ÖZYEĞİN ÜNİVERSİTESİ

Founded in 2007 in Istanbul, Türkiye, as a non-profit foundation university, Özyeğin University (ÖzÜ) is strategically positioned with the objective of becoming one of the most innovative and research-intensive universities in Türkiye. Within the Entrepreneurial and Innovative University Index, prepared under the leadership of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK), ÖzÜ ranked 6th in 2024 and has consistently maintained a position among the top ten universities since the inception of the index.

According to the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, ÖzÜ is placed among the top 400 universities worldwide and is recognized as one of the top five universities in Türkiye in terms of its contribution to global sustainable development goals.

ÖzÜ comprises seven faculties—the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Business, Faculty of Aviation and Aeronautical Sciences, Faculty of Architecture and Design, and Faculty of Applied Sciences—alongside three graduate institutes (the Graduate School of Engineering, the Graduate School of Business, and the Graduate School of Social Sciences), one academic unit dedicated to language education (the School of Foreign Languages), and eight research centers. These research centers include the Center for Computational Finance; the Center for Energy, Environment and Economy (CE³); the Energy Efficient LED Lighting Research, Development, Education and Application Center (EVATEG); the Optical Wireless Communication Technologies Applied Research Center of Excellence (OKATEM); the Technology Products Center; the Entrepreneurship Center; the Alp Alkaş Retail and Real Estate Center; and the German Law Application and Research Center.

The university community currently consists of approximately 7,700 undergraduate students, 523 master’s students, and 205 doctoral candidates, supported by 521 academic staff members and 375 administrative personnel.

In 2012, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) was established to strengthen ÖzÜ’s capacity as a research-driven university and to facilitate the translation of academic knowledge into societal and economic value. The TTO provides comprehensive support to researchers in preparing national and international grant applications, fosters university–industry collaboration, and manages the university’s intellectual and industrial property rights (IPR) portfolio.

In addition, ÖzÜ launched its first startup acceleration program, Start-up Factory, aimed at supporting the development, mentoring, and scaling of high-potential and sustainable entrepreneurial ventures. Complementary units such as Openfab, the Continuing Education Center, the Sustainability Platform, and the Gender Equality Office provide advisory services and operational support to academics, researchers, and students, while actively contributing to the implementation of interdisciplinary projects.

As of March 2026, ÖzÜ’s research portfolio comprises 1,135 projects with a total budget of 490.19 million TRY. The majority of this funding is secured through European Union programs and TÜBİTAK funding schemes, while the remaining portion originates from industry partnerships and other national and international funding bodies. Since 2013, ÖzÜ has filed 44 patent and utility model applications at both national and international levels, 21 of which were submitted jointly with industry partners and other universities. The university currently maintains an intellectual property portfolio consisting of 199 granted patents and 8 registered utility models. Furthermore, since 2020, 14 patents from this portfolio have been successfully commercialized through technology transfer mechanisms.