The 2026-2027 Academic Year at Istanbul Kültür University (İKÜ) was inaugurated with a ceremony held on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 10:30 in the Akıngünç Auditorium and Art Center. The event was attended by Bakırköy Mayor Assoc. Prof. Ayşegül Ovalıoğlu; Academician and Author Prof. Dr. h.c. (mult.) A.M. Celâl Şengör; Chairperson of the Board of Trustees Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver; Chairperson of the Board of Istanbul Kültür Educational Institutions (İKEK) and Vice Chairperson of the İKÜ Board of Trustees Ful Akıngüç; Rector Prof. Dr. Fadime Üney Yüksektepe; Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Gülce Öğrüç Ildız and Prof. Dr. Burcu Yavuz Tiftikçigil; Secretary General Zuhal Çıtır; as well as academic and administrative staff and students.

The ceremony began with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem. Speaking at the opening of the ceremony, our Rector, Prof. Dr. Fadime Üney Yüksektepe, stated the following:

“I wish for the new academic year to be healthy, productive, and successful for all our students, colleagues, and our country. I would like to begin my remarks by commemorating—with respect and gratitude—our esteemed founder and Honorary President, the late M.Sc. Civil Engineer Fahamettin Akıngüç, who passed away in July. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Prof. Dr. Celal Şengör, who shared his thoughts with us at this first academic year opening following our Honorary President’s passing, as well as the distinguished journalist Orhan Bursalı, who holds a valuable place in science communication.

The 2026–2027 Academic Year Orientation Program, organized by the İstanbul Kültür University Dean of Students Office, was held from September 14 to 18, 2026, at the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus. Hosted by Nour El Omar, a student in the Department of Architecture, the program aimed to welcome students who had newly joined the IKU family in a warm atmosphere.

The orientation program opened on Monday, September 14, at the Akıngüç Auditorium and Art Center. The program began with an opening speech by our Rector, Prof. Dr. Fadime Üney Yüksektepe. Referring to the privilege of studying at a university founded by a foundation with a long-standing history and a commitment to love for humanity and Atatürk, Prof. Dr. Yüksektepe stated that students would feel the value of being an IKU graduate throughout their lives. Drawing attention to the impact of artificial intelligence and digital transformation on education and professional life, our Rector also emphasized that students should attach importance not only to academic achievement but also to their social, cultural and personal development. In this context, she stated that the Social Transcript is an important tool that makes students’ development in different areas of university life visible.

Our Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver, then wished the students success in their new academic lives and reminded them of the privilege of being part of İstanbul Kültür University. The program continued with a presentation of the orientation schedule by our Dean of Students, Assoc. Prof. Gamze Alptekin.

Deputy Deans of Students Assist. Prof. Tuğba Özışık and Doğa Kurtyiğit provided students with information about the history and values of our University and the activities of the Dean of Students Office.

Assistant Student Life and Clubs Specialist Oğuzhan Gergin introduced student life and clubs, while Career Specialist Ecem Uçar introduced Professional Career Development services. Assist. Prof. İsmail Çakıt and Sports Specialist Ali Saral provided information about the Sports Coordination Office and sports teams. In addition, the International Relations Unit, Libraries, Health Unit, Office for Students with Disabilities, Guidance and Psychological Counseling Application and Research Center, Design Factory and Genç Ofis met with students. The program concluded with mentor-mentee meetings.

As part of the second edition of the “School of Energy for Women Project,” launched with the slogan “Women’s Energy, Türkiye’s Energy,” training was provided on sustainable development, green transformation and the European Green Deal.

The training was conducted as part of a project carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye, REGES Elektrik and İstanbul Kültür University. It addressed the role of women in building a sustainable future and the social and economic dimensions of green transformation. The impacts of the European Green Deal on the business world and the new areas of transformation it has generated were also evaluated.

The Role of Women in Green Transformation

Green transformation refers to a comprehensive transformation process that goes beyond reducing environmental impacts and involves the reshaping of economic models, production processes, labor markets and social structures.

Strengthening women’s knowledge, skills and competencies in this process plays an important role in achieving sustainable development in an inclusive manner. Enabling women to gain greater knowledge and experience in energy, sustainability and green transformation contributes both to individual empowerment and sustainable economic transformation.

As part of the training, participants had the opportunity to evaluate the fundamental elements of the sustainable development approach, the social and economic impacts of green transformation, and the transformation taking place in the business world in line with the European Green Deal.

Transformation Strengthened by Knowledge and Awareness

Based on the understanding that people are at the center of sustainable development, green transformation is possible not only through technological investments and economic policies but also through knowledge, awareness, education and inclusive participation.

In this context, the “School of Energy for Women” contributes to developing women’s knowledge and competencies in energy and sustainability while supporting their empowerment as active stakeholders in the green transformation process.

Held during the second year of the project, this training once again demonstrated the value of cooperation among the public sector, private sector and universities in empowering women, supporting sustainable development goals and increasing social awareness of green transformation.

As İstanbul Kültür University, we attach importance to empowering women in the fields of sustainability and energy, increasing access to knowledge and supporting their active participation in green transformation processes, and we continue our efforts together with our stakeholders toward a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future.

İstanbul Kültür University’s student development and competency ecosystem, PUMA, made a strong start to the 2026–2027 Academic Year. Alongside the General Orientation Program, student interest in the platform increased significantly, while participation data from the first day demonstrated PUMA’s potential for active use throughout the new academic year. On the first day of orientation, 700 new students joined the PUMA ecosystem. Of these students, 330 earned the “Kültürlü Ruh” badge on the same day, completing their first development steps on PUMA. Transforming students’ first interaction with the platform into a gamified experience, the “Kültürlü Ruh” badge enabled new users to quickly experience PUMA’s task, badge and competency structure.

Social Transcript Emphasis Strengthened Participation

The emphasis placed on the Social Transcript by our University administration during the orientation program was one of the key factors supporting students’ interest in PUMA. The Social Transcript approach, which makes students’ club, event, project, challenge and other development experiences visible alongside their academic education, encouraged students to actively engage with tasks and activities on PUMA. Thus, the platform went beyond being merely a digital space where students follow activities, emerging instead as a holistic development ecosystem where they can record the experiences and competencies they acquire throughout their university life.

PUMA Continued to Grow During the Summer Period

Activity on PUMA was not limited to the orientation period. Since June 15, 2026, 1,460 new users have joined the platform, while 632 new club memberships were recorded during the same period. This demonstrated that PUMA continued to sustain student engagement and organic growth even during the summer months, when academic activities were more limited.

During the same period, more than 500 challenge participations were recorded, while new activity in the company, career and CV modules further strengthened PUMA’s role not only in students’ social and cultural development but also in their career journeys.

PUMA Engagement During Orientation Week

Data from the orientation period covering September 13-18, 2026, also showed that engagement on the platform extended across different modules. During this period, 487 activities and 232 challenge participations were recorded, along with 351 student badges. On the club side, the system reached 3,917 club memberships, while digital engagement with students through PUMA continued intensively from the first days of the new academic year.

The activity PUMA carried into the new academic year demonstrated that the platform is not merely a campus application used periodically, but rather a continuous development environment accompanying students throughout their educational journey, from their first steps into university life to their social development, competency acquisition and career preparation.

İstanbul Kültür University Vice Rector & Director of the Sustainable Development Center (SÜRKAM), Prof. Dr. Burcu Yavuz Tiftikçigil, met with administrators and teachers from Kültür College and Kültür2000 College as part of KÜGEM 2026.

During the seminar, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were discussed, and the relationship between the concept of sustainable development and educational processes was evaluated from multiple perspectives. The importance of involving students in the process not merely as individuals who acquire knowledge about the SDGs, but as active stakeholders who question, develop solutions and transform their ideas into concrete projects was emphasized.

Throughout the seminar, project ideas that students from different age groups could develop in line with the Sustainable Development Goals were discussed, while participants exchanged views on educators’ roles in guiding students through awareness-raising and project development processes.

The meeting also constituted one of the first steps toward the Sustainable Development Student Congress, which is planned to be organized through the collaboration of İstanbul Kültür University and Kültür Colleges. The objectives of the congress and the framework of the platform where students will be able to share their ideas, proposed solutions and projects were presented to educators.

As İstanbul Kültür University, we believe that children and young people are not merely the inheritors of the future but also actors of change today, as part of this collaboration process that brings the University and schools together around a shared vision of sustainability.

A seminar titled “Being the Parent of a University Student” was organized by the Istanbul Kültür University (İKÜ) Dean of Students Office for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. Held on Thursday, September 17, at the Önder Öztunalı Hall in the Ataköy Building of the Bakırköy Campus, the event was designed for the parents of students.

The seminar, attended by the students' families, addressed topics such as the young people's adjustment to university life, their academic and social development, and the role of parents during this process.

Our Vice Rector, Prof. Dr. Burcu Yavuz Tiftikçigil, attended the seminar, where the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof. Dr. Alim Kaya, shared his valuable insights and experiences with the parents.

The seminar took place in a warm and sincere atmosphere; through the parents' questions and contributions, various aspects of university life were discussed, resulting in a productive meeting characterized by a mutual exchange of views.

Highlighting the importance of university-parent cooperation, the event once again demonstrated the significance of a conscious and supportive approach by parents regarding the academic, social, and personal development of young people.

A reverse mentoring workshop titled “Have Your Say at IKU! Let’s Talk About Today, Let’s Shape Tomorrow Together” was held by the Student Dean’s Office of Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the Design Factory in the Ataköy Building of the Bakırköy Campus, as part of the 2026–2027 Academic Year Orientation Program.

The workshop aimed to enable newly registered students to directly share their first impressions, expectations, priorities, and needs regarding university life, and brought students together with faculty administrators and academic staff.

In the table discussions held on a faculty basis, students shared the topics that excited and concerned them about university life, their expectations from the university and their faculties, the practices they would like to see in their first years, and their priorities. The prominent opinions and suggestions of each faculty were shared with the other participants through short presentations delivered by the students.

Through the reverse mentoring workshop, it was aimed to make students’ views visible from the first days of their university life and to ensure that the feedback received from students contributes to development efforts at the faculty and university levels. The views of the students who participated in the workshop will be followed throughout the academic year and will be re-evaluated in the following periods.

İstanbul Kültür University’s Design Factory came together with students at the beginning of the 2026–2027 Academic Year for the event titled “Design Has a Factory Too.”

Held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the event aimed to help students become more familiar with the Design Factory and discover the opportunities offered there. In addition to providing information, the event focused on experiencing the space and gaining a closer understanding of the Design Factory’s production culture.

At the opening of the event, Design Factory Coordinator Meltem Zengin provided an overview of the structure of the Design Factory, its working areas and the opportunities it offers students. Event Coordinator Bengisu Ankara then explained the events and training processes carried out within the Design Factory and provided information about the programs students can participate in throughout the academic year.

During the event, Competency and Digital Media Specialist Efe Anğın introduced İstanbul Kültür University’s PUMA application and presented the social, academic and development-oriented opportunities available to students throughout their academic lives.

As part of the event, students explored different working and production areas of the Design Factory and had the opportunity to become familiar with the studios. During the Design Factory tour, students saw on site the areas where production, design and digital content activities are carried out and explored the opportunities offered by the Design Factory more closely.

Students’ questions were also answered throughout the event, while information was shared about the working environment where students from different disciplines can come together to develop ideas, produce projects and take part in various training, event and project processes.

Through the “Design Has a Factory Too” event, students not only became familiar with the Design Factory but also had the opportunity to meet the Design Factory during the first days of the academic year by touring the space, exploring the studios and seeing the opportunities offered on site.

As part of İstanbul Kültür University’s 2026–2027 Academic Year General Orientation Program, the “Orientation Program for Students with Special Needs” was organized to support the adaptation of disadvantaged students to university life. The program was conducted by Deputy Dean of Students Doğa Kurtyiğit on Wednesday, September 16, from 13:00 to 14:00 in the multi-purpose hall on the fourth floor of the Ataköy building at the Bakırköy Campus. Students were provided with information about our University, educational processes, their rights and the support mechanisms they may need.

As part of İstanbul Kültür University’s General Orientation Program, a training session titled “How to Create an AI Business Partner” was held to support students in using artificial intelligence technologies more consciously, productively and effectively. The training, held on Wednesday, September 16, at the Design Factory in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus, was delivered by PUMA Business Analyst and Competency and Digital Media Specialist Mert Efe Anğın.

With its structure focused on production, experience and the development of innovative ideas, the Design Factory became a learning and production environment where artificial intelligence was explored through practical applications throughout the training. Students evaluated, through examples, how artificial intelligence can be transformed from a tool that is merely given commands into a business partner that works together with users through the use of appropriate context, feedback and process design.

The distinction between using artificial intelligence and working with artificial intelligence was explained through the processes of establishing context, production, critique and revision. The transformation from the historical development of artificial intelligence to today’s generative AI systems was addressed, while the areas of use of general-purpose AI assistants, research tools, visual generation systems, coding and product development solutions, and source-based AI applications were discussed.

The practice-oriented section of the training focused on the key components of an effective prompt: context, role, task, criteria, output format and example*. It was emphasized through examples that the initial output received from artificial intelligence should not be considered the final result, and that a working process involving critique, checking and revision is important for achieving higher-quality results.

Participants were also informed about key limitations of artificial intelligence, including hallucinations, currency, bias and data security. The training emphasized that tasks can be delegated to artificial intelligence, while decision-making and responsibility must remain with humans.

Integrating the production- and experience-oriented approach of the Design Factory, the training concluded by offering students a new perspective on artificial intelligence not merely as a tool for accessing information, but as a digital business partner that can be incorporated into learning, research, production and problem-solving processes.

Faculty members of our Department of Industrial Engineering presented their studies at the conference titled “Innovations and Applications in Intelligent Systems (ASYU),” hosted by Özyeğin University from September 9 to 11.

Paper presented at the conference: An Explainable Machine-Learning Framework for Gait-Based Classification of Increased Femoral Anteversion

Authors: Pelin Su Çakır, Kerim Memiş, Prof. Dr. Murat Ermiş, Assist. Prof. Tuğçe Apaydın

The second book in the Critical Guide series, The Critique of Practical Reason, co-authored by our Head of the Department of Common Courses, Assoc. Prof. Selda Salman Sakızlı, has been published. Prepared in collaboration with the Turkish Kant Society, the book was published by Akademim Publishing, which publishes works in the field of social sciences.

İstanbul Kültür University’s Design Factory brought students together at the “Game On” event, which combined technology, interaction and competition. Held on Monday, September 14, at the Design Factory in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus, the event focused on PUMA, the digital competency platform supporting students’ development throughout university life, and the Design Factory.

In the innovative and practice-oriented atmosphere of the Design Factory, students were first introduced to the opportunities offered by PUMA. The platform’s key features were demonstrated through practical applications rather than being limited to a presentation, giving students the opportunity to experience different areas of PUMA and its use in university life firsthand. At the same time, the active-use areas of the Design Factory and their purposes were introduced, with the benefits offered to students highlighted.

Following the introduction, the competition section of Game On began. Participants tested their knowledge and speed in a 25-question competition prepared in a digital environment. The competition, where interaction and competition were at the forefront, was completed with the active participation of students.

At the end of the competition, the top three students with the highest scores were awarded prizes. Thus, Game On went beyond being a conventional information event introducing PUMA and the Design Factory to students, transforming into a dynamic student gathering that brought together experience, gamification and active participation.

Integrating the production, experience and interaction culture of the Design Factory, the event contributed to students becoming more familiar with PUMA and exploring the digital university experience through hands-on engagement.

As part of the Istanbul Kültür University (İKÜ) 2026-2027 Academic Year General Orientation Program, "School of Foreign Languages ​​Orientation Programs" will be held on Monday, September 21. The Akıngüç Auditorium and Art Center will host the program—comprising the "English Preparatory Class Orientation" (presentation language: Turkish) and the "English Preparatory Class International Student Orientation" (presentation language: English)—in two sessions scheduled for 10:00–11:00 and 11:30–12:30.

The Department of Industrial Engineering will hold an orientation program for students newly enrolled in the department for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. The event will take place on Monday, September 21, from 15:00 to 16:00, in the 4th-floor multi-purpose hall of the Ataköy building at the Bakırköy Campus.

The Program of Preschool Education of the Department of Basic Education will organize an event titled "Century of Türkiye Education Model: Planning and Implementation in Preschool Education." Featuring Trainer Teacher Bahar Değer as the speaker, the event will be held on Tuesday, September 22, at 15:00 in the Conference Hall of the Küçükçekmece Campus.

The Department of International Trade and Finance will hold an orientation program for students newly enrolled in the department for the 2026-2027 Academic Year. The event will take place on Wednesday, September 23, from 12:00 to 14:00, in the Conference Hall of the Küçükçekmece Campus.

The Distance Education Application and Research Center (UZEMER) will organize the “New Faculty Orientation and Development Program” for the 2026–2027 academic year. The program aims to support newly joined academic staff in adapting more quickly and holistically to our institutional culture, academic ecosystem, teaching and learning approach, and digital work environments. Hosted by the İstanbul Kültür University Rectorate, the Faculty of Education, PUMA, and PumAkademi, the event will take place on Wednesday, September 23, from 14:00 to 18:00 at the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.

The İstanbul Kültür University Art Gallery (İKÜSAG) will launch its 2026–2027 art season with the “Atilla Ekşinozlugil 16th and 17th Century Ottoman Textile Collection” exhibition. Organized in collaboration with the Fine Arts Application and Research Center (GSUAM) and Noah Culture and Art, the exhibition will open to art enthusiasts on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 15:00 at the İKÜ Art Gallery (İKÜSAG) in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus. The exhibition will be open for viewing until October 23, 2026.

An orientation program will be organized by the Department of Electrical-Electronics Engineering for all students—particularly those newly enrolled for the 2026-2027 Academic Year—on Thursday, September 24, 2026, between 13:00 and 13:30. The event will take place in classroom 4C0406 (4th floor) of the Ataköy Building at the Bakırköy Campus.