Özyeğin University’s 10th Anniversary

"I dream of a university that is home to thousands of students ready to make an impact on the economy and the business world as well-educated professionals." - 2008

Özyeğin University was founded based on this dream and vision of Mr. Hüsnü Özyeğin, Chair of our Board of Trustees. When the idea of founding a university was born, the goal was set more clearly in the first few days that followed: To contribute to social development by producing creative, original and applicable knowledge through a modern education system; an innovative structure integrated with real-world industries; and academic programs focused on sectors.

Thus began the efforts to establish Özyeğin University in 2005. In 2008, our University welcomed its first students on its Altunizade campus with the goal of preparing self-confident, multi-lingual and multi-cultural graduates who embrace universal values, who endeavor to develop solutions to global problems, who love teamwork, who are open to change, and who know how to access, use, and even develop knowledge”. Not long after, in 2011, we moved to Turkey’s first LEED Gold Certified campus that spans 54 acres of land in Çekmeköy.

With our “entrepreneurial research university” approach, we offer an innovative education model that equips students with values to prepare them as entrepreneurial and resourceful graduates. We aim our graduates to be vested with an in-depth knowledge about the rising professions, a good command of at least one foreign language, highly developed skills in information and communication technologies, and significant talent for putting their knowledge into practice. We endeavor to instill in our students the passion and dedication to make a difference both for their employers and their community by capitalizing on the skills, competencies, and experiences they acquire both in academia and in the real world. In pursuit of achieving these goals, we conferred degrees to our first graduates in 2012.

Over the past 10 years, starting from our first course in 2008 to date, in addition to our alumni, who today lead the business world at different corners of the world and who we still remember with pride, international and national successes our faculty have achieved in recognition of their distinguished studies have become our major source of motivation.

As the new academic year marks our 10th anniversary, we aim to transform our students into resourceful individuals for the business world through the amenities we offer at their disposals, and help them become real world citizens who can dream, create innovative and sustainable ideas, care about the society and environment in which they live, are open to different views, possess the culture of living together peacefully in a diverse world, are passionate, and are able to adapt to the global world’s requirements.

With the strength and motivation we derive from our 10th anniversary, we embrace the third generation university approach led by the world’s most renowned universities to fulfil our goal to serve society as an entrepreneurial and research-focused learning center in the light of our innovative education model and founding principles which help our students to adapt to the rapidly changing world’s demands and become a part of “transformation”.

"The future starts with dreaming. I have been chasing this dream for 10 whole years. How fortunate I am that I am not alone in this passionate and exciting journey." - 2018

Dear OzU Family,

The 10th anniversary of Özyeğin University is a very important milestone in the existence of our University. This is also a valuable opportunity for us to celebrate our collective successes, share our plans for the future, and shape our dreams together. I feel very happy and proud to share this time with you, our esteemed students, faculty, and all members of our University.

Education has always been an indispensable passion for me both in my life journey and in my charity work. I believe that preparing a resourceful youth is the biggest service one can ever offer to a society or a country. My passion for education was crowned with Özyeğin University, the result of this service.

My dream of founding a university dates back to at least twenty years ago. I set off on this journey with the goal of founding an innovative university that is able to meet not only the needs of Turkey but also the world. I was dreaming of a higher education institution with a modern education system that offers sector-focused academic programs and experiential opportunities. A home to scientific research where priority will be placed on the creation of original and creative knowledge and its application to the real world.

I was aspiring that my university will prepare self-confident, multi-lingual and multi-cultural graduates who embrace universal values, who are not afraid of problems, and on the contrary who enjoy tackling problems and developing new solutions, who love teamwork, who are open to change, and who know how to access, use, and even develop knowledge.

My dream was a third generation university. A young and entrepreneurial research university.

The first step we took to make this dream come true was the recruitment of a stellar cadre of faculty from the world’s best universities. The second step was the admission of our first 210 students who made the biggest decision of their lives and chose us by showing the courage to be our very first students. Then, each year, incrementally growing our student body, faculty, academic programs, and campus, we came to the present day.

The first ten years of our University are filled with unforgettable and proud moments for me

These lines are not enough to describe all those proud moments I have had, but with our 10th anniversary book and documentary, which we will soon share with you, we aim to make these moments eternal.

The most memorable memories for me are undoubtedly the commencement ceremonies we hold each year to graduate our students and send them off to begin a new chapter in their lives. During these ceremonies, it has always been an honor to share and celebrate the achievements of our students who intern at or have received job offers from the leading companies in their respective sectors, our student entrepreneurs who started their own businesses while they were still pursuing their studies at our University, our graduates who have been admitted to the master’s or Ph.D. programs at the world’s leading universities, or our national athletes who represent our country.

Ten years are actually a very short span of time in a University’s lifetime. Our dream is to keep our University alive for decades, and even for centuries ahead. But all in all, the key to success and sustainability -just like in every institution- is the founding vision and the foundation laid during the first few years.

Founding a university means successfully bringing together all stakeholders to give life to, maintain, and continuously develop an academic and scientific institution, and ensuring that the resulting mechanism functions with excellence. The achievements we have garnered in our first 10 years were beyond what I dreamed while I was founding Özyeğin University thanks to the collective efforts and cooperation of our stakeholders from various segments of society. In just our fifth year, we ranked fourth in Turkey’s Most Innovative and Entrepreneurial Universities. We qualified to be one of the 10 universities to receive TÜBİTAK’s Technology Transfer Office Support awarded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and we were shown as a best practice example to other universities in recognition of our efforts. Our faculty who rank high not only in national but also global academic rankings carried us into the top ten among all foundation universities in our sixth year in recognition of our research achievements.

"Cultivating qualified graduates who are prepared for the business world" had an important place in my dream of founding a university, and our first place ranking among “Universities with Highest Graduate Employment Rate” is testimony to the fact that we made it! Student satisfaction and participation have always been among the most important issues I have cared about since our foundation, and for that reason, ranking first among 172 universities in Turkey’s University Satisfaction Survey for two years in a row is also another major source of pride for me. Also this year, our Rector Prof. Dr. Esra Gençtürk was one of the three rectors honored with the “Golden Award” in the same survey. This is also a testimony of her outstanding personal efforts in this area. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our Rector once again on her achievement.

I feel very thrilled in dreaming of the next 10 years...

During the foundation of our University, we were discussing the “third generation university” concept. Today the world is much different than compared to 10 years ago. We are now in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era. Blending scientific technologies with industrial activites, this revolution is of particular importance to us. This is a revolution that has the power to transform economy, production, employment, and even our relations. Now, Industry 4.0 and the sustainable development movement have sparked the “fourth generation university” discussions. And as Özyeğin University, we are dedicated to taking the lead in these areas. We pledge to turn the power of being young, flexible, and entrepreneurial into an opportunity, and use it for designing a brighter future for us all.

I feel very thrilled in dreaming of the next 10 years... I dream that Özyeğin University graduates showcase their achievements in their careers, our faculty contribute to society with their innovative research, and our students experience transformative education, and we see these examples continue to grow with a snowball effect.

And luckily I am not dreaming alone. Dear OzU Family, happy 10th anniversary!

As the 2018-2019 academic year marks our 10th anniversary, we feel the well-deserved pride of looking into the future with the hope and confidence we derive from all the experiences, successes, excitements, and dreams we have had over our 10-year journey.

The 10-year story of Özyeğin University, from its founding to date, began with the admission of our first 210 students in 2008 as they met our 33 faculty members who joined us from the world’s most renowned universities, and 62 staff members on our Altunizade campus with its humble practical amenities. Within just 10 years, our University concluded its founding process, streghtened its foundations, and achieved a very successful progress towards growth and institutionalization. In fact, by September 2018, which marks our 10th anniversary, Özyeğin University had been selected as the university with the best campus in Turkey with its 8,254 students, 535 faculty members, 329 staff members, and 3,255 graduates, in addition to ranking first among all state and foundation universities for overall satisfaction in the Turkey’s University Satisfaction Survey. OzU also ranked first among the “Universities with Highest Graduate Employment Rate”, fourth among “Turkey’s Most Entrepreneurial and Innovative Foundation Universities”, and first in URAP’s “Foundation Universities Founded After 2000 without Medical Schools” ranking. All of these achievements placed Özyeğin University among the most distinguished higher education institutions in Turkey.

We implement a new 5-year strategic plan in our 10th year

The successes our University has garnered in its first 10 years are the most important assurance that allows us to look into the future with confidence. We embrace Özyeğin University as a social legacy entrusted to us to continuously carry it forward and pass it on to future generations. To this end, we laid the foundations of our new strategic plan for 2018-2023 based on an accountable, institutional management approach. We are about the complete our new 5 year strategic plan, and we plan to implement it in our 10th year in commitment to our founding principle of "Contributing to social development by producing original and applicable knowledge through an innovative structure integrated with real-world industries; and academic programs focused on sectors”, which was shaped during the call conference held to discuss the mission of our University. In line with this plan, I am confident that we will take our national successes to the international realm, and spear ahead with our committment to be an entrepreneurial research university preferred by all our stakeholders.

Today, Özyeğin University is an important asset created with the selfless efforts of our faculty and students, who are renowned for their national and international achievements, and all of our administrative staff in collaboration with its senior management. Özyeğin University makes a difference with its innovative studies and serves as a role model to both established state universities and young foundation universities. Therefore, I would like to especially highlight that neither the first ten years of our University nor its next five years, which we defined with concrete goals, can boil down to a mere vision statement and the results achieved based on it. This is a journey that can be defined with years and numbers, but most of all, it is the culmination of a shared dream in which we invest both our minds and hearts, and a strong collaboration built on mutual trust. Without the unity of hearts and minds, not only would achieving what we have achieved so far not be possible, but it would also be impossible to maintain and sustain them.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of our Board of Trustees for shaping our first steps on this path ten years ago and still mentoring us at our each step, our founding rector for bringing us all together under the roof of OzU with his excitement and dreams, all our internal and external stakeholders for taking pride in our achievements and accompanying us on different chapters of our journey, all OzU members for believing in our goals and continuing to walk with us, all our OzU students for always carrying the OzU identity and representing our University on different platforms as they make their dreams come true, and our graduates for being our source of pride with their increasing number of national and international achievements.

We owe another big thanks we should not forget to extend -not only on behalf of us but also on behalf of our country and future generations. As a true devotee of education, he has shaped our University’s seeds of thoughts with his experiences. Starting from the very first day on our 10-year journey, he sometimes led the way, and walked before us to inspire us. Sometimes, he purposefully tried to stay behind to give us courage, but no matter what the circumstances were, he always made sure we felt that he was always there for us, not only with his financial support but also with his moral support. On behalf of myself, all past and present members of OzU, and our country, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Hüsnü Özyeğin, the founder of our University and the Chair of our Board of Trustees.

As we celebrate our University’s 10th anniversary this year, we feel the immense satisfaction of looking into the future with the hope and confidence we derive from all the experiences, successes, excitements, and dreams we have had over our 10-year journey. I wish many more achievements and many more decades to come.

Our University will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a rich array of scientific, cultural, artistic, and athletic events in the 2018-2019 academic year. To make this special year more memorable, we recently organized a logo design competition for our students who know, live, and feel OzU the best. As a result of the logo design competition organized in celebration of this important milestone for our University, our senior Architecture student Ece Kıy’s logo design was elected as the winner by majority vote.

The 10th anniversary logo was expected to reflect OzU’s mission, values, impact, and OzU’s goal to be an innovative and entrepreneurial pioneer in every field. The competition specifications allowed contestants to use “10th Year” and “OzU” together in their logo design.

The competition was announced on October 3, and 29 students applied for the competition with 57 projects. Following the evaluation of the selection committee, our students Ece Kıy, Nilay Zanbak, and Muratcan Koylan were selected as the winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up, respectively in recognition of their logo designs.

The logo design of Deniz Akmehmet, and the logo design of Birce Adsanver and Ahmet Can Çimen were also awarded with the Jury Prize.

Prof. Dr. Orhan Hacıhasanoğlu (Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design)
Alpay Er (Industrial Design)
Simge Esin Orhun (Communication Design)
Özlem Özkal (Communication Design)
Metin Çavuş (Communication Design)

Pelin Günay (Research Assistant, Industrial Design)
Yasemin Yıldırım (Research Assistant, Communication Design)

2007
May 2007
- Özyeğin University was officially founded.
- Prof. Dr. Erhan Erkut was appointed as the Founding Rector.
- The Faculty of Engineering was founded.
- The Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences was founded.
- The Faculty of Arts and Sciences was founded.
- The School of Applied Sciences was founded.
- The Graduate School of Engineering was founded.
- The Graduate School of Social Sciences was founded.
2018
- Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Özyeğin University prepares its students for the future with 6 faculties, 2 vocational schools, and 3 graduate schools, offering a total of 23 undergraduate and 31 graduate programs.
2008
March 2008
- The construction of Altunizade Campus was completed.
2018
- Özyeğin Üniversitesi Eylül 2011’de 280 bin metrekare alana yayılı Çekmeköy Kampüsü’ne taşındı. Özyeğin Üniversitesi, Türkiye’nin ilk LEED Sertifikası adayı çevreci kampüsü olarak Akademik Bina-1 ve Öğrenci Merkezi binaları ile LEED Gold Sertifikası aldı. (Şubat 2013)
June 2008
- The first press launch event was organized.
2009
April 2009
- The Center for Entrepreneurship was founded.
September 2009
- The Center for Energy, Environment and Economy (CEEE) was founded.
2018
- Turkey’s first Center for Computational Finance was founded. (December 2009)
- The German Law Application and Research Center was founded. (January 2012)
- The Research, Development, Training and Application Laboratory for Energy Efficient LED Lighting Technologies (EVATEG) was founded. (June 2016).
- Turkey’s first research and development center in the field of optical wireless communications, the Center of Excellence for Optical Wireless Communications Technologies (OKATEM), was founded.
- The OzU Couple and Family Therapy Center (OzU CFC) was launched. (May 2018)
- The Alp Alkaş Retail & Real Estate Center was launched. (January 2014)
October 2009
- "10,000 Women", a global initiative launched in 2008 by Goldman Sachs, the international investment bank, took place for the first time in Turkey with the cooperation of Özyeğin University.
November 2009
- Özyeğin University’s first TUBITAK Project “Investigation of Near-Field Radiative Transfer for Development of Thermo/Photovoltaic Power Generators” was accepted.
2011
March 2011
- The Fit Startup Factory was launched.
2018
- Over 200 new employments were created through the startups funded by the Fit Startup Factory’s acceleration programs.
2012
July 2012
- Our University held its first Commencement Ceremony.
2018
- Our total number of graduates in 2018: 3.338
November 2012
- The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) was founded.
2018
- Industry Collaboration Projects (including SANTEZ Projects): 220, Awards: 24, TUBITAK Projects: 133, International Projects (EU and others): 53, Istanbul Development Agency Projects: 12, Registered Patents by Faculty: 107, Patent Applications on behalf of the University: 112, Registered Patents and Utility Models: 9, Successful Commercialization: 4, OzU’s Cumulative Research Volume: 66.4 Million TL.
December 2012
- The Athletic Center was launched.
2018
- In 2018, we ranked third among foundation universities with a total of 33 medals, including 7 Gold, 13 Silver, and 13 Bronze.
- Our University held its first OzU Cup, Özyeğin University’s sports tournament for high schools. (February 2013).
2013
July 2013
- Our Summer School for High School Students was launched.
2018
- To date, over 1,500 students have experienced our Summer School for High School Students. Our school curriculum offers 10 course packs in different fields, and gives high school students a taste of university life over 2 weeks with its personal development, foreign language, and professional development courses.
November 2013
- Turkey’s First Corporate Entrepreneurship Conference was held.
2014
February 2014
- Prof. Esra Gençtürk was appointed as the Rector.
2018
- Our Rector Prof Dr. Esra Gençtürk was honored with the “Golden Award” in the TÜMA 2018 “Rectors with Outstanding Performance in Turkey” ranking.
March 2014
- Özyeğin University has become the first university in Turkey that is concurrently awarded ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management System Certifications.
September 2014
- Accreditation and Quality Assurance Unit was established.
2015
March 2015
- The School of Aviation and İstanbul Grand Airport (İGA) held Turkey’s first “Istanbul HUB Seminar” on our campus.
May 2015
- The Scholarship Program for Equal Opportunities in Education was launched.
2018
- In the 2018-2019 academic year, the total number of our scholarship recipients in the “Scholarship Program for Equal Opportunities in Education” rose to 86 with the contributions of our esteemed donors.
2016
February 2016
- Our University was the only university from Turkey included in the international sustainable campus best practices annual report of the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) and Global University Leader Forum (GULF), which is the academic platform of World Economic Forum.
2018
- In 2016, for the first time, Özyeğin University had been selected as one of the international campus best practices in recognition of its exemplary practices towards being a “sustainable university” by the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) and Global University Leader Forum (GULF), which is the academic platform of the World Economic Forum. In 2017, Özyeğin University was once again featured as one of the best practice examples, and was included in the annual report 2017 ”Educating for Sustainability” as the only university from Turkey in recognition of its “Innovative Three-Layered Sustainability Education for the Business World”. In 2018, Özyeğin University was featured for the third time among the best practice examples in the same report in recognition of its "Law Clinics".
2017
March 2017
- Our OzU-X building was launched.
2018
- Launched by Özyeğin University with the philosophy of promoting the entrepreneurship culture, OzU-X serves as a center open to all stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem with its units and seminar areas. OzU-X Units: - Technology Transfer Office - Center For Entrepreneurship -Fit Startup Factory - OpenFAB Istanbul - TUSIAD Sustainable Development Forum - GE Center for Innovation.
April 2017
- Özyeğin University and the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) jointly established the “Sustainable Development Forum” (SDF).
July 2017
- According to the results of the “Turkey’s University Satisfaction Survey” (TÜMA) 2017, Özyeğin University ranked first among all universities in Turkey for ‘Overall Satisfaction’.
2018
- For the second time, OzU ranked first for overall satisfaction in the 2017 Turkey’s University Satisfaction Survey (TÜMA). Our Rector Prof Dr. Esra Gençtürk was honored with the “Golden Award” in the “Rectors with Outstanding Performance in Turkey” ranking.
2018
May 2018
- Our University held its first Chill@OzU event led by our Student Union with support from various university departments.The event played host to over 9,000 guests.
August 2018
- OzU ranked first among the “Universities with Highest Graduate Employment Rate” according to the results of the CALIBRE Higher Education Employment Index 2018 prepared by the Career and Talent Management Association based on a nationwide survey. For more about the CALIBRE Higher Education Employment Index 2018, please click here.
- OzU was ranked first among the top 10 universities with the best campus in Turkey.
2019
February 2019
- OzU shortlisted among the top 8 universities in the ‘Outstanding Support for Students’ category.
April 2019
- OzU is ranked as the World’s Top Turkish University for its contributions toward United Nations’ “Sustainable Development Goals”.
July 2019
- In this special year that marks the 10th anniversary of our founding, we will hold our 8th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, July 6, 2019 on our Çekmeköy Campus.

+90(216) 564 90 00 & info@ozyegin.edu.tr

Çekmeköy Campus Nişantepe District, Orman Street, 34794 Çekmeköy, İstanbul

Özyeğin University About Us

"I dream of a university that is home to thousands of students ready to make an impact on the economy and the business world as well-educated professionals." - 2008

From Our Founder Hüsnü M. Özyeğin

"The future starts with dreaming. I have been chasing this dream for 10 whole years. How fortunate I am that I am not alone in this passionate and exciting journey." - 2018

Dear OzU Family,

My dream was a third generation university. A young and entrepreneurial research university.

The first ten years of our University are filled with unforgettable and proud moments for me

These lines are not enough to describe all those proud moments I have had, but with our 10th anniversary book and documentary, which we will soon share with you, we aim to make these moments eternal.

I feel very thrilled in dreaming of the next 10 years...

And luckily I am not dreaming alone. Dear OzU Family, happy 10th anniversary!

From Our Rector Prof. Dr. Esra Gençtürk

As the 2018-2019 academic year marks our 10th anniversary, we feel the well-deserved pride of looking into the future with the hope and confidence we derive from all the experiences, successes, excitements, and dreams we have had over our 10-year journey.

We implement a new 5-year strategic plan in our 10th year

We Chose our 10th Anniversary Logo Together

The 10th anniversary logo was expected to reflect OzU’s mission, values, impact, and OzU’s goal to be an innovative and entrepreneurial pioneer in every field. The competition specifications allowed contestants to use “10th Year” and “OzU” together in their logo design.

The logo design of Deniz Akmehmet, and the logo design of Birce Adsanver and Ahmet Can Çimen were also awarded with the Jury Prize.

Main Jury

Prof. Dr. Orhan Hacıhasanoğlu (Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design)
Alpay Er (Industrial Design)
Simge Esin Orhun (Communication Design)
Özlem Özkal (Communication Design)
Metin Çavuş (Communication Design)

Rapporteurs

Pelin Günay (Research Assistant, Industrial Design)
Yasemin Yıldırım (Research Assistant, Communication Design)

Özyeğin University’s Milestones

Özyeğin University’s 10th Events

Özyeğin University About Us

"I dream of a university that is home to thousands of students ready to make an impact on the economy and the business world as well-educated professionals." - 2008

From Our Founder Hüsnü M. Özyeğin

"The future starts with dreaming. I have been chasing this dream for 10 whole years. How fortunate I am that I am not alone in this passionate and exciting journey." - 2018

Dear OzU Family,

My dream was a third generation university. A young and entrepreneurial research university.

The first ten years of our University are filled with unforgettable and proud moments for me

These lines are not enough to describe all those proud moments I have had, but with our 10th anniversary book and documentary, which we will soon share with you, we aim to make these moments eternal.

I feel very thrilled in dreaming of the next 10 years...

And luckily I am not dreaming alone. Dear OzU Family, happy 10th anniversary!

From Our Rector Prof. Dr. Esra Gençtürk

As the 2018-2019 academic year marks our 10th anniversary, we feel the well-deserved pride of looking into the future with the hope and confidence we derive from all the experiences, successes, excitements, and dreams we have had over our 10-year journey.

We implement a new 5-year strategic plan in our 10th year

We Chose our 10th Anniversary Logo Together

The 10th anniversary logo was expected to reflect OzU’s mission, values, impact, and OzU’s goal to be an innovative and entrepreneurial pioneer in every field. The competition specifications allowed contestants to use “10th Year” and “OzU” together in their logo design.

The logo design of Deniz Akmehmet, and the logo design of Birce Adsanver and Ahmet Can Çimen were also awarded with the Jury Prize.

Main Jury

Prof. Dr. Orhan Hacıhasanoğlu (Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design) Alpay Er (Industrial Design) Simge Esin Orhun (Communication Design) Özlem Özkal (Communication Design) Metin Çavuş (Communication Design)

Rapporteurs

Pelin Günay (Research Assistant, Industrial Design) Yasemin Yıldırım (Research Assistant, Communication Design)

Özyeğin University’s Milestones

Özyeğin University’s 10th Events

Prof. Dr. Orhan Hacıhasanoğlu (Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design)
Alpay Er (Industrial Design)
Simge Esin Orhun (Communication Design)
Özlem Özkal (Communication Design)
Metin Çavuş (Communication Design)

Pelin Günay (Research Assistant, Industrial Design)
Yasemin Yıldırım (Research Assistant, Communication Design)