About

Koç University was founded in 1993 as a non-profit private university in Istanbul, Turkey. In the seventeen years since its establishment, Koç University has become one of the leading universities in Turkey, distinguished by notable contributions to the elevation of education, knowledge and service both domestically and beyond.

Creative Teaching and Participatory Learning

Academics

Koç University embraces the Liberal Arts paradigm, creating an academic design that allows students to specialize in their given field while also being exposed to diversity in knowledge and thought. As an institutional policy, Koç University takes a Creative Teaching/Participatory Learning approach to education. Teachers move away from didactic methodologies and toward a dialogue between teacher and student, employing a variety of teaching tools to engage students in the learning process.

Unique Dimensions to Your Academic Repertoire

Social responsibility, interdisciplinary thought and global awareness are inter-woven throughout the curricula. Beyond the guiding principles of KU academics, the courses as a whole reflect a thoughtful balance of standard academic concepts; courses that allow students to explore several themes within their majors or highly specialize in one or two themes; and courses that highlight the unique expertise of Koç University and its global perspective. Particularly for international students, the course offerings enable one to concurrently maintain regularity in ones academic progress while also benefitting from specialized courses.

With both Masters and PhD programs offering full scholarships taught within a competitive and rich academic environment, bolstered by cutting-edge research possibilities, and nested in the cultural, social and historical mosaic that is Turkey, KU gives students an alternative and highly specialized avenue into deeper academic and professional pursuits.

With Koç Universitys established excellence in research, a students research activities can contribute to publications in some of the worlds most elite journals and to award-winning research that contributes to business and to society.

Established Excellence in Research

Research

From the perspective of KU, the importance of research is linked directly to the successful application of research outcomes to society. KU believes that fostering university industry ties that mutually support each others mission, not only is an institutional goal, but an institutional responsibility.

To that end, KUs research priorities are largely determined by the extent of their potential impact on advancing society.

Koç Universitys resourcesbe it the strong supporting infrastructure or its state-of-the-art laboratoriesattract researchers with high levels of success in their fields. Further, the Vice Presidents Office for Research and Development (VPRD) strengthens research activity by providing a central infrastructure.

Koç University is one of the few institutions around the world which is at once providing an elite education and fostering strong research activity. All professors at KU are also active researchers. This dynamic keeps professors tied into the latest developments of their field. The result is a stronger learning environment and research opportunities that enrich students ability to learn and apply knowledge in different ways.

The active research environment and the extent of its success enable KU to be highly selective in accepting research projects.

Most Research Awards in 2010 and for the Last 5 Years

Our excellence in research has many measurable markers, including:

1. We are one of the top three institutions in Turkey in terms of publication rate for the past five consecutive years.

2. For 2010 and for the last five years in total, Koç University has won the largest number of awards of any university in Turkey from both the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA).

3. Koç University is home to the largest number of faculty members in the Turkish Academy of Sciences as an institutionof the 90 or so members, 16 are from Koç University

4. Our research is eclectic and on the cutting edge of many scientific advances, ranging from the development of new analysis techniques within archeology, gender equality and economic research.

5. Our wealth of research and policy centers offers avenues for thematic research and student specialization at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Our Research Centers include:

Koç University Center for Gender Studies

Migration Research Program

Dr. Nusret-Semahat Arsel International Business Law Application and Research Center

Social Policy Implementation and Research Center (newly formed)

Koç University Surface Science and Technology Center

Koç University Photonics Research Center

Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics

Manufacturing Automation and Research Center

Koç-IBM Supply Chain Research Center

Bringing the International and local Community Together

The driving vision of Koç Universitys Office of International Programs (OIP) is to create innovative, high quality, mutually beneficial and socially aware programming that gives students and their institutions pathways towards high-level, effective and horizon-expanding opportunities. Our activities concurrently strengthen exchange activity and introduce new dimensions to existing and prospective collaborations.

Our international partnership strategy involves engaging institutions that parallel KUs caliber and perspective. The objective is to foster ties that directly and tangibly elevate the standards, breadth and possibilities for all involved.

OIP serves as a central resource for leveraging the many dimensions of Koç University. Utilizing the institutions academic excellence, strength in research, community and corporate ties, logistical expertise and focus on social responsibility and innovation, the OIP actualizes programming and multi-dimensional partnerships that bring the international community and local community together.

Study trips, summer programs, conferences, seminars, social responsibility projects, service learning projects, student-led initiatives, joint club and sport activity, avenues into faculty-level discussion and cooperation are among the many new possibilities.

Beyond strong partnership and exchange program development, we are at the helm of over twenty projects this year alone.

Accreditations

• One of 229 academic institutions worldwide to adopt the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), as determined by a group of scholars at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in July 2007.
• College of Administrative Sciences and Economics and Graduate School of Business accredited by the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), making Koç University the first and only Turkish university with EQUIS accreditation and one of the select group of 115 EQUIS accredited institutions in 33 countries worldwide.
• First Turkish university to be recognized in the Financial Times ranking of top international universities; Executive MBA program ranked 57th in the world
• Executive MBA program listed as one of Europes best 20 programs in Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper rankings, 2004.
• Koç University selected as the CFA Institutes first program partner in Turkey and one of only 40 CFA program partners in Europe, affirming that the university curriculum adheres to professional practice standards and successfully prepares students for the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) exams.

Services

Campus Facilities and Support Services

KUs centralized campus is fully equipped with essential student services. Several cafeterias serve healthy meals to students throughout the day. The cafeteria services are supplemented by to-go options and grocery store. Additionally, KU houses a hairdresser, Campus Store, bookstore, student lounges, a Student Center and a library with such features as subject-specific librarians and on-demand availability of electronic resources.

KUs main dormitories are integrated into the campus. Each building has a kitchen on the top floor, student lounges, housekeeping service, and computer labs. For a lower cost, students can also opt to stay at our West Campus, which is 5 minutes from the main campus. We offer free shuttle services, with a schedule customized each semester to the needs of the students on the West Campus, from West Campus to Main Campus and back.

Sport Activities

Koç University realizes the importance of sports in the academic and personal development of students. The experience of competition, responsibilities of sportsmanship and benefit to physical and emotional health are of great value. The new Semahat Arsel (gymnasium) sports center is a large multipurpose building with a capacity of 2000 spectators, having a 1500 meter squares main hall used for basketball, tennis, volleyball and handball besides squash and racquetball courts, a two-floor fitness center and an aerobics-step studio. There exist an outdoor tennis court and a soccer field.

KU has a Health Center, with doctors on site 24/7 and its own ambulance to ensure immediate action in times of emergency. Beyond basic medical care, the Health Center houses KURES, which is the psychological resource center for students. Services at KURES include basic psychological care, as well as resources for people with disabilities and crisis prevention.

The Koc Office for Learning and Teaching (KOLT) has a two-fold goal: (1) to implement innovative and creative teaching practices on campus by working with professors on teaching techniques and innovative paradigms and (2) to assist struggling students through tutoring and programs intended to develop such basic skills as time management and successful test taking.

Student life

KUs CITY: ISTANBUL

Istanbul, a glamorous city built on two Continents, Europe and Asia, where you could enjoy the modernity of a western city with the fine touches of traditional eastern city. Istanbul is a melting pot of many civilizations, and is also announced by the European Union as the 2010 European Capital of Culture.

KUS NEIGHBORHOOD

Sariyer is one of the 32 districts of Istanbul. It is the northernmost district, on the European side of the city. With a long shore along the water, the district boasts a beautiful coastline and lush forest. Sariyer's Bosphorus villages, backed by steep hills on one side and the sea on the other, were once rural fishing communities. In the Ottoman period, the Sultans came to these villages for picnics and excursions. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the coast was lined with summer residences of the wealthy foreign traders of Pera and Galata. Many foreign embassies built summer residences near Sariyer in this period.

The coastal road running through Sariyer is lined with fish restaurants of all kinds, ranging from the most elegant to the, equally delicious, small restaurants, many of which were formerly housed in boats moored by the sea wall.

Full of authentic Turkish atmosphere and including the beaches of the Black Sea, Sariyer truly encapsulates the duality of Turkey, of old and new, East and West, classic and contemporary.

The true Turkish experience is in places like Sariyer, where the village mentality (community-based, hospitable and unadorned) still persists in daily life. Koç University is 20 minutes from the wonderful Black Sea villages and beach towns, from the hidden gems lying along the hills.

At the same time, Sariyer is the hub of main transportation lines that include minibus services, bus lines, easy access to the metro and harbor. The university provides shuttle services directly to Taksim Square on weekends and for special events.

A plethora of extra-curricular opportunities at Koc University

Campus Life

Located in what was once the picnicking ground of the Sultans, Koc Universitys centralized campus creates a retreat-type setting for students, where a plethora of extra-curricular opportunities are available for growth and discovery beyond the classroom.

Clubs

All of KUs 40+ student clubs were formed through student initiative, andparticularly the most active clubsoperate essentially as small businesses (responsible for all aspects of planning, funding, budgeting, project management, etc.). In addition to empowering student voice, club activities foster student leadership skills, creativity and entrepreneurship.

As an institution, KU ensures that students have building blocks for their activities. Though carefully supervised, KUs Student Development Office deliberately minimizes their direct involvement in club events, allowing students to face and solve challenges on their own and celebrate successes as their own as well.

Sports

As does any well-run athletic program, KUs athletic department encourages students to be active and physically healthy, while also nurturing leadership skills, commitment, and effective teamwork and student voice. Many of our athletic teamsincluding our American Football and Ice Hockey teamwere a product of students advocating for their presence of campus.

Though the teams are competitive, KU allows most interested studentsincluding international studentsto participate in the teams. Regardless of athletic skill, the university believes that other critical skill sets are nurtured through participation in the athletic programs. Beyond team sports, KU offers health and fitness activities for all facets of KU, including group exercise classes and personal training. Convinced that health body creates a health mind, the overarching intention of KUs athletic offerings is to give students yet another way to develop character and ethics.

Culture on Campus

KUs rich campus life includes a diverse set of programming outside the classroom. There is constant activity on campus, including such events as Dance Festivals, Theater Week, the Spring Festival (attracting nearly 6500 people each year), guest speakers, active seminar series, poets, international artists and many student group performances. True to KUs mission, these programs, not only create a dynamic energy on campus, but they also encourage students creative expression, cultural understanding and further fortify the universitys ability to graduate world-class and well-rounded individuals.