Boğaziçi University

Boğaziçi University is a public research university in Istanbul, Turkey. Its main campus in Bebek is located just west of the Bosphorus, from which the institution takes its name. It is historically linked to Robert College, the first American college founded outside the United States.^[2]

In 1863, Robert College was founded in Bebek by Christopher Robert, a wealthy American philanthropist, and Cyrus Hamlin, a Congregational missionary devoted to education.^[3][4] Six years after its foundation, the first campus (the current-day Boğaziçi South Campus) was built on the ridge near Rumelian Castle (Turkish: Rumeli Hisarı) with the permission of Sultan Abdülaziz.^[3]

According to a college catalogue compiled for the 1878–1879 academic year, "the object of the College is to give to its students, without distinction of race or religion, a thorough education equal in all respects to that obtained at a first-class American college and based upon the same general principles."^[5]

After Cyrus Hamlin, the college was administered by George Washburn (1877–1903) and Caleb Gates (1903–1932).^[3] Established as an institution of higher learning independent of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), though with a significant number of missionaries among its faculty in its earlier years, the college adopted an entirely secular and non-denominational educational model in 1923 in compliance with the new republican principles of Turkey.^[6]

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).^[7] 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.^[8]

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 major research university.^[9]

At its inception, Boğaziçi University had a president and administration answerable to councils and committees composed of faculty members. Both senior and junior faculty attended general assemblies where institutional decisions were made.^[10]

Following the 1980 Turkish coup d'état, the newly established Council of Higher Education began appointing rectors to universities, including Boğaziçi. In 1992, during the post-coup political normalization, the university's faculty proposed a rector election system. Under this model, faculty members voted for rector candidates, and the three candidates receiving the most votes were submitted to the Council of Higher Education, which forwarded one name, typically the top vote-getter to the President of Turkey for formal appointment. Boğaziçi faculty developed an informal agreement in which rector candidates who did not receive the highest vote would decline appointment if their name was forwarded instead.^[11]

In 2016, the President did not appoint the Boğaziçi University candidate who received 86% of the votes but instead appointed Mehmed Özkan, the deputy of the former elected rector. Nevertheless, Özkan subsequently received a vote of confidence from the faculty. On 2 January 2021, Erdoğan appointed Melih Bulu as rector. The appointment prompted protests by faculty, students, and alumni. More than 150 students were detained during the demonstrations, which drew international media coverage.^{[12][13][10][14][15][16][17][18]} Bulu was dismissed on 15 July 2021, and Naci İnci was subsequently appointed to the position.^[19][20]

According to reporting by some outlets, the university administration under the government-appointed rectors introduced a number of changes, including disciplinary investigations against faculty members, restrictions on campus access for some academics, and the suspension of certain student club activities, including the LGBTI+ student club. The university's campuses saw an increased police presence during this period.^{[21][22][23][24][25]}

The protests and the broader dispute over university governance received statements of support from academic institutions and international scholars, including Noam Chomsky, David Harvey, and Judith Butler.^[26][27][28]

The South Campus is the historic heart of the university and the most symbolically important part of the institution. It houses various historic buildings of Robert College, including Hamlin Hall,, Theodorus Hall, Dodge Hall, Albert Long Hall and as well as the Kennedy Lodge^[29] South Campus also accommodates major academic and administrative functions. The academic departments in South Campus are housed in Washburn Hall (Faculty of Economic and Administrative Science), Anderson Hall (Faculty of Science), Perkins Hall (Faculty of Engineering), Sloane Hall (Psychology and Sociology Departments), Institute for Data Science & Artifical Intelligence and Natuk Birkan Building (Economics Department and Turkish Language and Literature Department).

The North Campus functions as one of the university's main academic and service hubs, especially for science, engineering, and large-scale student facilities. The campus houses The Faculty of Education Building, the Educational Technologies Building, the Computer Engineering Building, and the Sciences and Engineering Building. The North Campus was home to Aptullah Kuran Library, which contains more than 740,000 printed books, 800,000 e-books, 55,000 e-journals as well as an extensive collection of Braille books, and a collection of rare books and manuscripts.^[30][31]

The Uçaksavar Campus includes a sports complex with a stadium and a fully equipped gym. Life Long Learning Center (BUYEM) and Garanti Cultural Center are also located on this campus.^[32]

The Hisar Campus houses the Institute of Environmental Sciences, more than 20 classrooms, 3 amphitheaters and a cafeteria. The campus also includes an indoor swimming pool and a gymnasium.^[33]

The Kilyos Sarıtepe campus, located on the Black Sea coast, is home to student dorms and a private beach. It is the first energy self-sufficient university campus in the world, meeting all of its electricity demands from its own wind power plant.^[34]

The Anadolu Hisarı Campus is primarily associated with preparatory language education. Boğaziçi University School of Foreign Languages Preparatory Unit is located in Anadolu Hisarı Campus. In addition, there are a student cafeteria, dining hall, sports facilities, dormitory which are serving on campus.^[35]

The Kandilli Campus hosts Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute and also the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

Taşoda Music Festival is organized by Boğaziçi University Music Club every spring. It is the most important amateur music festival held in Turkey and takes its name from Music Club's studio at the South Campus.^[36]

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.^[37]

Boğaziçi University ranks 371th internationally according to the QS World University Rankings of 2026, and a global ranking of 401–500 according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings of 2026.^[38]

• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Molecular Biology and Genetics
• Physics

• Economics
• Management
• Political Science and International Relations
• International Trade
• Management Information Systems
• Tourism Administration

• Computer Education and Educational Technology
• Foreign Language Education
• Primary Education
• Mathematics and Science Education

• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

• 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

• Advanced English Unit
• English Preparatory Division
• Modern Languages Unit

• Department of Physical Education and Sports
• Department of Fine Arts^[39]

• List of American universities and colleges outside the United States
• Robert College
• List of universities in Turkey
• List of universities in Istanbul

• Freely, John. 2012. A Bridge of Culture: Robert College-Bogazici University: How An American College in Istanbul Became A Turkish University. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları.
• Freely, John. 2009. A History of Robert College. Istanbul: YKY.
• Hamlin Cyrus, 2014. Among The Turks: My Life and Times. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları (Originally published 1878/1893).
• Kuran, Aptullah, 2013, Bir Kurucu Rektörün Anıları: Robert Kolej Yüksekokulu'ndan Boğaziçi Üniversitesi'ne. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları.
• Washburn, George. 2012. Fifty Years in Constantinople and Recollections of Robert College. Istanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları (Originally published 1909).

• Boğaziçi University (in Turkish)
• Boğaziçi University (in English)

41°05′01″N 29°03′02″E / 41.083556°N 29.050598°E / 41.083556; 29.050598