Istanbul Medeniyet University

Officially established in 2010 as a public university, Istanbul Medeniyet University (IMU) is the 9th public university founded in Istanbul. As a research-oriented, innovative, and entrepreneurial institution, IMU consists of 10 faculties, 2 schools and an institute for post-graduate studies, as well as 14 research centers, 5 offices and 8 coordination offices. With 10.3:1 student-faculty ratio, IMU has 5796 undergraduate and 1541 post-graduate students; and 712 faculty members as of 2019. With 7 campus areas spreading over an area of about 538,000 square meters in total, the university offers 40 undergraduate and 68 master’s and doctoral degree programs with an emphasis on post-graduate studies. IMU is a young and dynamic higher education institution that provides academic education in a modern environment with highly competent academic staff. Placing great emphasis on research, it offers a rich international research environment for prospective researchers with its state-of-the-art labs, where scientists and researchers carry out research in the fields of engineering, medicine, natural sciences, arts and humanities, and health sciences. 

IMU is located at the crossroads of Western and Eastern civilizations, at the heart of Istanbul, a global city with a rich cultural heritage that has been home to different civilizations throughout history and is teeming with historical and cultural diversity. According to QS Best Student Cities Rankings, the city ranks the 71st among the world’s best student cities. Located in the Anatolian side of the city, all our campus areas are easily accessible using various modes of public transport. Since IMU is a public university, Turkish citizens receive free education, while the tuition fees for international students are fairly affordable and the cost of living in Istanbul is relatively low compared to other study destinations in Europe. 

The university adopts universal ethics and a scientific approach in teaching and production of scientific studies and offers great opportunities for self-improvement to international students and staff members with interesting and different course options. IMU also has a TÖMER Center (Turkish Language Center for International Students) in its central campus, which attracts students from Africa, Europe, Latin America, Near East and Asia who are interested in learning Turkish language and experiencing Turkish culture. As of 2020, 264 international students from various countries are enrolled in various departments of the university. IMU admits international students through its own placement exam held once every year. Also, a limited number of students from all over the world are selected and placed in the university through Türkiye Scholarships Program and pursue their studies at no cost. 

IMU has made internationalization one of its strategic pillars. As of April 2020, it has 83 bilateral agreements under Erasmus KA103 Action for student and staff mobility. In addition to collaborating with European universities under Erasmus+ program, it also offers its students and faculty members the opportunity to participate in Mevlana and Farabi Exchange Programs, which allow exchange at international and national levels, respectively. It primarily focuses on three geographical areas for international collaboration: Europe and European Union, the Middle East and Arab World, Central Asia and Southeast Asia in general. As an international university, IMU has also signed international collaboration agreements with various universities around the globe for the Mevlana Program or as bilateral endeavors for exchange and scientific collaboration. The university offers several undergraduate and post-graduate programs in English. Moreover, it continues to improve quality in education, research and cooperation by following the guidelines of the Bologna Process. In all its efforts, it adheres to the priorities outlined in Bologna documents: learning and teaching, social inclusion of diverse student population, employability and internationalization. 

As for IMU’s research infrastructure, a Microsurgery Research and Training Lab, Engineering Lab, and Basic Sciences Lab are operational on an area of 800 square meters. Most importantly, its Central Research Laboratory with an indoor area of over 20,000 square meters is the largest R&D center in Turkey and houses highly-developed labs constructed for various disciplines including core sciences, health and life sciences, environmental sciences, computational sciences and engineering, nanotechnology and material sciences. IMU’s new library building which is currently under construction and will be put into service in September 2020 is going to be the largest library in Istanbul.