Vehbi Koç Foundation

Established in 1993 in Istanbul, Koç University is a non-profit foundation university with a mission to be a center of excellence, bringing highly talented young people together with accomplished faculty to contribute to science on a universal scale. It opened on a temporary campus in İstinye in 1993 and moved to a permanent campus in Rumelifeneri in 1999. Koç University graduates are equipped with impeccable moral values and are socially responsible individuals who are dedicated to protecting the values of democracy. The University contributes to the advancement of science in Turkey and the world through 22 undergraduate, 32 master’s and 26 doctoral programs delivered by its College of Social Sciences and Humanities, College of Administrative Sciences and Economics, College of Sciences, College of Engineering, Law School, School of Medicine, and School of Nursing.

Koç School known as its full name Vehbi Koç Foundation Koç Private Primary, Middle and High School, is a private school founded by the Vehbi Koç Foundation (VKV). It is located on the Eski Ankara Road, in Tuzla, Istanbul’s Tepeören neighborhood. It is composed of Koç High School, established in 1988, and Koç Primary School, which was opened in 1998 to adapt to the K12 mandatory education system from kindergarten to high school. The 4+4+4 regulation introduced in 2012 stipulated that education must include kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school. With a multicultural teaching staff, innovative educational methods and an integrated bilingual education program from kindergarten to 12th grade, the Koç School has a global vision, which aims to raise well-rounded, confident individuals who are respectful of difference, who can think independently and creatively, are sensitive to social issues and the environment and possess the qualities to be good citizens. The Koç School is an Accredited International Baccalaureate World School, as well as a member of the Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS) and the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), USA.

Vehbi Koç Foundation Educational Scholarships begun in 1969 by the Vehbi Koç Foundation (VKV) with the aim of providing equality of opportunity in education to talented young people with insufficient financial resources. Over 50,000 students have so far benefited from VKV’s educational scholarships, which have been available since the program began. Scholarships are mostly given on an annual basis to vocational high school and university students.

Model School Project is designed to create a new perspective on education, run in partnership by the Vehbi Koç Foundation (VKV), the international architectural design company Cannon Design and the Ministry of Education. Acknowledging the learning environment as a “third teacher”, the Model School project aims to incorporate the physical with the social environments so that students
step into the classroom to interact, discuss, and talk, establishing dynamic relationships with each other as well as with surroundings that respond to their 21^st century needs. The Beykoz Ziya Ünsel Middle School, as designed by the international design firm Cannon Design, was rebuilt, and renamed “Beykoz Koç Middle School” and handed over to the Ministry of Education on 17 December 2019. VKV continues to collaborate with Beykoz Koç Middle School to conduct activities for parents, school administration, teachers, and students.

Serving under the umbrella of Vehbi Koç Foundation Healthcare Institutions, MedAmerican Ambulatory Care Center is an outpatient clinic and opened in 1997 on Istanbul's Anatolian Side, in the Çiftehavuzlar area of Kadıköy known as the MedAmerican Polyclinic. MedAmerican moved to a new building on Bağdat Street in the Feneryolu area, on June 8, 2015. The new building has 9 thousand square meter indoor area and it was built properly to international standards. MedAmerican Ambulatory Care Surgery Center provides services in several medical disciplines at international quality standards through its highly qualified physicians and experienced healthcare personnel. The center includes outpatient examination rooms for interventional and diagnostic treatments, as well as operating rooms equipped with digital systems and technology for operations that do not require hospitalization. It has 32 examination rooms, a clinical laboratory, a medical imaging facility as well as 2 operating rooms and 8 observation beds.

Koç University Hospital is a research and teaching hospital within Koç University (KU) School of Medicine. The hospital opened in September 2014, and the second stage of construction, begun in November 2014, was completed in the last quarter of 2016. The hospital occupies a total area of 214,000 m2 and includes general, pediatric and oncology hospital groups as well as 261 patient rooms, 128 outpatient rooms and 12 operating rooms. The Health Sciences Campus also includes Koç University School of Medicine, the School of Nursing and social areas.

Bodrum American Hospital is a private healthcare institution serving under the umbrella of Vehbi Koç Foundation Healthcare Institutions in Bodrum, Muğla. Expanding for the first time beyond Istanbul, the VKV American Hospital acquired the Private Bodrum Hospital (Özel Bodrum Hastanesi), which was providing healthcare to Bodrum locals since 1997. The Bodrum American Hospital opened in 2019 following extensive improvements and renovation work. Building work brought to light several archeological artifacts from the Late Roman period, which are now preserved for posterity in the hospital’s museum—the first of its kind. It offers services in all fundamental branches, has 53 patient beds, outpatient clinics, and offers high-tech diagnostic and laboratory services. In total, there are 21 healthcare units, 24 outpatient clinics, 8 ICU beds, 3 operation rooms, a cardiovascular surgery unit, angiography, chemotherapy, and medical oncology treatment units.

Koç University Semahat Arsel Nursing Education and Research Center (SANERC) was established as part of the American Hospital in 1992, largely through the efforts of Semahat Arsel. It aims to contribute to the development and advancement of the nursing profession. On January 1, 2004, the center became affiliated to Koç University School of Nursing. The center’s main objectives are to develop creative models in postgraduate nursing training, promote best practice, and carry out nursing research to develop ethical, evidence-based clinical practices. Since 1992, SANERC, which designs and conducts its courses according to ANCC accreditation standards, has been the leader in the field of continuing education training for nurses in Turkey, and it continues to support, fund, and publish nursing research, books, and journals that contribute to the development of the best evidence-based clinical practices.

The history of the School of Nursing dates back to the Admiral Bristol School of Nursing, first established in 1920 under the auspices of the American Hospital and supported by the USA Government until 1957. It was incorporated into the Vehbi Koç Foundation in 1995 and, under the leadership of Semahat Arsel, underwent a total restructuring in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. In the 1998-1999 academic year, the School of Nursing started to provide a 4-year nursing degree, became the College of Nursing in 2005, and, following approval by the Council of Ministers, became a fully-fledged nursing school in 2016. It runs undergraduate, master’s level and doctoral level degree programs which aim to “prepare students for a career in professional nursing and to cultivate individuals who combine critical thinking, universal values, academic excellence and an interest in research”. The undergraduate program covers four years of education and two summer terms of English and practical clinical training. The School of Nursing provides ACEN-accredited nursing education at the Koç University Health Sciences Campus, which has a high-tech infrastructure.

Founded in 2010, the Koç University First Aid Training Center (KUİYEM) is the First Aid Training Center competent to provide first aid certification as per the Turkish Ministry of Health’s approval No. 37730, dated 24 December 2009.  The center aims to train people to deliver correct and informed first aid, leading courses such as “Basic First Aid Training”, “First Aid Training Refresher”, “First Aid Seminars” and “Preparing for Disasters”. KUİYEM has been centered at the Koç University Health Sciences Campus in Topkapı since 2016.

Arter is a contemporary arts institution of the Vehbi Koç Foundation (VKV). It opened in 2010 on Istiklal Street and relocated to its new, 18,000 square meter building in Dolapdere in 2019. Arter was established with the aim of providing a sustainable infrastructure for producing and exhibiting contemporary art. At its new building in the Dolapdere district of Istanbul, opened in September 2019, the year marking the 50th anniversary of the Vehbi Koç Foundation, Arter presents exhibitions from but not limited to its collection as well as performances and events across disciplines, expanding the range of its programs.

Opened in Istanbul in September 2019, Meşher is an arts and cultural institution of the Vehbi Koç Foundation (VKV). Situated on Istiklal Street, in the historical building known as Meymenet Han which housed Arter from 2010 to 2019, Meşher has 800 m2 of exhibition space across 3 floors and an event space of 100 m2. Meşher is characterized by a broad spectrum of disciplines offering free exhibitions, events, and guided tours. Meşher can be visited every day of the week except Mondays.

Koç University Research Center For Anatolian Civilizations (ANAMED) was founded in 2005 in the historic Merkez Han on Istanbul’s Istiklal Street with the aim of supporting academic research into the history, art, architecture and archeology of civilizations in Turkey and developing and increasing public awareness of cultural heritage management and museum studies. One of its three blocks belongs to ANAMED, the other two belong to the Netherlands Institute of Turkey (NIT) and the Turkish Institute of Prehistory (TIP) including three separate libraries; there are also the offices of the Turkish Foundation for Underwater Archeology (TINA) and the American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT), guest rooms for research fellows, an auditorium for public conferences, seminar rooms and a gallery. ANAMED’s main activities include securing fellowships for researchers specializing in the cultural heritage of Anatolia, providing library services, arranging symposiums, conferences, workshops, and exhibitions on Anatolian civilizations and publishing scientific manuscripts.

Koç University Vehbi Koç Ankara Studies Research Center (VEKAM) was set up in 1994 in an orchard house belonging to Vehbi Koç in Keçiören, Ankara. It is a research-implementation establishment linked to Koç University that carries out interdisciplinary research and academic work on Ankara’s urban development, as well as on the social and economic history, culture and cultural heritage of Ankara and its surroundings. The Ankara Orchard House, one of the last extant examples of traditional local architecture, is located nearby and was restored and opened to the public in 2007.
VEKAM has been associated with Koç University since 2014 and organizes activities and events on Ankara studies, including conferences, symposia, exhibitions, publications, and grant schemes.

The Suna and İnan Kıraç Research Center For Mediterranean Civilizations (AKMED) was founded by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in 1996 in Kaleiçi, Antalya. AKMED supports research, documentation, restoration, and conservation work related to the history, archaeology, ethnography and culture of Antalya and the surrounding area and encourage scholarly studies into the interrelations in the region of the Mediterranean shores. As Turkey’s first and only dedicated research body based in the Mediterranean area, AKMED has operated in conjunction with Koç University since 2016. It organizes conferences, summer schools and certificate programs, academic meetings, and exhibitions, as well as publishes books and periodicals, offers scholarship and project support and implements social responsibility projects. The Kaleiçi Museum, within AKMED, is open to visitors every day except Mondays.

The Vehbi Koç Foundation Ford Otosan Gölcük Culture and Community Center is a culture, arts and sports center established in 2011 by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in collaboration with Ford Otosan. The center provides an environment for the development of the social, cultural, and artistic lives of the local people. Established on a 2.7-hectare plot with 4,700 square meters of indoor space, it serves approximately 100,000 Gölcük residents a year with an auditorium, VIP hall, exhibition hall, art workshops, sports hall, fitness center, dance studio, an observatory, restaurant and garden. In addition to its beautiful natural settings, the center’s events calendar provides a rich cultural environment with art courses, exhibitions, stage performances, musical activities and personnel development courses.

The Turkey Social Entrepreneurship Network (TSGA) aims to meet social entrepreneurs’ needs for know-how, networking and visibility, to help the spread of social entrepreneurship as an alternative solution to social and environmental problems in Turkey, and to raise awareness of social entrepreneurship. The project, launched in October 2018 and scheduled for completion in October 2020, is being conducted in Ankara, Istanbul, Bursa, Van, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Samsun, and Muğla. Funded by the European Union and Republic of Turkey within the scope of the Grant Scheme for Civil Society Organizations, Partnerships and Networks, the Turkey Social Entrepreneurship Network was launched by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in collaboration with the Koç University Social Impact Forum (KUSIF), Ashoka Foundation Turkey, the Association for Innovative Solutions in Sustainable Development, TED University, the Social Innovation Initiative Association, Social Enterprise UK, and the Mozaik Foundation.

Koç University Center for Civil Society and Philanthropy Research (KÜSİTHAM) is a research center founded at Koç University. As the first research center opened in Turkey on civil society and philanthropy, KÜSİTHAM was established under the directorship of Prof. Ali Çarkoğlu on the Vehbi Koç Foundation’s 50th anniversary. The Center aims to create a multi-disciplinary environment for scientific research and activity on the topics of civil society and philanthropy by bringing together experts from diverse fields in economics, business administration, political science, sociology, law and history. It seeks to create research of global impact, support research projects, and launch scientific publications to help further understanding of the structure and dynamics of civil society.