History of Koç University

History of Koç University

Koç University strives to be a center of excellence, one that succeeds in providing a world-class education to its students, creating new knowledge via the research of its faculty, applying the acquired knowledge for the benefit of society, and equipping its students with the highest sense of ethics, social responsibility and good citizenship.

Koç University was founded in 1993 as a non-profit private university in Istanbul, Turkey. Its beautiful campus sprawls over a sixty-two acre estate that succeeds in balancing accessibility to all of Istanbul with retreat from the distractions of city life. The product of a meticulous, integrated design, Koç University’s sixty buildings -academic and administrative- include laboratories, library, dormitories, faculty residences, social venues, health center and sports facilities.

Koç University is supported by the resources of the internationally renowned Vehbi Koç Foundation. In 2009, 22 Carnegie organizations -including the esteemed foreign-policy think tank, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace- collectively awarded the Koç Family the “Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.” Universally acknowledged as the most prestigious recognition of philanthropic excellence in the world, the Medal is considered equivalent to the Nobel Prize for Philanthropy.

Since its inception in 1969, the Vehbi Koç Foundation has set a new standard for excellence in philanthropy. Guided by its mission to address the fundamental needs of life for a modern and developing Turkey through the promotion of education, health and culture, the foundation’s achievements include the creation of a world-class hospital, museums that preserve and highlight Turkish culture and elite academic institutions at all levels.

Vehbi Koç had a passionate commitment to educating youth. In his words, “If we look around us today, we see that countries of the modern world are making rapid advances in all areas of science and are racing towards new discoveries in outer space. In order for us to close the gap and in preparation for the future, we must educate our young people in the best way possible.”

Therefore, Koç University strives to be a center of excellence, one that succeeds in providing a world-class education to its students, creating new knowledge via the research of its faculty, applying the acquired knowledge for the benefit of society, and equipping its students with the highest sense of ethics, social responsibility and good citizenship.

As Vehbi Koç expressed in the first lecture of Koç University on October 4, 1993, “The purpose of Koç University is to raise extraordinary young people. As the number of such young people is sufficient and they succeed in reaching the leadership positions that they deserve; the future of our country shall be guaranteed… As the number of qualified individuals we educate increases, we will have the ability to serve our country better.”

In the seventeen years since its establishment, Koç University has become one of the leading universities in Turkey, distinguished by notable contributions to the elevation of education, knowledge and service both domestically and beyond. With Colleges of Social Sciences and Humanities, Administrative Sciences and Economics, Science, Engineering, Law, Nursing and Medicine, Koç University offers 22 undergraduate, 30 graduate and 15 PhD programs.