Dear Students,
Leaders of the Future,
We live in a quickly changing world, with ever changing needs, problems, and expectations. In order for people, institutions, and countries to sustain their power and assets in such a swiftly changing world, they must be prepared and equipped for the future and the changing conditions of the day.
I am a business man with a background in education. Throughout my life, I have witnessed the importance of the economy and education in the development of countries. We established Istanbul Okan University as an educational institution, with a modern and ever-growing, ever-developing campus, intended to contribute to the development of our country, Turkey. We have founded, and continue to found, departments within our university based upon the needs not only of today, but with an eye to meeting the needs of the future as well. Istanbul Okan University not only provides quality education, but it prepares the children of our country for the future, providing them with all the tools they need to ensure their success.
You are the future of Turkey. And you will be a source of pride for us in the future. In our efforts to prepare you for the future in every way possible, we have striven to bring together first-rate scholars so that you might be trained by an academic staff comprised of leaders in their fields. To this end, we have made sure that our instructors and professors possess not only the highest academic qualities, but practical experience as well. We have continued to reinforce the strength of our academic staff by welcoming into it experienced, respected academicians of the highest quality.
In our globalizing world, language is more important than ever. Knowledge of foreign languages is an added advantage for those entering the business world. Language serves as a powerful key to communication in commercial, cultural, and social relations. Istanbul Okan University is the only university in our country with Translation and Interpreting Departments providing education in languages of the East and the West. In the course of their studies, our students have the opportunity to learn not only English and German, but Chinese, Russian, and Arabic too, languages of countries which are becoming increasingly powerful in the world economy and world politics, thus giving those who know them an added advantage in the business world.
In keeping with plans for our university’s development, we continue to expand, constructing new buildings to better serve our faculty and students. For example, Istanbul Okan University currently boasts an indoor gymnasium, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a fitness center, and squash courts for athletes and sports enthusiasts, as well as a campus center containing several cafes, restaurants, a shopping center, a cinema, and billiard rooms. We will continue to expand and develop our facilities to create an exemplary modern campus.
If we had to describe Istanbul Okan University, which is known as “The University Closest to Business Life,” in terms of its three most fundamental characteristics, I would say that Istanbul Okan University is a modern university which (1) boasts a world-class campus; (2) has a formidable, experienced staff; and (3) thanks to its academic staff, forms a bridge between practice and theory.
With its practical experience and vast knowledge, our university’s academic staff prepares our students for the future in the best way possible, making sure that they are equipped with the knowledge, awareness, and skills they will need to forge ahead. Our students become acquainted with working life from their very first year, thanks to our program “Preparing for Business Life.” They acquire new skills via internships and certification programs. By learning English, German, Russian, Chinese, and/or Arabic, they will be at a clear advantage over their peers not only in Turkey but throughout the world, when they embark upon their careers. Istanbul Okan University also helps its students to find jobs in Turkey and abroad.
We are currently known as the university closest to business life in Turkey—and we are en route to becoming a unique, world-class university.
I wish all of our students success in their careers and in their lives, and in all the choices that they make.
Sincerely,
Bekir Okan
Chair of the Board of Trustees
