The 18th Ordinary General Assembly of the Boğaziçi University Alumni Association (BURA) was held on October 12, 2025, at Boğaziçi University South Campus with broad participation. Bringing together Boğaziçi alumni, academics, and students, the general assembly became a meaningful meeting in which the strong bond between the university and its graduates was once again emphasized.

The General Assembly was attended by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Naci İnci, and BURA Chairman Fehim Paluluoğlu. With the participation of many figures from academia, public institutions, and the business world, the General Assembly discussed Boğaziçi University’s recent achievements, the support provided by the alumni community to the university, and future areas of cooperation.

Minister Kacır: “Boğaziçi University strengthens Turkey’s development journey”

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır stated that Boğaziçi University, from which he graduated, has an important place in Turkey’s scientific and technological development, and said:

“Boğaziçi University, with its qualified academic staff and graduates, is one of Turkey’s most valuable universities. Under the leadership of our esteemed rector, we as the ministry provide all kinds of support to the works carried out at our university.”

Minister Kacır stated that the establishment of the Targeted Diagnosis and Treatment Center and the Center for Financial Studies at Boğaziçi University are concrete examples of this cooperation. Kacır said that through TÜBİTAK, Boğaziçi University has so far received 2.4 billion TL of support for 669 projects, and more than 8,000 researchers have been provided with over 4 billion TL in contributions.

“23 years ago, there were only two technoparks in Turkey; today, more than 11,000 technology enterprises operate in 113 technoparks. Our research and development expenditures’ share in the national income has reached 1.4%. Boğaziçi University is one of the pioneers of this transformation.”

In his speech, Minister Kacır also touched upon the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and said:

“We will become so strong that no oppressor in the world will dare to harm an innocent person.”

YÖK President Özvar: “The reputation and visibility of universities are closely related to the reputation and success of their graduates”

President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar emphasized that alumni associations are very valuable structures as they establish institutions that connect the past and the future and sustain the memory and cultural continuity of universities.

Özvar said:“These associations, beyond strengthening solidarity among graduates, make the institutional identities of universities visible in social life, bring together different generations around a shared sense of belonging, and serve as a kind of bridge between the academic world and social life.”

Özvar stated that universities are evaluated not only through their educational and scientific activities but also through the achievements of their graduates and said that the reputation and visibility of universities are closely related to the reputation and success of their graduates.

He pointed out that the successes of graduates in business, academia, culture, and other fields are important indicators of prestige for universities and said:

“Indeed, in the university rankings carried out around the world, the performance and reputation of graduates are among the evaluation criteria.”

Rector İnci: “Boğaziçi University is now among the world’s most respected universities”

Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Naci İnci shared the progress the university has made in international rankings in recent years and said:

“Boğaziçi University rose to the top 500 in the Times Higher Education 2026 ranking and to the 371st place in the QS 2026 ranking, achieving the best results in its history.”

İnci stated that in the last four years, new academic units such as the Faculty of Law, the Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and the Institute of Film and Media Studies were established; the Anadolu Hisarı Campus was added to Boğaziçi University; and a new dormitory with a capacity of 700 was completed and put into service.

“We are progressing with a vision of supporting the increase in quality with an increase in capacity. In the last four years, more than 140 new academics have joined our university, and the Kandilli Technopark has reached full capacity. Boğaziçi University is determined to shape the future with the legacy of the past.”

Paluluoğlu: “We invite everyone to embrace the Boğaziçi ecosystem as a whole”

At the opening of the General Assembly, BURA Chairman Fehim Paluluoğlu emphasized that Boğaziçi University has gone through a significant transformation process in the last four years.

Paluluoğlu stated that with the strengthening of structures such as BUVAKIF, BÜVAK, the Technopark, and the Publishing House, the university has turned into a productive ecosystem, and said:

“The administration of our university has put forward a vision that includes both the present and the future. Our university now sets an example not only with its accumulated past but also with its future-oriented goals.”

Paluluoğlu said:“As Boğaziçi alumni, our duty is not to limit the knowledge and experience we have only to our own professions; we must create production areas together with students, entrepreneurs, and academics,” inviting all graduates to embrace and contribute to the Boğaziçi ecosystem as a whole.

Paluluoğlu also stated that in the new term, BURA will focus on three main areas:

“To engage more closely with students, to deepen the professional network, and to strengthen international connections.”