IGU awarded an honorary doctorate diploma to Binali Yıldırım.

Istanbul Gelişim University held the Opening Ceremony of the 2024-2025 Academic Year and the Honorary Doctorate Award Ceremony. The first opening lecture was given by Binali Yıldırım, the last Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey and the Chairman of the Elders Committee of the Turkic States Organization (TDT). Additionally, Binali Yıldırım was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Diploma by the university’s senate decision.

The Opening Ceremony of the 2024-2025 Academic Year and the Honorary Doctorate Award Ceremony was attended by Binali Yıldırım, the Chairman of the Elders Committee of the Turkic States Organization (TDT), members of parliament, representatives of local governments, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Istanbul Gelişim University Abdulkadir Gayretli, Rector Prof. Dr. Bahri Şahin, and academics. In his opening lecture at IGU, Binali Yıldırım shared insights on the political situation in Turkey over the last 20 years and provided information about the activities of the Turkic States Organization and its contributions to Turkey. He also discussed the advancements in technology and industry in Turkey and shared important information about the significance and development of artificial intelligence.

The university senate unanimously decided to confer the title of Honorary Doctorate in the field of ‘Political Science and Public Administration’ to Binali Yıldırım for his services to Turkish politics and democracy, evidenced by his roles as a manager in local administrations, a member of parliament, a minister, a prime minister, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and his current duties in the Turkic States Organization. During the ceremony, his diploma was presented by Rector Prof. Dr. Bahri Şahin.

Yıldırım: “It is developing as its name suggests”

Binali Yıldırım stated, “Istanbul Gelişim University, as its name suggests, is Development. We have listened together to the achievements, such as reaching an active student potential of 38,000 and 7,000 international students, which have come a long way in just over 10 years of international successes from our esteemed Chairman of the Board of Trustees and our Rector. Hence, the university continues to develop as its name implies. This happens when there is a diligent person behind it. For this reason, I thank our Chairman of the Board of Trustees Abdulkadir Gayretli for his support to education. Investment in education is an investment in the future. You can build a building, a factory, a road, a bridge. They have a lifespan of 50-100 years, but investment in people continues from generation to generation.”

“Turkey is always open to threats and opportunities due to its geographical position”

At the ceremony, Binali Yıldırım made a statement regarding the death of FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen: “On the night of July 15, we fought for our homeland, our land, our independence, and our democracy alongside our president. Our great nation took to the streets in this struggle with us. Unfortunately, we lost some of our martyrs and veterans. We pray for mercy for our martyrs and wish long, healthy lives for our veterans. The leader of this infamous coup has now disappeared, but let this not lull us into complacency. Turkey is always open to threats and opportunities due to its geographical position. Let’s take a look around us.”

Abdulkadir Gayretli: “I believe we will rank between 800 and 1000 in the world next year”

Emphasizing the achievements of IGU in the QS 2025 rankings, which evaluate European and West Asian universities in areas such as global recognition, research capabilities, teaching resources, and internationalization, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Abdulkadir Gayretli stated, “Our university is achieving significant successes both nationally and internationally. As Istanbul Gelişim University, we have achieved an important success by ranking 411th in the European Rankings in QS 2025. We maintained our 13th position among universities in Turkey and 4th among foundation universities, proving once again that we are progressing with the vision of a ‘World University’. I wholeheartedly believe that we will continue these successes. We will succeed, especially by investing in our Turkey and our future. Our entry into the band of 1001-1200 in the THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings is a representation of the steps we are taking for future successes. From now on, we will work hard and achieve great things with honesty and diligence. I have infinite faith that we will be in the 800-1000 range next year and in the top 500 in the following period.”

Prof. Dr. Bahri Şahin: “We stood out in 10 areas in the YÖK University Monitoring and Evaluation General Report 2024”

Highlighting the success of IGU in the 2024 YÖK University Monitoring and Evaluation General Report, Rector Prof. Dr. Bahri Şahin stated, “By giving special importance to our education and research activities, Istanbul Gelişim University aims to develop innovative solutions and increase social benefit. We have achieved significant successes in the YÖK University Monitoring and Evaluation General Report 2024, standing out in 10 areas. We maintained our first position this year with the highest number of accredited programs. Istanbul Gelişim University proudly holds the title of being number one among universities in Turkey with 45 YÖK-approved graduation certificates marked with the TYÇ logo and 65 accredited programs. By offering our students a limitless world and continuously improving our philosophy, we provide educational and application opportunities at international standards with the successes we achieve each year in global rankings such as Webometrics, Greenmetric, SCImago, RUR, and THE. We have entered the ranks of distinguished universities in the most recently published THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings, placing in the 1001-1200 band. This is a tremendous achievement for a young university of 16 years. Our vision is to provide our students with the highest quality education, transforming them into individuals who can compete on a global level. With our work in research and innovation, we aim to be pioneers in knowledge production. As Istanbul Gelişim University, we are developing projects focusing on sustainability in every field, especially environmental sustainability, with the goal of leaving a more livable world for future generations and achieving lasting success. We are implementing projects that provide added value in the fields of university-industry cooperation, science, technology, and employment by adopting the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ for the benefit of society. We will continue to work to achieve many more successes that will strengthen IGU’s presence both nationally and internationally.”