İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University

Bilkent University is Türkiye’s first private, non-profit university. Its origins date back to 1967. The preparations began with the acquisition of a large tract of land to the west of Ankara and laid the groundwork for what has become an internationally recognized research university with more than 60,000 graduates. Bilkent alums hold key positions in leading companies as well as public and higher education institutions in Türkiye and around the world.

Established on October 20, 1984, by decision of the İhsan Doğramacı Foundations, Bilkent University is today a distinguished center of education and research, comprising 10 faculties and 3 institutes that offer 30 undergraduate and 59 graduate programs. With approximately 12,500 students and faculty members representing 39 countries, Bilkent is committed to a truly international academic environment.

Bilkent University’s educational philosophy aims to cultivate students’ abilities for independent thinking and rational decision-making. Combined with strong disciplinary knowledge and a contemporary worldview, these qualities equip Bilkenters for lifelong success. Through exchange agreements with 388 universities across four continents, Bilkent further broadens its students’ global outlook.

Fully accredited by the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK), Bilkent is one of the first three foundation universities to be designated a “research university” by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). Between 2005 and 2025, scientific research projects carried out under the leadership and with the scholarly contributions of Bilkent faculty members received a total of 2.9 billion Turkish Liras in funding. This support was provided by TÜBİTAK (1,021 projects), public and private sector organizations (674 projects), and European Union programs (143 projects). In 2002, Bilkent took a major step forward in university–industry collaboration by establishing Bilkent CYBERPARK—Türkiye’s first foundation university technopark—in partnership with Bilkent Holding.

According to YÖK’s 2025 University Monitoring and Evaluation General Report, Bilkent ranks first in Türkiye in the number of international faculty members. It also holds the top position among foundation universities in the number of outgoing exchange students and employed doctoral researchers. Since its establishment, Bilkent University has consistently ranked among the premier institutions in Türkiye and around the world in terms of international scientific publications per faculty member, and it continues to play a pioneering role in higher education.