İstinye University

İstinye University (İSÜ) was founded in 2015 by the 21st Century Anadolu Foundation as a unique academic project that grew out of more than 30 years of experience of MLP Care Group — one of Turkey's largest healthcare holdings, which brings together three powerful hospital brands: Medical Park, VM Medical Park and Liv Hospital. The decision to establish the university was a logical continuation of MLP Care Group's strategy of integrating advanced medical practice with academic science. The idea was to build an educational institution capable of preparing a new generation of professionals directly within world-class operating clinics.

Academic activity began in the 2016–2017 academic year, when the first students started classes at the faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and Engineering. Already in September 2017, the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences was opened, significantly expanding the university's profile beyond its purely medical focus. Today İstinye University comprises nine faculties — Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Engineering and Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, Fine Arts, Design and Architecture, Health Sciences, Communications, and Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences — together with two vocational schools and a graduate school. The university offers more than 100 bachelor's and associate-degree programs, over 50 master's programs and 15 doctoral programs, and has 19 research centers.

The university operates on two modern campuses in Istanbul. The Vadi İstanbul campus, located in the Sarıyer district, is integrated into the residential and shopping complex of the same name, giving students access to world-class infrastructure. It hosts the main studios, teaching and research laboratories of the faculties, a large library and spacious areas for independent work. The 50,000 m² Topkapı campus serves as the hub for health-sciences programs; it has 37 lecture halls and 47 laboratories designed for 4,000 students, plus a student center and a canteen. The two campuses are linked by a free continuous shuttle service.

Clinical training takes place at two university hospitals — İstinye University Hospital Medical Park Gaziosmanpaşa and İstinye University Hospital Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir. The latter opened in December 2016 and embodies a quarter of a century of MLP Care experience in healthcare. Thanks to this unique "university-hospital" model, medical students gain access to a real clinical environment from their first years and work alongside the country's leading practicing physicians.

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, the university entered the 1001–1200 band globally and ranked 16th out of 109 Turkish universities. In the "International Outlook" category, İSÜ achieved the highest score among Turkish universities, entering the global top 400. In the URAP 2024–2025 ranking, the university rose to 7th place among private universities in Turkey. The university is accredited by WDOMS, SABAK, ECTS, PEARSON and MÜDEK, confirming that its programs meet the highest international standards.

The mission of İstinye University is to take a worthy place among the most prestigious universities in Turkey and the world, contributing to the creation of new knowledge through high-quality education and research. The university seeks to train specialists who possess not only deep professional knowledge but also leadership qualities, well-developed critical thinking, digital-transformation skills and a commitment to humanistic and ethical values.

İSÜ pays particular attention to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of medicine, engineering and information technology — research capable of shaping the future of healthcare and society. Through integration with the clinics of MLP Care Group, the university provides a unique educational model in which theoretical training is inseparable from clinical practice. Through Erasmus+ and bilateral agreements with universities in more than 30 European countries, İSÜ creates an international educational environment serving more than 14,000 students, around 2,500 of whom are international. The university sees its goal as nurturing graduates who believe in the power of science, follow global trends closely and are ready to make a meaningful contribution to the development of their countries and the global community.