University education, despite the significant progress and momentum it has achieved since ancient times, still maintains its fundamental principles. First one of these can be described as being “universal”, equipped with universal values, housing researches with the desire to reach realities. Secondly, regardless of the discipline, research and education at the university should be based on a “master-and-apprentice” relationship.
In this sense, the "master" trainers are the most valuable repository of knowledge of a university. As İstanbul Bilgi University we have always felt the excitement and sensitivity of being a young university. We have always been proud of our senior professors who enable us to gain an important place in Turkey's intellectual map. More importantly, we have considered as an “absence” of their retirement and leaving education and discussion environment at their most mature periods of life when their repository of knowledge sublimes to a level of “treasure”.
Emeritus Professor title is status conferred to our professors who can continue to guide both faculty members and students for many years more with their know-how, international reputation and relationships, although they came to the ages of retirement. Thus, it is aimed for senior professors to continue their academic life at a university without being limited by the course load, enabling them to be always with young academicians and students, keep their offices and shed light on the development of the university with their know-how.
Our Emeritus Professors, honoring us with their presence, strengthen BİLGİ’s tradition of giving high-quality education at the universal level with their contribution.
Feride Çiçekoğlu received her undergraduate (1972) and master’s degrees (1973) at the Faculty of Architecture in METU. She was granted a Fulbright scholarship and earned her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976. Her academic career in urbanism in Türkiye was interrupted by the military coup of September 12, 1980. Her first book, Uçurtmayı Vurmasınlar (Don’t Let Them Shoot the Kite), which she wrote with the memories of her four-year prison term, also formed the basis of her first screenplay (1989). The success of the film led Çiçekoğlu to cinema and literature. The films Tarlabaşı Tarlabaşı (1989), Baharın Bittiği Yer (1990), Umuda Yolculuk (1991), Suyun Öte Yanı (1992) and story books followed one after another.
In 1990s, she worked as a manager and editorial director at TÜRSAK Cinema Foundation and History Foundation Istanbul periodical. In 1998, during the design process of the exhibition Republic’s Family Albums, Çiçekoğlu entered the newly established Visual Communication Design Program at İstanbul Bilgi University. Subsequently, she moved to the Department of Film and Television and pursued a new academic career. Her trilogy revolving around the issues of cinema, city, and gender was published by Metis Publications: Vesikalı Şehir (2007), Şehrin İtirazı (2014), İsyankar Şehir (2019). She took part in The Dubious Case of a Failed Coup: Militarism, Masculinities and 15 July in Turkey (2019), Female Agencies and Subjectivities in Film and Television (2020), The Sustainable Legacy of Agnés Varda: Feminist Practice and Pedagogy (2022) as an editor and author.
Also continuing her work in architecture, Çiçekoğlu joined Teğet Architecture team for the Darzana project carried out for Venice Biennale Turkey Pavilion in 2016. With the same team, she authored Bina Bina İçinde (2023), a book of Türkiye İş Bankası Painting and Sculpture Museum.
Prof. Feride Çiçekoğlu
Prof.Jale Parla
Born on February 5, 1945 in Istanbul, Jale Parla graduated from Arnavutköy American College for Girls in 1964 and from the Comparative Literature Department of Robert College in 1968. In 1978, she received her PhD in Comparative Literature from Harvard University, with a major in English Literature and minors in French and German Literature. In 1976, she joined the Department of Western Languages and Literatures at Boğaziçi University, where she became a professor in 1988. Since 2000, she has continued her studies at the Department of Comparative Literature at İstanbul Bilgi University. At this university, she taught many courses such as Comedy and Novel, Don Quixote, Novel Typologies, Classical-Modern-Post-modern Transfigurations at undergraduate and graduate levels and was the head of the department for many years.
One of the most valuable names in the field of Comparative Literature both in Türkiye and in the international academic world, Jale Parla wrote a doctoral dissertation titled Efendilik, Şarkiyatçılık, Kölelik (1985), followed by Babalar ve Oğullar - Tanzimat Romanının Epistemolojik Temelleri (1990), Don Kişot’tan Bugüne Roman (2000), Kadınlar Dile Düşünce (with Sibel Irzık, 2004), Balkan Literatures in the Era of Nationalism (with Murat Belge, 2008), Türk Romanında Yazar ve Başkalaşım (2011), Don Kişot – Yorum, Bağlam, Kuram (2017), Orhan Pamuk’ta Yazıyla Kefaret (2019), and Edebiyat Yazıları (2023) that have contributed greatly to the field. In addition to these works, the numerous articles she has written over the years, the papers she presented at conferences and symposiums, and the interviews that have been conducted with her are of great importance in the field of Comparative Literature.
Jale Parla has produced comprehensive examples of literary criticism in her works. She worked on theoretical developments such as linguistics, semiotics, psychoanalysis, structuralism, phenomenology, post-structuralist philosophy, and while carrying out these works, she drew on the ideas of critics such as Walter Benjamin, Louis Althusser, Mikhail Bakhtin, Jakobson, Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida, Roland Barthes, and Julia Kristeva.
In 2000, Jale Parla won Sedat Simavi Literature Award for her book Don Kişot’tan Bugüne Roman and in 2020, she won the 13th Erdal Öz Literature Award for ‘her success in bringing together academia and the literary world, her original analyses of Turkish literature and her contributions to literary education, and for opening up new fields that enrich the tradition of criticism in the direction of cultural analysis and comparative literature.’
She received the title of Emeritus Professor in 2023.
Prof. Jale Parla
Prof. Alan Duben
Alan Duben was born in New York City in 1943. He received his undergraduate degree in Social Sciences and History from Harpur College, State University of New York at Binghamton (1964), and was awarded M.A. (1968) and Ph.D. (1973) degrees in Social Anthropology from the University of Chicago. Duben has received numerous fellowships and research grants: from the Ford Foundation, the (U.S.) National Institute of Health, the Population Council, the (U.S.) National Science Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, the American Philosophical Society, and the İstanbul Bilgi University Research Fund. He has held teaching and research appointments at New York University, Boğaziçi University, Hunter College (City University of New York), Hamilton College, European University Viadrina (Germany), and İstanbul Bilgi University. Duben served as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (2001-2004); founding director of the Center for International Programs (2004-2007); and vice rector (2008-2009) at İstanbul Bilgi University. He served as a consultant on various urban projects in Turkey for the OECD, USAID, the Turkish State Planning Organization (via the World Bank), and the International Union of Local Authorities.
Duben’s publications include Istanbul Households: Marriage, Family and Fertility 1880-1940 (Cambridge University Press, 1991) with Cem Behar - nominated for the Social Science History Association Sharlin Prize for the “best book in social science history,” 1991, and published in Turkish as İstanbul Haneleri: Evlilik, Aile ve Doğurganlık 1880-1940 (İletişim Yayınları, 1996 and Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2014); Kent, Aile, Tarih (İletişim Yayınları, 2002); and has edited Yaşlanma ve Yaşlılık: Disiplinlerarası Bakış Açıları (İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2018), as well as numerous scholarly articles. Duben has also authored books and articles on applied urban issues in Turkey. He recently completed research on intergenerational family and kinship relations and the elderly in 20th century Istanbul. He is currently engaged in research on the subject of destruction and memory in a Polish town.
Prof. Alan Duben
Prof. Diane Sunar
Born in 1943 in Mississippi, USA, Diane Sunar received her BA degree in English Literature from Whittier College in 1965; she went on to earn her Ph.D. in the field of social psychology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1973. Coming to Turkey in 1972, Sunar taught in the Social Sciences Department of Middle East Technical University until 1979. Following this, she taught in the Psychology Department of Boğaziçi University from 1979 to 2002, during which time she was awarded the titles of associate professor (1987) and professor (1996). She taught the first psychology courses offered at İstanbul Bilgi University beginning in 1997 and transferred to BİLGİ in 2002. She served as chair of the Psychology Department from 2002 to 2014 (except for two years), and as dean of the Faculty of Letters and Sciences from 2010 to 2012. Additionally, she has had visiting appointments in various universities in the U.S.A.
Sunar’s research and publications have focused on interventions to support child development; child rearing practices; early childhood and peace; the sources of stereotypes; emotional display rules; and the psychology of morality. She has directed more than 35 master’s theses, published more than 50 articles and book chapters, and given more than 70 presentations or invited lectures at psychology conferences and conventions. In 2017 she was given a lifetime achievement award at the national social psychology convention. A member of several national and international psychology associations, Sunar has served as a reviewer for a number of national and international psychology journals. She has served as a consultant for various institutions and has been a member of the scientific advisory board for AÇEV since 1992.
Prof. Diane Sunar
Prof. Nazan Aksoy
Born in İstanbul, Nazan Aksoy completed her high school education in Deutsche Schule in İstanbul and received her bachelor’s degree from the Department of English Language and Literature at İstanbul University. She earned her doctorate from the same department in 1982. After she began to work as assistant professor in Marmara University, she became an associate professor in 1988 and professor in 1994. She began to work as faculty member at the Department of Comparative Literature in İstanbul Bilgi University as of 2001. In addition to the theories of criticism, history of theater, women and literature courses that she offered at the Department of Comparative Literature, she also taught history of literature in the Department of English Language Teacher Education and contemporary Turkish literature in Essen University in Germany where she was invited by the Department of Turkish Literature.
Her first book titled Iris Murdoch: Felsefesi ve Sanatı (Iris Murdoch: Her Philosophy and Art) was published in 1989. This book was followed by her study on Turkish imagery in 16th century British theater titled Rönesans İngiltere’sinde Türkler (Turks in British Renaissance). Her theoretical study in which she discusses the drawbacks of examining the literary issues from a western-oriented perspective titled Batı ve Başkaları (West and the Others) was published in 1996 and her book titled Kurgulanmış Benlikler: Otobiyografi, Kadın, Cumhuriyet (Fictionalized Selves: Autobiography, Women, Republic), which is based on her seminars about the female autobiographies in Turkey given in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies master’s degree programs in İstanbul Bilgi University was published in 2009. She was the editor of Milliyetçilik ve Avrupa Bütünleşmesi - Sivil Toplumdan Bakış Açıları (Nationalism and European Integration-Perspectives from Civil Society), Berna Moran’a Armağan - Türk Edebiyatına Eleştirel Bir Bakış (Gift to Berna Moran-A Critical Look at Turkish Literature), and Modernleşme ve Çokkültürlülük (Modernization and Multiculturalism). Aksoy also published many book chapters and articles, and oversaw many master’s degree and doctoral theses. She acted as Department Head, Vocational School Director in Marmara University, as Vice Dean, Faculty Executive Board department representative, University Executive Board member, and Interuniversity Board member in İstanbul Bilgi University. Nazan Aksoy received the title of Emeritus Professor in 2020.
Prof. Nazan Aksoy
Prof.Gülten Kazgan
Gülten Kazgan was born in İstanbul and after completing her secondary school education at American College for Girls she graduated from İstanbul University Faculty of Economics. After completing her PhD degree at the same faculty she went to the University of Chicago with a Rockefeller scholarship. She worked there for two years together with T. W. Schultz. Then she returned to İstanbul University Faculty of Economics and promoted to the rank of associate professor and specialized in the field of agricultural economics. Taking advantage of her studies he wrote his book on ""Agriculture and Development" At the same years she worked at SVIMEZ (Rome) with a Ford Foundation scholarship for two summer periods and one year at ISEA (Paris).
Kazgan received the title of Professor from İstanbul University and he has many books such as Economic Thought, Economic Community and Turkey, Agriculture and Development, Outward Economic Growth, Turkish Economy from Tanzimat to 21st century, Globalization and Nation-State, Crises in Turkish Economy: 1999-2001, The Witnesses of an Economist and many articles and researches; besides many articles and compilations such as Turkey and Russia from past to present: Political, Economic and Cultural Relations (compiled by G. Kazgan – N. Ulçenko), Kuştepe Research (compiled by G. Kazgan) Kuştepe Youth Research (compiled by Kazgan).
Kazgan was selected as the "most successful economist in its own branch" in 1988 by the readers of Economic Panorama Journal; one of the seven woman scientists who received the award of "Women of Enlightenment" in 1998; "Academician of the Year" by the readers of Finans Dünyası (Finance World) in 2000. She has received the award of "Golden Book" by “Altın Kitaplar Publications” and "Sedat Simavi Foundation Social Sciences" awards with her book "Turkish Economy from Tanzimat era to the 21st Century. In 2008 he shred the "Life-long Success" award given by Forum İstanbul.
Prof. Gülten Kazgan who assumed as the founding rector of İstanbul Bilgi University has worked here as the Head of the Department of Economics Research Center. Kazgan is called as the "Teacher of the Teachers" and "Doyenne of Economics" and she received the title of "Emeritus Professor" from İstanbul Bilgi University in 2010.
Prof. Gülten Kazgan
Prof.Mete Tunçay
Professor Mete Tunçay graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences in 1958. In 1961 he received the title of doctor and started his studies at London School of Economics and Political Science with Rockefeller scholarship. In 1966 he was promoted to the rank of associate professor. In 1972 he resigned from the Faculty of Political Sciences and undertaken the task of Head of the Ministry of Culture Department of Publications. In 1978 he returned his task in the Faculty of Politics and went to Soviet Union. In 1979 he went USA with Fulbright scholarship and continued his studies at Stanford University. In 1983 he was dismissed from his position at the Faculty of Political Sciences in accordance to law no 1402. Between 1984 and 1993 he was the director of History and Society Journal and then at the History Foundation he published Social History journal. He was returned to his position at the Political Sciences Faculty by State Council's decision in June 1990; but he wanted retirement in September 1990. Mete Tunçay who is among the founders of İstanbul Bilgi University and received the title of "Emeritus Professor" in 2010 is also among the founders of History Foundation.
Prof. Mete Tunçay
Prof.Uğur Alacakaptan
Professor Uğur Alacakaptan completed his undergraduate education at Ankara University Faculty of Law in 1955. In 1958 he received the title of doctor of law. He stayed in Rome and Perigu cities of Italy for a period of almost two years in order to carry out his studies of Associate Professor. In 1960 he was promoted to the rank of an associate professor. In 1965 he was sent to England by the Board of Faculty Professors. Alacakaptan was promoted to the rank of professor in 1967 and was elected as Dean of the Faculty of Law at a very tender age. In 1974 he left his position at the university and entered actively in politics. He assumed the task of party councillorship and deputy secretary at Republican People's Party. Alacakaptan who was elected as Ankara Senator in 1975 and continued in this position until 1980, worked respectively as the President of the Turkish Group in the North Atlantic Assembly and as a member of the Turkish Group in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. Uğur Alacakaptan who is among the founders of İstanbul Bilgi University worked as the founding dean with the establishment of the Faculty of Law at BİLGİ in 1997 and received the title of an "Emeritus Professor" in 2010.
Prof. Uğur Alacakaptan
Prof.Belgin Erdoğmuş
Prof. Belgin Erdoğmuş was born in 1941 in İstanbul and graduated from Austria High School in 1960. At the same year, he entered into İstanbul University Faculty of Law and after graduation he started working as an assistant at the chair of Roman Law of the same Faculty in 1966. Erdoğmuş completed her PhD in 1972 and was in Zurich between 1975 and 1978 with the scholarship of Swiss government and lectured Roman Law course at Zurich University Faculty of Law under the framework of Tutorat for two semesters. In 1978 he was promoted to the rank of an associate professor in Turkey. Then in 1991 he was promoted to the rank of a professor.
Erdoğmuş worked as the vice dean of İstanbul University Faculty of Law for five years and after his retirement in 1998 he started lecturing at Yeditepe University. At the end of 1999 he was assigned as the dean of İstanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Law.
Prof. Belgin Erdoğmuş
Prof.Haluk Şahin
Prof. Haluk Şahin was born as the second child of an officer-teacher family in a village just opposite of Ağrı Mountain near to the border of Soviet Union and Iran. Most of his childhood and discipleship passed in Bursa with his grandmother. While he was studying at Bursa Boys' High School he went to USA for one year with AFS scholarship. After his return he started studying at İstanbul Law Faculty and graduated there in 1964. Afterwards he went to Indiana University with UNESCO scholarship and he got his master's degree in Journalism and PhD on Mass Media. Thus he received the title of first Mass Communication doctor of Turkey. In his return, in 1974, he became TV program advisor of İsmail Cem the General Manager of TRT. He moved to Babıali in order to publish a newspaper with Cem who was dismissed due to political reasons. His first columns were published in the Politika newspaper. During the rest of his life he worked as an active journalist as well as his academic studies. He was a columnist in Cumhuriyet, Hürriyet, Güneş and Radikal newspapers. He was selected as the first columnist of the year twice by the Journalists Association of Turkey. He became the first chief editor of Nokta magazine in 1983. He didn't break away from TV. He has received many awards for his television work, including in particular the Arena program in which he was the editor. He has 26 books, including three poetry books. He currently writes a column for the Yurt newspaper. He retired from İstanbul Bilgi University where he taught as a professor for 17 years with the title of Emeritus.
Prof. Haluk Şahin
Prof.İlter Turan
Professor İlter Turan, a professor of International Relations in İstanbul Bilgi University, was born in 1941 in İstanbul. Having completed his secondary education in Turkey and the USA, he received his Bachelor degree in Political Science from Oberlin College (USA) in 1962 and his Master's degree in Political Science from Columbia University in 1964. At the same year, he became a research assistant at the Political Science Chair of İstanbul University Faculty of Economics. At this chair, he completed his PhD in 1966, became an Associate Professor in 1970 and a Professor in 1976. Professor Turan, the rector of İstanbul Bilgi University between 1998 and 2001, previously worked at Koç University (1993-1998) and İstanbul University (1964-1993). He also lectured in various American and British universities as a guest professor. Between 2000 and 2009, he fulfilled the role of chairman of Turkish Political Science Association, vice-president of International Political Science Association and chairman of 2009 World Congress program. In July 2016, he was elected as the president of International Political Science Association (IPSA) for 2016-2018. Today, Prof. İlter Turan is the president of Board of Trustees of Health and Education Foundation in addition to his duties in the management of many foundations and companies, and he also writes a column for Dünya Newspaper.
Prof. İlter Turan
Prof.Suraiya Faroqhi
Born in Berlin, Germany, in 1941, Suraiya Faroqhi graduated from Hamburg University (1959-62, 1963-67), İstanbul University (1962-63) and Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana (1968-70). After teaching at Middle East Technical University between 1971-87, she worked as a faculty member of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, between 1988 and 2007. She joined the History Department of İstanbul Bilgi University in 2007.
Faroqhi’s major books include Der Bektaschi-Orden in Anatolien; Towns and Townsmen of Ottoman Anatolia, Trade, Crafts and Food Production in an Urban Setting; Men of Modest Substance, House Owners and House Property in Seventeenth Century Ankara and Kayseri; Pilgrims and Sultans, The Hajj under the Ottomans 1517-1683; Kultur und Alltag in Osmanischen Reich, vom Mittelalter bis zum Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts; Approaching Ottoman History: an Introduction to the Sources; The Ottoman Empire and the World Around it, 1540s to 1774; Artisans of Empire: Crafts and Craftspeople under the Ottomans; and A Cultural History of the Ottomans: The imperial elite and its artefacts, which is currently being prepared for publication in Turkish; In addition to a large number of academic papers, she also contributed to the four-volume The Cambridge History of Turkey together with Kate Fleet and Reşat Kasaba. Living the Good Life: Consumption in the Qing and Ottoman Empires of the Eighteenth Century 2017, which was co-authored with Elif Akçetin, will be published in the fall of 2017.
Faroqhi is an honorary member of Boğaziçi University, the Science Academy, Turkish History Association and the Middle East Studies Association (MESA). In 2014, she was awarded the WOCMES Honorary Award for her contributions to Middle East studies.
Prof. Suraiya Faroqhi
Emeritus Ceremonies
2010 - Prof. Gülten Kazgan, Prof. Uğur Alacakaptan and Prof. Mete Tunçay
İstanbul Bilgi University presented its gratitude to Prof. Gülten Kazgan, Prof. Uğur Alacakaptan and Prof. Mete Tunçay who trained many social science students and lecturers and contributed scientific production in a great extent in the areas of economics, law and history by giving them the title of "Emeritus Professor".
Three valuable scientists who were in charge at the founding stage of İstanbul Bilgi University received their Emeritus Professor titles in a ceremony with the participation of academy world and students trained held on July 7, 2010 Monday which is the 14th foundation anniversary of İstanbul Bilgi University.
2014 – Prof. Haluk Şahin
İstanbul Bilgi University presented its gratitude to Prof. Haluk Şahin who trained and supported many students and lecturers in the area of communication and contributed scientific production in a great extent by giving him the title of "Emeritus Professor".
Prof. Haluk Şahin who is included among the faculty members of the Faculty of Communication since the day of foundation, received his title of Emeritus Professor in a ceremony held in the faculty.
Rifat Sarıcaoğlu, President of İstanbul Bilgi University Board of Trustees, Prof. Remzi Sanver, Rector of İstanbul Bilgi University, Prof. Halil Nalçaoğlu Dean of the Faculty of Communication and friends from the media and academy world, students and colleagues participated in the ceremony held on November 6, 2014.
2015- Prof. İlter Turan
İstanbul Bilgi University presented its gratitude to Prof. İlter Turan who trained many students and lecturers in the area of international relations and politics, carried out many scientific studies and was in the position of rector of the university between 1998 and 2001 by giving him the title of "Emeritus Professor".
Prof. İlter Turan was presented his title in ceremony held on 19 March 2015 in the santralistanbul Campus of İstanbul Bilgi University. Rifat Sarıcaoğlu (Chairman of İstanbul Bilgi University Board of Trustees), Prof. Remzi Sanver (Rector), Prof. Aydın Uğur (Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities) and friends from the media and academy world, students and colleagues participated in the ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony, the book "Science of Politics - Gift to İlter Turan" consisting of the articles of students and academician fellows was presented to Prof. İlter Turan. The book which was prepared by the efforts of BİLGİ Department of International Relations and compiled by his colleagues Associate Professor Pınar Uyan Semerci, Assistant Professor Boğaç Erozan and Prof. Nihal İncioğlu was published by İstanbul Bilgi University Publications.
2017 - Prof. Suraiya Faroqhi
İstanbul Bilgi University presented its gratitude to Prof. Suraiya Faroqhi, who is an international authority in the area of history by giving her the title of "Emeritus Professor". Prof. Faroqhi received her title of Emeritus Professor in a ceremony held at santralistanbul Campus on September 27, 2017. Prof. Ege Yazgan (Acting Rector of İstanbul Bilgi University), Assoc. Prof. Gülhan Balsoy (Head of the Department of History), and friends from the academy world, students and colleagues participated in the ceremony.
2018 - Prof. Alan Duben / Prof. Diane Sunar
İstanbul Bilgi University presented its gratitude to Prof. Alan Duben and Prof. Diane Sunar, who trained many students and lecturers and contributed scientific production in a great extent in the areas of social sciences by giving her the title of "Emeritus Professor". Prof. Duben and Sunar received their title of Emeritus Professor in a ceremony held at santralistanbul Campus on November 7, 2018. Prof. Koray Akay (Vice Rector of İstanbul Bilgi University), Ecmel Ayral (Chairman of İstanbul Bilgi University Board of Trustees), Prof. Pınar Uyan Semerci (Acting Dean of İstanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities), Emeritus Prof. İlter Turan, Emeritus Prof. Mete Tunçay and friends from the academy world, students and colleagues participated in the ceremony.
