Dear Youth;

Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1882 in the Ottoman capital as “Dersaadet” Chamber of Commerce – literally “Door of Happiness” – has been counted during its 129-year history as one of the foremost organisations of its kind world-wide. Moreover, with the establishment of its Educational and Social Services Foundation, and of Istanbul Commerce University as the fruit thereof, the Chamber has demonstrated its commitment to investment in education.

Education, it is recognised, requires vast investment and profound dedication, not to mention courage and the making of sacrifices. Since 2001, the Chamber of Commerce and the Foundation have assumed the responsibility of training you, who are our guarantee of the future, and of thereby providing a strong Turkey with a well-educated younger generation.

Dear Youth,

We understand the sacrifices both you and your parents make to ensure your entry into an accredited institution of higher education. We believe we should contribute to your progress to becoming young professionals of whom we can all be proud.

With this as our starting point, we as Istanbul Commerce University invite you to join with us, to count yourselves as part of a force which aims at a many-faceted development: meeting education and training needs within the city; ensuring strict standards of quality are prioritised in all fields; exploiting our strong academic status and our close integration with the business world; helping you and the world become accessible to one another.

The key to success is to be aware of global trends, so we can develop appropriate products which meet current needs. To help our students succeed, we should aim for unlimited opportunity for accredited education.

In its ongoing mission to become a global player, our university continues its close association with a variety of public bodies, NGOs and private companies. We especially seek to focus on the functions of the Career Planning Centre in order to expand training opportunities and to supply graduate students of the calibre demanded by international standards. 

The Career Planning Centre not only seeks exchange-internship opportunities with international institutions, but also tries to accomplish new projects.

Our university has a global vision associated with well-established institutions, and a structure which can foster rather than resist development.  All of these features, plus its development potential, make Istanbul Commerce University different.

We believe that construction of Technopark which has recently begun as a joint venture between Defense Industry Undersecretary, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Istanbul Commerce University will contribute significantly to strengthening the relationship between the university and real sector.

No wind can help a ship which has no destination.  Our goals are national development and a comfortable life for all.  Thus, we seek to open up the horizons of you, the youth of today who have clearly defined goals yourselves, so we may strive together towards a better tomorrow.

Our highly qualified academics and the distinguished members of the Board of Trustees both attach great importance to the development of projects tailored to highly-educated and skilled young people, and thereby strive to make the university a focal point of activity both nationally and internationally; and for this purpose trying to establish environments and policies, within our faculties and campuses, promoting qualified education.

Also our university is trying to devise programs with environmental, humanitarian and national concerns, in those areas where qualified human resources are needed. At Istanbul Commerce University, for those with higher-education targets there are various education programs which meet contemporary needs.

As long as we evaluate our strength usefully, I believe the productivity of our students and staff will thereby increase. Thus, from its first year of operation, the university has achieved to exceed over 90 % occupancy rate.

We desire that young people who attach high importance to further education, to self-improvement and development, will increasingly make us their university of choice. Thus we can attract students who share our concern for quality of education, who prioritise quality just as we do.

With regard to economic circumstances, every year we have been developing a scholarship system which takes success into account. As a result thereof, we hope that a greater percentage of the top 10.000 participants of the Student Selection Examination will choose our institution. We attach great importance to recognising success and to rewarding the successful as much as possible.

You who tomorrow will become proud members of Istanbul Commerce University, set sail for new horizons. We offer you a quality education which, in its chosen route, never distances itself from the city or from real life.

I wish you all the success you desire, hope that all your efforts will be rewarded, and that you go on to contribute a  great service to society, and I affectionately embrace you all.

Erhan Erkan

Istanbul Commerce University

Chairman of Board of Trustees​​