Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) celebrated the 103rd anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic with a ceremony held on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in the front garden of the Ataköy building at the Bakırköy Campus. The ceremony, attended by the Chair of the Board of Trustees Dr. Bahar Akıngüç Günver, Rector Prof. Dr. Fadime Üney Yüksektepe, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Gülce Öğrüç Ildız, Secretary General Zuhal Çıtır, as well as our deans and academic and administrative staff, began with a moment of silence followed by the national anthem. The program concluded with the laying of a wreath at the bust of Atatürk.

Faculty members from the Department of Architecture at Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Prof. Dr. Esra Bostancıoğlu, Prof. Dr. Esin Kasapoğlu, and Assoc. Prof. Gamze Alptekin attended the “9th International Project and Construction Management Conference (IPCMC 2026),” held in Gaziantep from October 16-18, 2026.

Organized in collaboration with Yıldız Technical University and Middle East Technical University, and hosted by Hasan Kalyoncu University, the conference’s Scientific Committee included Prof. Dr. Esra Bostancıoğlu and Prof. Dr. Esin Kasapoğlu.

At the conference, a paper titled “Investigating Adaptive Reuse in the Context of Sustainability: A Case Study of a Historic Masonry Stone Building,” co-authored by Prof. Dr. Esra Bostancıoğlu and Elif Devrim, a doctoral student in the Department of Architecture, was presented, along with a paper titled “Evaluating BIM -Based Workflow for Lifecycle Carbon and Energy Assessment of Building Envelope Scenarios Using Autodesk Revit and Forma Carbon Insights.”

On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Istanbul Kültür University (IKU) Vocational School held a meeting with representatives from the Department of Corporate Communications at the İncirli building on the Bakırköy Campus, with the aim of enhancing promotional activities and increasing the school's institutional visibility. 

The meeting was attended by the Director of the Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özer, and faculty members, alongside the Head of the Department of Corporate Communications, Nilgün Eryeşil, Organization Manager Burak Arkan, CRM and Data Analysis Manager Serkan Yıldırım, and Advertising and Promotion Manager Yıldırım Özkan.

Discussions focused on high school outreach, communication with prospective students, increasing the visibility of the Vocational School, and program-specific promotional efforts. Furthermore, the participants exchanged views on industry collaborations centered on development and employment, alumni events, and research projects concerning the future of vocational education. 

It was also discussed how initiatives aimed at making the Vocational School a more preferred choice for students should be carried out in coordination with the relevant departments.

The administration of the IKU Vocational School met with student quality representatives from the first and second years of various programs. During the meeting, which was attended by the Director of the Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özer, the students' requests and suggestions were heard. Furthermore, discussions were held on how to improve educational processes and the campus experience within the Vocational School.

An article titled “Time-Cost Optimization in Wastewater Treatment Projects: A CPM-Based Approach,” co-authored by Assist. Prof. İlayda Ülkü from the Department of Industrial Engineering and our students Kürşat Faruk Erdoğan, Egemen Berdan Yıldız, and Enes Çalışkan, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Turkish Operations Management.

We congratulate our faculty member and students, and wish them continued success in their academic endeavors.

The Directorate of Support Services organized a training session for cleaning staff working at our campuses. Held on Saturday, October 24, at the Ataköy Building on the Bakırköy Campus, the training covered the topics of “Professional Development,” “The 7 Steps for WC Cleaning,” “Color Coding in Cleaning,” and “Zero Waste.”

As part of the "Digital Marketing Communication" course within the E-Commerce and Marketing Program, an event titled "Advertising Strategies in Digital Marketing Communication" was held on Thursday, October 22, 2026. The event featured Bünyamin Yıldırım from ROI Crafts as a guest speaker and was moderated by Lecturer Dr. İrem Oran. The session, which covered digital advertising channels, industry practices, and contemporary examples, concluded following a Q&A session where students' questions were addressed.

Sude Uçtu, a third-year student in the Department of Public Relations and Advertising, was selected as a Vodafone Campus Brand Manager. Throughout the 2026–2027 Academic Year, she will represent the Vodafone brand at our university and introduce the brand and its campaigns to our students.

Students from the Department of Architecture visited the Model-Making Workshop as part of the “ARC0001 Architectural Design I” course. During the visit, Model-Making Workshop Technician Önder Haki Parlak gave a presentation to the students covering occupational health and safety, as well as safe model-making practices.

The IKU Creative Club, one of the student clubs affiliated with the Department of Public Relations and Advertising, organized an event titled “Creative Talks 8” on Thursday, October 22, 2026.

The event was held in two sessions at the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy Building on the Bakırköy Campus. Paul Knize, Yusuf Demir, Co-Founder of Social Codemode, and Author Ezgi Özsan participated as speakers. During the event, students gained insights into topics such as storytelling, entrepreneurship, and brand development.

On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the E-Commerce and Marketing Program hosted an event titled "From Design to Sale: E-Commerce with Print on Demand." Moderated by Lecturer Dr. İrem Oran, the event featured Emre Özduygun, Country Manager for Podbul Turkey, as a guest speaker. The discussion covered the "Print on Demand" business model, the opportunities it offers in e-commerce, and the entire process from initial design to final sale, drawing on real-world industry experience.

The Department of Public Relations and Advertising held a meeting with students on Tuesday, October 27, at 14:30, to discuss the department and its courses. During the meeting, which focused on how courses are conducted and the associated processes, notes were taken on how to improve the department’s curriculum, and potential solutions were developed.

The Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design will organize a seminar as part of the “Spatial Design” course to support students in their career planning. The event will feature Architect Aslı Özge Zabun from Zahan Architecture and will take place on Tuesday, November 3, at 11.00 at the Önder Öztunalı Conference Hall in the Ataköy building on the Bakırköy Campus.

The Department of International Trade and Finance will organize a visit to the Turing Museum of Centennial Brands on Tuesday, November 3, from 12.00 to 17.00. The visit aims to enable students to explore the historical development of long-established brands, their branding processes, and their corporate identities firsthand.

An exhibition featuring paintings by Koray Boztosun, a student in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, will open to visitors on Wednesday, November 4, in the foyer on the ground floor of the Küçükçekmece Campus.

Istanbul Kültür University Art Gallery (IKUSAG) will host a curated exhibition titled “WORDS: On the Threshold of Speech, Forms of Silence.” The exhibition will open on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 15.00 at the IKU Art Gallery in the Ataköy building on the Bakırköy Campus. Through interdisciplinary works, the exhibition explores speech beyond the limits of language, presenting it as a form of memory, a trace, an act of resistance, and a means of creation.

Establishing a threshold between what is expressed and what remains unspoken, and between what is visible and what is concealed, the works come to life in different ways: through the vibration of a color, the silence of a form, or a trace preserved in memory. Bringing together narratives from different geographies, generations, and experiences, the exhibition invites visitors to consider how speech can exist not only in what is spoken but also in silence.

The exhibition will feature approximately 25 national and international artists and more than 50 works.

At this threshold, where words may run out but expression continues, the curated exhibition “WORDS: On the Threshold of Speech, Forms of Silence” will remain open to visitors until December 11, 2026.

The Animation Club will organize an event titled “IKU-NIMATION” to help students develop their teamwork, creativity, and practical production skills. During the event, students will work in teams to produce short animated films over a period of 48 hours. The event will take place from November 6 to 8, 2026, on the first floor of the Ataköy building on the Bakırköy Campus.

The Women’s Solidarity Club is organizing a "Breast Cancer Awareness Talk and Pink Ribbon Workshop" to raise awareness about breast cancer and highlight the importance of early diagnosis. The event, featuring Assoc. Prof. Dr. Didem Öncel Yakar as a speaker, will take place on Friday, November 6, from 13:00 to 16:00 at INNSide, located in the Ataköy building of the Bakırköy Campus.