In May, I began a two-week trip to visit six universities: two in Turkey and four in Greece. (Yes, I know, work can sometimes be a real burden!)
My first stop was Istanbul, where I made an initial visit to Bahçeşehir University, commonly known as BAU. (When a new institution applies for NECHE membership, it requires a 2-3 day visit from me, in my role as President of the Commission.) I’m happy to report that BAU (now almost thirty years old) is the first Turkish university to be seeking NECHE accreditation.
To understand why NECHE is so proud to be beginning this journey with BAU, here’s a quote from its founder, Enver Yucel:
“All of the material and cultural wealth that allows societies to develop can only be acquired and cultivated through education. The countries that prioritize and invest the most in education are more developed and further ahead than those who do not. Education is what shapes and changes humans. With this in mind, I cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is to provide an excellent education to our youth.”
Those words totally resonated with me, and are surely worth remembering these days in the United States. And Enver Yucel has certainly put his money where his beliefs are.
Today, BAU enrolls nearly 30,000 students from more than 100 countries. 4,000 of those are in 100+ graduate programs, including law, medicine, engineering, and pharmacy. Overall, ten different schools with more than 1,000 faculty work across BAU’s eight campus locations in Istanbul. We visited several of the satellite campuses, including the Media & Communications hub in the historic Galata district, where we were inspired by the stimulating hive of activity in game theory, video production, design and content production.
BAU’s main campus sits on the banks of the Bosphorus, the river linking the two continents of Asia and Europe within a single city. Walking from room to room and floor to floor, I can tell you that BAU boasts a breathtaking view of the Bosphorus from almost every angle.
But beyond the aesthetics, BAU is extraordinarily dynamic and complex, particularly for an institution that’s not even three decades old. Students have access to study opportunities around the world, including a subsidiary institution in Washington, DC, and through BAU’s unique co-op program, they intern in global companies across Turkey and beyond. It’s no exaggeration to say that innovation and ambition are a signature attribute of this institution.
Case in point: Right next door to BAU’s main campus is a soon-to-open, brand-new edifice. With ten floors, including six below sea level, this soaring space will add more than 200,000 square feet to campus. Given BAU’s inexorable growth, the building will offer more classrooms, student space, and room to grow– truly, an asset for all constituents.
As is common at most universities outside the United States, students at BAU generally don’t live on campus. Despite this, I was impressed by the comprehensive nature of the support services offered to students, which are quite similar to those you would find on a residential campus in the States. Also, BAU’s students seem to have untrammeled access to the university’s Deans, Vice-Rectors and even the Rector (or President) Professor Esra HATİPOĞLU. One notable example arose when the students organized a protest around the Gaza/Israeli conflict. Rector HATİPOĞLU not only sat with the students to listen to their concerns, she was the first President in the country to offer all Palestinian students free tuition — a practice that continues today. Other Turkish universities have since followed her example.
Folks are sometimes surprised to learn that NECHE accredits universities outside the United States. Readers of this blog know that our efforts to expand our global reach have increased significantly– and in countries we have never worked before. Just last week, schools in India and Turkey began the process toward US accreditation. At a time when so many global relationships are being shattered, I am proud to say that NECHE is moving positively in the opposite direction.
And if my experience is any indication, I know NECHE’s institutions will benefit greatly through their interaction with the faculty, staff, and students of BAU.
