Under the leadership of the Faculty of Education, the names of four pioneers who shaped the history of Turkish education were given to the lecture halls on our Küçükçekmece Campus. The names of Hasan Âli Yücel, Saffet Arıkan, İsmail Hakkı Tonguç, and Mustafa Necati were given to four lecture halls of our faculty to honour the memory of these esteemed educators.

The naming ceremony, held prior to the 2024-2025 Spring Semester General Assembly Meeting, was attended by our Rector Prof. Dr. Fadime Üney Yüksektepe, our Secretary General Ender Rıza Ekici, our Dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Dr. Alim Kaya and our academic staff. In the speeches delivered at the ceremony, the contributions of the named educators, who shaped the quality and social transformation of education in the Republican Era, were highlighted, and it was emphasized that their educational ideals will continue to inspire future generations.

We take great pride in keeping the legacy of these influential architects of a modern, free, and socially conscious approach to education alive in our lecture halls.

Our Rector Prof. Dr. Fadime Üney Yüksektepe, our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Burcu Yavuz Tiftikçigil, our Director of the Institute of Graduate Education Prof. Dr. Nebile Korucu Gümüşoğlu, and our faculty members attended the Global Sustainable Development Congress 2025, organized in cooperation with the Council of Higher Education and Times Higher Education.

Sustainability is in Our Kültür!

On June 18, 2025, the Physical and Natural Sciences Advanced Research Center (IKU-SPECTRA), established at Istanbul Kültür University, held its first stakeholders meeting, following the planned activities of the European Union Horizon Europe Spectroscopy@IKU ERA-Chair Project.

The “Collaboration for Innovation” meeting took place at the Prof. Dr. Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall, in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus. The event brought together representatives from public institutions, the private sector and academia, with the aim of strengthening university-industry collaboration, fostering a sustainable research ecosystem and promoting scientific excellence.

The opening speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Gülce Öğrüç Ildız, Vice Rector of Istanbul Kültür University and Coordinator of the ERA-Chair Project. Following the opening talk, Prof. Dr. Rui Fausto, ERA-Chair Holder, introduced the project’s scientific focus areas and research infrastructure.

As part of the program, representatives from TÜSEB and TÜBİTAK gave informative presentations on funding opportunities provided by these institutions.

The meeting included also a round table session. During this session, leading figures from the R&D sector shared their insights and experiences on current research trends, emerging skill areas and opportunities for university-industry collaboration. The panel featured Dr. Burcu Kasapoğlu Usta (Project Management Supervisor, AbdiBio), Assoc. Prof. Dr. İsmail Aslan (Co-Founder and Board Member, SFA R&D), and Deniz Karaşahin (CEO, Osteoid Inc.).
The meeting concluded with visits and discussion sessions held at the IKU-SPECTRA laboratories, focusing on the center’s infrastructure and potential research collaborations.

Organized within the scope of the Spectroscopy@IKU ERA-Chair Project, this meeting marked an important step in realizing IKU-SPECTRA’s vision of contributing to strengthening national and international research collaborations.

The applications of our Faculty of Education academicians, Assist. Prof. Meryem Demir Güdül and Assist. Prof. Emine Hande Aydos, were accepted within the scope of the call to action titled "CA23113 - Climate Change Impacts on Mental Health in Europe (CliMent)" opened by COST.

We congratulate our professors, who have earned the right to take part in this important platform that will strengthen international collaborations and make significant contributions to the field of scientific research, and we wish them continued success in their work.

The Head of the Department of Public Relations and Advertising, Prof. Dr. Işıl Zeybek, took part in the “2025 Year of the Family: Workshop on Conscious Technology Use and Combating Disinformation” organized by the Şişli District Directorate of National Education with the support of the Directorate General of Civil Society Relations under the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Türkiye. The workshop was held on Tuesday, June 17 at the Şişli Teachers’ House. Training sessions were held on the following topics: “Digital Literacy and In-Family Guidance”, “Disinformation and Critical Media Literacy”, “Technology Addiction and Psychosocial Effects”, and “Safe Internet and Digital Privacy”. At the end of the workshop, certificates were presented to participants by Prof. Dr. Işıl Zeybek.

The paintings and digital works of our Head of the Department of Arts and Cultural Management, Assoc. Prof. Reyhan Uludağ, began to be exhibited at the Agora Art Gallery in Ankara on Saturday, June 14. The exhibition can be visited until June 29, 2025.

The graduation exhibition titled “In the Footsteps of Culture – Essence", prepared by the students of the Program of Fashion Design at Istanbul Kültür University Vocational School and inspired by the deep-rooted traditions of Anatolia, met with art enthusiasts on Monday, June 16, 2025, at IKUSAG in the Ataköy building, Bakırköy Campus.

In this special exhibition, where cultural heritage was reflected onto fabrics through a contemporary lens, our students creatively blended the past and the present with their designs.

The "External Stakeholder Meeting" was held by the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (MOBIGEN) on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at the Prof. Dr. Atilla Özalpan Seminar Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

Gen-Era Diagnostics Sales Specialist Sahra Aras, Interlab Life Sciences Product Manager Seda Divanoğlu, Progen Life Sciences Sales Manager Recep Genç, and Comgen Biotechnology Founding Partner Mert Meşeli participated in the meeting, which was attended by our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. The meeting, which aimed to strengthen university-industry collaboration and better prepare our students for sectoral expectations, addressed the current status of our educational programs, the competencies needed in the sector, and graduate employment.

In addition, students had the opportunity to learn about job and internship opportunities by directly communicating with companies. Company representatives provided important feedback on our university's strong academic infrastructure and young researcher potential.

The "Çalı Village Film Festival 1st National Interdisciplinary Cinema Symposium", organized with the participation of our Faculty of Arts and Design Res. Assist. Sezer Ağgez and Res. Assist. Eda Dindar from Department of Communication and Design, and Res. Assist. Emel Oturak Seymen from Department of New Media and Communication, will be held in Bursa on July 24, 2025.

For more information about the symposium, please visit: https://www.califilmfest.com/sempozyum

The Commencement Ceremony of the Institute of Graduate Education will be held on June 24, 2025, at 15:00, at the Akıngüç Auditorium and Art Center in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy campus.