Boğaziçi University

Robert College was founded in Bebek in 1863 by Christopher Robert, an American philanthropist, and Cyrus Hamlin, a Congregational missionary. In 1869, the first campus (now the Boğaziçi South Campus) was built on the ridge near Rumelihisarı with permission from Sultan Abdülaziz. After Cyrus Hamlin, the college was administered by George Washburn (1877–1903) and Caleb Gates (1903–1932). 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). 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. 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. == 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Bulu was dismissed on 15 July 2021, and Naci İnci was appointed as his successor. 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. == Campuses and student life ==

Boğaziçi University operates across seven campuses in and around Istanbul, each serving distinct academic or residential functions. 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. 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. The Uçaksavar Campus provides recreational and cultural facilities, including a stadium, gymnasium, the Lifelong Learning Center (BUYEM), and the Garanti Cultural Center. The Hisar Campus hosts the Institute of Environmental Sciences alongside more than 20 classrooms, three amphitheaters, a cafeteria, an indoor pool, and a gym. 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. The Anadolu Hisarı Campus accommodates the School of Foreign Languages Preparatory Unit, along with dining, sports, and dormitory facilities. The Kandilli Campus is home to the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. Student dormitories 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. 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. == Academics ==

All undergraduate and graduate instruction at Boğaziçi University is conducted in English, a tradition inherited from Robert College and maintained continuously since 1863. 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). In QS subject rankings, it placed 217th in Social Sciences & Management and 236th in Engineering & Technology. The 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed it in the 401–500 band. 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. 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. 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 == Student clubs ==

• ADK Atatürkist Thought Club • Aviation Club • Ballet Club • Ballroom Dancing Society • Bridge Club • BISAK Boğaziçi University Islamic Studies Club • BUDS Boğaziçi University Debating Society • BUKOMİK Boğaziçi University Comics & Stand-up Club • BUOK Boğaziçi University Game Club • BULGBTİ+ LGBTQ Studies Club • BUMATEK Machinery and Technology Club • BUSAS Boğaziçi Under Water Sports Club • BUSOS Boğaziçi University Social Services • BUSUIK Boğaziçi University Politics and International Relations Club • BUYAK Boğaziçi University Operations Research Club • BUHAK Boğaziçi University Air Club • Chess Club • Cinema Club • IT Club (COMPEC) • Construction Club • Drama Club • Education and Research Club • Electro-Technology Club • Engineering Society • Environmental Society • Vegan Community • Cycling club • Animal rights Community • Sustainable Development Goals Student Chapter • GSK Fine Arts Club • BUFK Folklore Club • Green Crescent Club • BUED Literature Club • Mechanics and Technology Club • Management and Economics Club • Mountaineering Club • Music Club • Operations Research Club • Photography Club • Radio Club • Sailing Club • Riding Club • Science Club • Social Sciences Society • Speleology Club • Sports Committee • Translation Club • Turkish Classical Music Club • Village and Cooperatives Club • Women's Studies Club == 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 == 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 • 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 • 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 • 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==