The Establishment of Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

The Establishment of Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University, one of the two universities in Balıkesir, began its academic life on April 23, 2015, with educational institutions transferred from Balıkesir University. The university has a well-established history of 33 years and an experienced academic staff.

The university continues its education, training and research activities with 20,778 students, including 1,821 international students from 67 countries, and 1,050 staff members across a total of 11 campuses located in the districts of Bandırma, Gönen, Manyas, Erdek and Susurluk. It comprises 1 institute, 12 faculties, 1 school and 8 vocational schools.

Founded with the motto “A Bridge to the Future,” Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University is one of Türkiye’s youngest state universities. It has successfully completed its establishment process and has reached a respected position among state universities in a short period of time. Continuing its development and growth, our university is expected to reach a capacity of 25,000 students in the coming years and to become a world-class university with its modern infrastructure and social facilities. Valuing not only the use of knowledge but also its production, our university will contribute to the successful participation of state universities in global competition and will have a say in shaping the future.

Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University’s Educational Approach and Philosophy

University education constitutes the first step of a professional career, and every career choice also represents a way of life. Our university plans this period, which directly affects a significant part of human life, in the most accurate and efficient way. It bears the responsibility of educating generations that will take part in global competition with international-quality education and become agents of change. However, professional competence represents only one aspect of our educational approach. Educating generations who will use this competence for the benefit of our country and humanity constitutes another essential aspect of our educational philosophy.

Our university’s educational motto is “BE THE HOPE.” Being hope requires a strong foundation. This foundation cannot be explained by knowledge alone. Having a profession is one step, but it requires more. Being a good person, loyalty to one’s homeland and nation, talent, and virtue are among the qualities included in what we refer to as “more.” Being young alone is not enough to become hope; for youth to turn into hope, an educational approach that includes the above-mentioned qualities is required.

Our university’s educational approach has been shaped around transforming youth into the hope of our country and humanity, and the necessary steps have been taken for this purpose. The “BANDIRMA FERRY,” which carried Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms on the path leading to the proclamation of the Republic and played a historic role at the beginning of the National Struggle, is a ferry of hope. Carrying hope as its only burden, spreading this hope across the country and becoming a symbol of hope, the Bandırma Ferry is an important means of demonstrating the significance of this concept. Inspired by this aspect of the historic ferry, the ultimate aim of our educational philosophy is to raise generations who will be a source of hope for our country and humanity.

The mission of Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University is “to contribute to the development of our country and humanity as an internationally respected education and research university that respects social values and creates value for its region and country through its scientific, technological, cultural and artistic accumulation.”

The vision of our university is “to be a leading university at the national level and an influential university at the international level in education, science, technology, culture and arts through its participatory, libertarian, innovative and productive institutional structure.”

With its dynamic elements, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University also aims to become a world university. Our goal is to make our university, established in a city with a rich historical and cultural heritage and an important geopolitical position as a crossroads, an institution that our students and employees are proud to belong to and graduate from.

The Success of Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Although our university is a young educational institution, it continues to develop and proves this development through figures as well. According to the “State Universities and Faculties Ranking (DÜS2020)” report, which was last conducted in 2020 and for which no reports were published for the following years, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University ranked 28th among 123 state universities in the “General Ranking of State Universities” and 9th among 70 universities in the “Ranking of State Universities Established After 2006.” In the same ranking, our Faculty of Maritime Studies ranked 1st, while our Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences ranked 2nd.

Built on 33 years of academic experience and adopting the motto “New Generation State University,” our university has continued to rank among the top state universities in academic success and student satisfaction. According to the data of the “Türkiye University Satisfaction Survey” (TÜMA), published regularly since 2016 by the University Research Laboratory (ÜNİAR), our university rose from 28th to 23rd place among 126 state universities in the “General Satisfaction of State Universities” ranking. In the “General Satisfaction of Universities” list, which includes 200 universities, our university rose from 47th place in the previous year to 43rd place in 2024, continuing its steady progress. In the same survey, where evaluations are made in different categories, our university also ranked 16th among state universities in the “Satisfaction with Learning Experience” category and 12th in the “Satisfaction with the Management and Operation of the Institution” category.

Adopting academic success and development as a principle at every stage of education and training, our university has also made significant progress in terms of the quality of its academic staff since its establishment. Each year, a research team from Stanford University publishes a list of the most influential scientists in the world who rank among the top 2% across 22 main scientific fields and 176 subfields. In the list prepared based solely on scientists’ “2021 studies,” 200,409 scientists were ranked within the top 2%. While 1,202 academics from Türkiye were included in the ranking, four academics from our university were also included in this list.

The Geographical Location of Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

The districts where our campuses are located—Bandırma, Gönen, Manyas, Erdek and Susurluk—are also tourism destinations with their attractions such as Manyas Bird Paradise, Kapıdağ National Park, thermal springs, ancient cities, sea, greenery, history and nature.

Their proximity to major cities such as Istanbul, Bursa, Çanakkale, Manisa and Izmir; transportation opportunities by road, sea and railway; and their position as an important crossroads provide a major advantage for students coming from Türkiye and abroad.

Southern Marmara, where our university campuses are located, is a developed region in the fields of agriculture, livestock, industry, trade, energy and tourism. Bandırma Port, in particular, creates an important development opportunity for the regional economy.

Academic Units at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Education and training activities continue in a total of 156 departments and programs within our university.

Our university has 12 faculties: the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Faculty of Maritime Studies, Ömer Seyfettin Faculty of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Communication and Faculty of Agriculture.

At our School of Foreign Languages, quality foreign language education is offered in our English classes by our qualified teaching staff, which also includes foreign national instructors.

Our university has 8 vocational schools: Bandırma Vocational School, Gönen Vocational School, Manyas Vocational School, Erdek Vocational School, Susurluk Agriculture and Forestry Vocational School, Maritime Vocational School, Vocational School of Health Services and Bandırma Organized Industrial Zone Technical Vocational School.

Campuses of Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

We have 4 campuses in Bandırma: the Central Campus, Bandırma & Maritime Vocational School Campus, Faculty of Health Sciences Campus and Edincik Maritime Campus. Our other campuses are located in Gönen, Manyas, Erdek and Susurluk.

Our campuses offer students high-quality spaces where they can spend enjoyable time in addition to carrying out education, training and research activities, with amphitheaters, modern and well-equipped classrooms, conference halls, application and computer laboratories, a rapidly growing and developing library, sports facilities and social areas.

Located in a geography where blue and green meet, our university campuses provide students with fast, easy and comfortable transportation thanks to their clean air, abundant oxygen, extensive green areas and proximity to city centers.

Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University’s Internationalization Strategy and Activities

As a university, one of our greatest goals is to become a respected university in the international arena. For this reason, we attach great importance to the concept of internationalization and to exchange and cooperation agreements with universities around the world. In this context, our university has participated in many international education, promotion and cooperation fairs, particularly the Intelligent Transportation International Cooperation and Development 2023 Forum held in China last year and the Tabriz International Education Fair held in Tabriz, Iran, also last year.

Within the scope of our university’s internationalization efforts, more than 100 international agreements have entered into force to date under the ERASMUS+ and Mevlana student exchange programs, and student as well as academic and administrative staff exchanges are carried out with these universities every year. Under the Farabi Student Exchange Program, our students have the opportunity to study for a certain period at all state universities in our country. In addition, within the scope of its internationalization efforts, our university hosts approximately 1,900 international students from 67 countries.

Health, Sports and Social Activity Opportunities Offered to Students at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Our university has 104 student clubs covering all areas of interest of our students. These clubs carry out voluntary activities in science, culture, arts, sports and all kinds of social fields, contributing both to their own development and significantly to our university. In addition to the activities of student clubs, various and original activities are organized by our university within the scope of spring festivals, nature walks, social and sports events, competitions and social responsibility projects.

Our university offers students extensive opportunities in many sports branches. With 56 teams active in 29 branches and categories, our university supports the physical and mental development of students through sports activities such as football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, indoor sports and mountain hiking. With the establishment of Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University Sports Club, our university has intensified its work in the field of sports and has begun to offer students greater opportunities in terms of both sports facilities and sports equipment.

In order to provide faster and higher-quality healthcare services to our students, our Family Health Center, consisting of 2 doctors, 2 nurses and 1 psychologist, serves students within our university in cooperation with the Provincial Directorate of Health. In addition, Bandırma State Hospital, an A2-category hospital located next to our university, provides a major advantage for students in terms of easy access to healthcare services.

Accommodation and Scholarship Opportunities Offered by Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University to Students from Türkiye and Abroad

Our students may stay in dormitories affiliated with the Credit and Dormitories Institution. There are six KYK dormitories in Bandırma. Among these dormitories, Bandırma Student Dormitory, Fatma Ana Student Dormitory and Yarbay Vecihibey Student Dormitory, which serve female students, have a total capacity of 4,102. Ayhan Songar Student Dormitory (Block A TOKİ), Zağnos Paşa Student Dormitory and Bandırma Kuşcenneti Student Dormitory, which serve male students, have a total capacity of 2,290.

There is also a KYK dormitory in Manyas. Manyas Student Dormitory, which serves female students, can accommodate 370 students. At the Gönen Vocational School campus, a new KYK student dormitory with a total capacity of 604 students, consisting of a 362-bed male dormitory and a 242-bed female dormitory, has entered service.

In our region, a total of 7,366 students have accommodation opportunities in 9 dormitories. In addition to KYK dormitories, there are also many private apartments and student dormitories in our region.

In addition to scholarships provided to our students by foundations, associations and similar non-governmental organizations, our university currently offers meal scholarships and part-time work opportunities. Furthermore, new scholarship opportunities will be created in the coming period through the restructured Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University Foundation.

Scientific Studies at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

A total of 13 application and research centers have been established within our university: the Turkish and Foreign Language Teaching Application and Research Center (BANÜ-TÖMER), Career Development Application and Research Center (BANÜ-KAGEM), Continuing Education Application and Research Center (BANÜ-SEM), Child Education Application and Research Center (BANÜ-Children’s University), Distance Education Application and Research Center (BANÜ-UZEM), Boron Technologies Application and Research Center (BANÜ-BORTAM), Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Application and Research Center (BANÜ-FTR), Mediterranean Policies Application and Research Center (BANÜ-APAM), Foreign Trade and Logistics Application and Research Center (BANÜ-DTLM), Women, Family and Community Services Application and Research Center (BANÜ-KAT), History, Culture and Art Application and Research Center (BANÜ-TAKSAM), Healthy Nutrition and Life Application and Research Center (BANÜ-SABESYA) and Social Policies Application and Research Center (BANÜ-SPR). We believe that these application and research centers will make significant contributions to our university, our region and our country.

Our university attaches great importance to organizing national and international congresses and symposiums for academic success. Accordingly, in 2021, it served as the organizer or stakeholder of a total of 19 international congresses and symposiums held in Türkiye and abroad, 11 of which were held in Bandırma. In 2022, it served as the organizer or stakeholder of a total of 28 international congresses and symposiums, 10 of which were held in Bandırma. In 2023, it served as the organizer or stakeholder of a total of 14 international congresses and symposiums, 3 of which were held in Bandırma.

In 2016, 8 universities were designated as specialized universities by the Council of Higher Education. Our university was one of them and was assigned the task of becoming a specialized university in the field of “Intelligent Transportation Systems.” Our university has organized workshops in this field, and international conferences were held in Bandırma in 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Our university plans the establishment of its faculties and departments particularly in connection with the field of intelligent transportation systems. An initiative is also underway to establish a highly comprehensive laboratory in the field of intelligent transportation systems on a national scale in Türkiye.

One of the areas we value most as a university is our library. Being a good university is possible by having a good library. In this direction, our library has reached a strong position in a very short time, particularly in terms of the number of digital publications. The total number of printed and electronic publications in our library has reached 7,129,118. Our library provides access to 18 databases through EKUAL ULAKBİM under the national license. Unlimited access to university databases is possible both on and off campus. With Prof. Dr. Sabahattin Zaim Library’s 2,000 m² indoor area, reading halls with a capacity of 160 people in our Student Life Center and 100 people in our Faculty of Sports Sciences, and a seating capacity of 750 in the Central Library, our library is one of the most modern libraries in the region.

Our university has started the pilot implementation of the LMS (Learning Management System), which has only recently begun to be used in very few universities in our country. In addition, all academic and administrative staff are provided with the opportunity to benefit from the Microsoft academic portal.

There are currently 9 peer-reviewed journals publishing within our university. The oldest of these is the Journal of Management and Economics Research (YEAD), managed by our Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, which has contributed to the academic world for many years.

Continuing to improve itself every year in academic organization and publications, our university has reached 9 peer-reviewed journals. It contributes to the academic world by publishing high-quality scientific studies in various fields through journals such as the Journal of Management and Economics Research (YEAD), Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Applications (AUSUD), Journal of Social Sciences Research (SAD), Journal of International Relations and Diplomacy (UİD), Journal of Health Sciences and Research (SABAD), Journal of Engineering Sciences and Research (BMBAD), Journal of World Languages, Literatures and Translation Studies (DEDÇED), Hippocrates Medical Journal (HTD) and the Journal of Art, Design and Architecture.

Technological Infrastructure at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Our university has a “Client Security System” to provide central security, antivirus and authentication for end users; a “Firewall” system established to prevent unauthorized access; and a “Central Log Management System” (SIEM), which can monitor all activities, detect security vulnerabilities and report them instantly.

Our university has an ISO 27001 Information Security Management System. It is also a CISCO-authorized training center. Time and labor savings have been achieved through the synchronization of staff, student and additional course interfaces. Integration with the e-Government system has been provided, enabling many services such as electronic documents, the Career Gateway and e-Certificates through the system.

Across our university, a total of 18 computer laboratories, most of which are equipped with All-in-One Intel i7 processors and fiber infrastructure, and 2 MAC laboratories are actively used. Wireless network service is provided to all students and staff on our university campuses. In addition, this service can be used at all universities registered with the “International University Network” (EDUROAM) throughout the world. All data are automatically backed up in secure environments.