from the faculty.[13] On 2 January 2021, President Erdoğan appointed Melih Bulu as rector without holding a faculty advisory vote, exercising the authority granted to the presidency by the Council of Higher Education Law.[13] The appointment prompted protests by faculty, students, and alumni, during which more than 150 students were detained by police.[14][15] The protests received international media coverage, and over a thousand academics, including Noam Chomsky, David Harvey, and Judith Butler, signed a statement of support for the university community.[16][17]

Bulu was dismissed on 15 July 2021, and Naci İnci was appointed as his successor.[18][19] According to reports by Bianet and Diken, the administration under the government-appointed rectors initiated disciplinary investigations against faculty members and restricted some student club activities.[20][21]

Campuses and student life

Anderson Hall

Boğaziçi University operates across seven campuses in and around Istanbul, each serving distinct academic or residential functions.

Washburn Hall

The South Campus in Bebek is the oldest and most historically significant site, retaining several buildings from the Robert College era — among them Hamlin Hall, Theodorus Hall, Dodge Hall, Albert Long Hall, and Kennedy Lodge. It functions as the university's main academic and administrative hub. Washburn Hall houses the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Anderson Hall the Faculty of Science, Perkins Hall the Faculty of Engineering, and Sloane Hall the Psychology and Sociology departments. The Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and the Natuk Birkan Building are also located here.[22]

The North Campus is oriented toward science and engineering, accommodating the Faculty of Education, the Educational Technologies Building, the Computer Engineering building, and the Sciences and Engineering Building. It was previously home to the Aptullah Kuran Library.[23][24]

The Uçaksavar Campus provides recreational and cultural facilities, including a stadium, gymnasium, the Lifelong Learning Center (BUYEM), and the Garanti Cultural Center.[25]

The Hisar Campus hosts the Institute of Environmental Sciences alongside more than 20 classrooms, three amphitheaters, a cafeteria, an indoor pool, and a gym.[26]

The Kilyos Sarıtepe Campus sits on the Black Sea coast and primarily serves as a residential site, with student dormitories and a private beach. It is notable for being the world's first energy self-sufficient university campus, generating all of its electricity from an on-site wind power plant.[27]

The Anadolu Hisarı Campus accommodates the School of Foreign Languages Preparatory Unit, along with dining, sports, and dormitory facilities.[28]

The Kandilli Campus is home to the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

Student dormitories

Dormitory Name Campus
Theodorus Hall Dormitory Güney Campus
1st Kuzey Dormitory (İPKB) Kuzey Campus
3rd Kuzey Dormitory Kuzey Campus
4th Kuzey Dormitory Kuzey Campus
1st Kilyos Dormitory Kilyos Campus
Kandilli Dormitory Kandilli Campus
Anadolu Hisarı Dormitory Anadolu Hisarı Campus

Music and sports festivals

The Taşoda Music Festival, held every spring by university's Music Club, named after the club's studio on the South Campus.[29]

Every May the Boğaziçi Sports Festival is held at the South Campus and other university venues. Usually, some 300 to 800 students from all over the world come to compete in various events.[30]

Academics

All undergraduate and graduate instruction at Boğaziçi University is conducted in English, a tradition inherited from Robert College and maintained continuously since 1863.[31][2] Incoming students who do not demonstrate sufficient English proficiency are required to complete the university's English Preparatory Program before beginning their degree studies.[32]

International rankings

In the 2026 QS World University Rankings, Boğaziçi placed 371st globally, while ranking 88th worldwide in the QS Employer Reputation indicator — one of only three Turkish universities in the global top 100 in that category, alongside Middle East Technical University (77th) and Istanbul Technical University (91st).[33] In QS subject rankings, it placed 217th in Social Sciences & Management and 236th in Engineering & Technology.[31] The 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed it in the 401–500 band.[34]

Research

Boğaziçi hosts several dedicated research institutes, including the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, the Institute of Environmental Sciences, and the Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.[2] It is a founding member of NeurotechEU, a European University alliance focused on neuroscience and technology.[35] Boğaziçi is also one of nine Turkish universities to have endorsed the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.[36]

Organization

Faculty of Science

  • Chemistry
  • Mathematics
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Physics

Faculty of Communication

Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences

  • Economics
  • Management
  • Political Science and International Relations
  • International Trade
  • Management Information Systems
  • Tourism Administration

Faculty of Education

  • Computer Education and Educational Technology
  • Foreign Language Education
  • Primary Education
  • Mathematics and Science Education

Faculty of Engineering

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

  • History
  • Linguistics
  • Philosophy
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Translation and Interpreting Studies
  • Turkish Language and Literature
  • Western Languages and Literatures
  • Turkish Language Courses Coordination Unit
  • Humanities Courses Coordination Unit

Atatürk Institute for Modern Turkish History

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

Institute of Environmental Sciences

Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

Institute of Film and Media Studies

Institute of Science

Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute

Institute of Social Sciences

School of Foreign Languages

  • Advanced English Unit
  • English Preparatory Division
  • Modern Languages Unit

Units Affiliated with the Rectorate

  • Department of Physical Education and Sports
  • Department of Fine Arts[37]

Student clubs

Rectors

  • Cyrus Hamlin (1863–1877), American Congregational missionary
  • George Washburn (1877–1903), American philosopher
  • Caleb Frank Gates (1903–1932)
  • Paul Monroe (1932–1935), American educator
  • Walter Livingston Wright (1935–1943)
  • Floyd Henson Black (1944–1955)
  • Duncan Smith Ballantine (1955–1961)
  • Patrick Murphy Malin (1962–1964), American activist
  • Dwight James Simpson (1965–1967)
  • John Scott Everton (1968–1971), college president and American diplomat
  • Aptullah Kuran (1971–1979), Turkish historian of architecture and professor of Ottoman architecture
  • Semih Tezcan (1979–1982), Turkish academic
  • Ergün Toğrol (1982–1992)
  • Üstün Ergüder (1992–2000)
  • Sabih Tansal (2000–2004)
  • Ayşe Soysal (2004–2008), Turkish mathematician
  • Kadri Özçaldıran (2008–2012)
  • Gülay Barbarosoğlu (2012–2016), Turkish industrial engineer, academic administrator
  • Mehmed Özkan (2016–2021)
  • Melih Bulu (2021–2021), Turkish academic and politician
  • Naci İnci (2021–), physicist[41]

Notable faculty

  • Şevket Pamuk, professor of economic history, former president of European Historical Economics Society
  • Ayşe Buğra, professor of political economy
  • Şerif Mardin, professor of sociology and political science
  • Kemal Kirişci, professor of international relations, director of European Studies Center
  • John Freely, professor of physics and author
  • Selim Deringil, professor of history
  • Nevra Necipoğlu, professor of history
  • Cahit Arf, mathematician
  • Cem Yıldırım, professor of mathematics
  • Betül Tanbay, professor of mathematics
  • Attila Aşkar, professor of mathematics
  • Erdal İnönü, former Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey; Professor Emeritus of Physics, Sabancı University, recipient of the Wigner Medal 2004
  • Tansu Çiller, former Prime Minister of Turkey, professor of economics
  • Lale Akarun, professor of computer engineering
  • Ersin Kalaycıoğlu, professor of political science
  • Karl von Terzaghi, civil engineer
  • Heath Lowry, professor of history, Princeton University
  • Aptullah Kuran, professor of art history
  • Engin Arık, professor of physics
  • Cem Ersoy, professor of computer engineering

Notable alumni

  • Ezel Akay, film director
  • Engin Ardıç, writer, journalist
  • Nevzat Aydın, CEO and founder of Yemeksepeti
  • Pelin Batu, actress, writer
  • Gülse Birsel, screenwriter, actress, journalist
  • Cem Boyner, CEO of Boyner Holding, former chairman of TÜSİAD
  • Cansu Canca, bioethicist, founder and director of AI Ethics Lab
  • Nuri Bilge Ceylan, film director, winner of the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival
  • Tansu Çiller, former Prime Minister of Turkey, professor of economics at Boğaziçi University
  • Ahmet Davutoğlu, former Prime Minister of Turkey, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, professor of international relations
  • Sedef Ecer, novelist, playwright, actress and screenwriter
  • Neşe Erberk, 1983 Miss Turkey, 1984 Miss Europe
  • Erden Eruç, first solo human-powered circumnavigation and ocean rowing world record holder[42][43]
  • Fahriye Evcen, actress
  • Emre Gönensay, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, professor of economics at Boğaziçi University
  • Omer Gökçümen, professor of Biological Sciences at University at Buffalo
  • Faruk Gül, professor of economics at Princeton University
  • Aydemir Güler, leader of the Communist Party of Turkey
  • Murat Gülsoy, writer
  • Nil Karaibrahimgil, singer and composer
  • Perihan Mağden, writer, journalist
  • Fatma Ceren Necipoğlu, harpist
  • Hişyar Özsoy, politician[44]
  • Güler Sabancı, CEO of Sabancı Holding
  • Ozge Samanci, artist, professor at Northwestern University
  • Defne Samyeli, news reporter, anchorwoman, actress
  • Mete Sozen, professor of structural engineering at Purdue University
  • Barış Tan, professor of operations management and industrial engineering at Koç University
  • Harun Tekin, rock musician, frontman of Mor ve Ötesi
  • Teoman, singer and composer
  • Murat Ülker, chairman of Yıldız Holding and Ülker[45]
  • Ahmet Yalçınkaya, poet
  • Ahmet Yildiz, professor of biophysics at University of California, Berkeley
  • Cem Yılmaz, comedian, actor, cartoonist
  • Derviş Zaim, film director, writer

See also

References

  1. ^ "Our founding universities". The European University of Brain and Technology. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Boğaziçi University Website".
  3. ^ a b c "History of Boğaziçi University". Boğaziçi University Website. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  4. ^ Freely, John (2012). A Bridge of Culture: Robert College-Boğaziçi University. Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınevi.
  5. ^ "Robert Kolej, Amerikan Kız Koleji, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Arşivi". Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Arşiv ve Dokümantasyon Merkezi. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  6. ^ Freely, John (2012). A Bridge of Culture: Robert College-Boğaziçi University. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınevi.
  7. ^ "Robert Kolej - VKV". ansiklopedi.vkv.org.tr. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  8. ^ "About Robert College". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Boğaziçi University - History of Boğaziçi University". 16 August 2019. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ "The University". Boğaziçi University. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  11. ^ Ergüder, Üstün (17 June 2021). "Making sense of Boğaziçi University protests". Yetkin Report. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  12. ^ "Türkiye'de rektörlük seçimleri 75 yılda nasıl değişti? 2016 sonrası atamalar üniversiteleri nasıl etkiledi?". BBC News Türkçe (in Turkish). Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  13. ^ a b Gall, Carlotta (1 February 2021). "Prestigious Istanbul University Fights Erdogan's Reach". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Students and faculty at top Turkish university battle Erdogan's attempt at control". The Washington Post. No. February 2021. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  15. ^ "Protests at top Turkish university trigger more than 150 arrests". The Irish Times. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Chomsky, Harvey ve Butler dahil 1169 akademisyenden Boğaziçi'ne destek - Diken" (in Turkish). 22 April 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  17. ^ Bilgiç, Taner (9 May 2023). "Why the fate of Turkish higher education hinges on the country's general election". Nature. 617 (7960): 225. doi:10.1038/d41586-023-01548-2. PMID 37161013.
  18. ^ SABAH, DAILY (15 July 2021). "Rector of Istanbul's Boğaziçi University dismissed". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  19. ^ "Son dakika: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi ve Marmara Üniversitesi'nin yeni rektörleri belli oldu". Ahaber (in Turkish). Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  20. ^ "Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, akademisyenleri hapis ve para cezasıyla tehdit etti - Diken" (in Turkish). 10 July 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  21. ^ "The 'new Boğaziçi University': Censorship, surveillance and LGBTI+phobia". bianet.org. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Boğaziçi University – South Campus". Boğaziçi University Web. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  23. ^ "About the Library". Boğaziçi University Library Website. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Library". Boğaziçi University Website. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Ucaksavar Campus". Ucaksavar Campus. Archived from the original on 20 May 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  26. ^ "Campuses". Campuses. Archived from the original on 21 September 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  27. ^ "First clean energy, self-sufficient campus in the world". No. 14 January 2015. Daily Sabah. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  28. ^ "Marmara Üniversitesi kampüsü, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi'ne tahsis edildi". www.sozcu.com.tr (in Turkish). 18 February 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  29. ^ "BÜMK Caz Orkestrası" (in Turkish). boun.edu.tr. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  30. ^ "Boğaziçi University Sports Fest". Boğaziçi University Sports Fest Website. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  31. ^ a b "Bogaziçi Üniversitesi". Top Universities. QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  32. ^ "School of Foreign Languages". Boğaziçi University. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  33. ^ "Historical Success from Turkish Universities". Council of Higher Education (YÖK). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  34. ^ "World University Rankings". Times Higher Education (THE). 9 October 2025. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  35. ^ "Our founding universities". The European University of Brain and Technology. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  36. ^ "EURAXESS members in focus: Türkiye". EURAXESS. European Commission. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  37. ^ "Service Departments". Service Departments. Archived from the original on 20 May 2025. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  38. ^ "Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Bilişim Kulübü – Compec". compec.org. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  39. ^ "BUMATEK". bumatek.boun.edu.tr. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  40. ^ "Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Spor Kurulu". Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Spor Kurulu. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  41. ^ "Naci Inci". Bogazici University.
  42. ^ "Guinness World Records – First solo circumnavigation of the globe using human power". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  43. ^ "Guinness World Records – First Person to Row Three Oceans". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  44. ^ "The end of democracy in Turkey?". The Hertie School. Archived from the original on 13 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  45. ^ "Murat Ulker". Forbes. Archived from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2015.

Further reading

  • Freely, John. 2012. A Bridge of Culture: Robert College-Bogazici University: How An American College in Istanbul Became A Turkish University. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları.
  • Freely, John. 2009. A History of Robert College. Istanbul: YKY.
  • Hamlin Cyrus, 2014. Among The Turks: My Life and Times. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları (Originally published 1878/1893).
  • Kuran, Aptullah, 2013, Bir Kurucu Rektörün Anıları: Robert Kolej Yüksekokulu'ndan Boğaziçi Üniversitesi'ne. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları.
  • Washburn, George. 2012. Fifty Years in Constantinople and Recollections of Robert College. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları (Originally published 1909).
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