Özyeğin University

Özyeğin University (OzU) owes its existence to the prominent Turkish entrepreneur and philanthropist Hüsnü Mustafa Özyeğin — founder of Finansbank and head of the FIBA Group investment holding. A graduate of Robert College in Istanbul who earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Oregon State University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, Hüsnü Özyeğin had dreamed for decades of creating in Turkey a university capable of competing with the world's best institutions. In autumn 2005, the Hüsnü Özyeğin Foundation began preparatory work, and on 18 May 2007, Özyeğin University was officially established under Law No. 5656, published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey. Hüsnü Özyeğin announced the intention to invest up to one billion dollars in the development of the university over the following 15 years, making it one of the largest private investments in higher education in Turkey's history.

The first cohort of students enrolled in 2008, and within just a few years OzU grew from a startup into one of the most dynamically developing private universities in the country. The university initially operated from a temporary campus in the Altunizade district, but in 2011 it ceremonially opened its main campus in the Çekmeköy district (Nişantepe, Orman Sokak) on the Asian side of Istanbul — a large complex of more than 260,000 square meters designed around principles of environmental sustainability and open architecture. The campus is set among green areas, creating a unique atmosphere for study and research, while transport links are provided by proximity to Istanbul's main highways and metro stations.

Since its founding, Özyeğin University has rapidly built up its academic capacity. Already in 2009, the Faculty of Engineering started operating, offering students world-class programs. In 2016, OzU's engineering programs — Industrial Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science — received MÜDEK accreditation (the Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Engineering Programs), a full member of the Washington Accord and the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE). In 2020, the Civil Engineering program was also accredited by MÜDEK. Notably, all programs received the maximum accreditation period ever granted on a first application.

The OzU Business School has become one of only a few in Turkey to be honored with the prestigious AACSB accreditation (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), held by less than 6% of business schools worldwide. This recognition confirmed the highest quality of teaching, research and engagement with the business community. In 2009, the university established the Center for Energy, Environment and Economy (CEEE/EÇEM), which has become one of the leading interdisciplinary research platforms in the region. Later the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Center for Computational Finance, the Deloitte Leadership Institute and the Start-Up Factory powered by Turkcell — a business accelerator that supports tech startups from idea to product launch — were established. Maker Studio, another incubation platform, helps entrepreneurs with prototyping, market analysis and connecting with investors.

In rankings, OzU shows impressive momentum. In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, the university is in the 801–1000 group of the world's best universities, while in subject rankings it sits in the 501–600 band for computer science and 601–800 for engineering and social sciences. Most significantly, OzU is ranked second in the world among private and foundation universities founded less than 20 years ago in the THE Young University Rankings. For seven years in a row, OzU has topped the list of foundation universities in Turkey in the THE Impact Rankings, which evaluate universities' contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In the QS Sustainability 2025 ranking, the university took 370th place in the world and fourth among Turkish foundation universities. In the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2025, OzU placed 89th in the world and first among Turkey's foundation universities, confirming its leadership in environmental sustainability for the seventh consecutive year.

Today Özyeğin University comprises six faculties: Engineering, Business, Social Sciences, Architecture and Design, Law, and Aviation and Aeronautics, as well as the School of Applied Sciences with unique programs in hospitality management and gastronomy. International cooperation covers more than 200 partner universities worldwide through Erasmus+, Global Exchange and bilateral agreements with universities in Europe, Asia and the Americas. The university hosts students from more than 70 countries, and the OzU-X innovation space has become a symbol of interdisciplinary cooperation and the transformation of university education in the 21st century.

The mission of Özyeğin University is to be a socially responsible, applied and research-oriented university that not only transmits knowledge but also creates it, building an intellectual environment capable of responding to the most complex challenges of our time. The university bases its activities on three fundamental pillars: excellence in teaching, advanced scientific research and deep integration with industry and society. OzU strives to prepare graduates who can change the world — leaders with not only deep academic knowledge in their professional fields but also entrepreneurial thinking, critical-analysis skills and social responsibility.

At the heart of OzU's educational philosophy lies the principle of learning through practice and real experience. All university programs are oriented toward solving real problems — from developing tech startups in the Start-Up Factory and Maker Studio to fundamental research in laboratories of artificial intelligence, cognitive robotics, computer vision and natural language processing. The university actively develops interdisciplinary research centers — the Center for Energy, Environment and Economy (CEEE), the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Center for Computational Finance — building an ecosystem in which students, faculty and business representatives work side by side on projects of real social and economic significance.

OzU sees it as its duty to contribute to the sustainable development of society, as confirmed by its long-standing leadership in international sustainability rankings (THE Impact Rankings, UI GreenMetric, QS Sustainability). The university strives to create an inclusive educational environment in which every student — regardless of country of origin or social and economic situation — has equal opportunities to realize their potential. The system of scholarships and financial support, the well-developed international network of partnerships with more than 200 universities worldwide, and English-medium instruction make OzU a truly global university, open to talent from any part of the planet.