The significance of sustainability and its environmental, economic, and social aspects have been central to Bilkent University’s existence and operating principles since its genesis.

The location of the University in Ankara, which previously had low economic value and was largely unusable, gained an educational purpose and value with Bilkent’s establishment. . University campuses are known for their well-planned yet simple design where a rich biodiversity exists.. Bilkent district, which grew hand in hand with Bilkent University, has similar characteristics with its residential areas and commercial facilities.

Other arrangements regarding building, facility and landscaping renovations in the operation of Bilkent University go through a strict screening of materiality and carried out in a way that does not harm the biodiversity on campuses.

Bilkent Holding companies, owned by the University, have historically shown a pro-environmental disposition in their business activities, implementing measures to prevent or minimize negative externalities at their source.

In recent years, as the impact of climate change and the measures for combatting it find an increasingly prominent place on the agenda of the global community, Bilkent University is also keeps its existing sustainability considerations on its agenda well-formulated policies and practices. The University has declared the 2021-2022 academic year as the ‘Sustainability Year’ and has added “to generate ideas on sustainability and climate change” to its goals for the purposes of raising awareness and to serving as a pioneer and example to the society with innovative projects. Consequently, the University has started to enrich its educational programs with sustainability-oriented courses, seminars and academic projects.

Within the scope of decarbonization and waste management, dormitories 12, 81 and 82, which comply with passive house standards of energy efficiency, were built as environmentally friendly buildings with energy efficiency in mind. In reducing, reusing and recycling waste products, the requirements by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to obtain the Zero Waste Certificate have been successfully fulfilled. The irrigation needs of the campus land are entirely met by the installed rainwater reservoir. The current campus buildings have a total of 1,325 square meters of green roof and the new student center building alone is planned to have 4000 square meters of green roof. Nearly 15% of the energy requirement for heating the semi-olympic swimming pool on campus is met by the solar panels installed. The rooftop solar panels together with the solar energy field built between the Main Campus and East Campuses are planned to meet approximately 10% of the total energy requirement of the University.

Bilkent University campuses are residential. Therefore, the University has equipped its campuses with facilities and practices that will support the sustainability of human health. In this respect, the Health Center and Psychological Counseling Center provide uninterrupted health services, while Sports Center offers a varied set of sports and wellness programs.

The change in consumption patterns is seen as an important element of healthy life, and studies on food safety and health are continuously carried out by the relevant units. In addition to all these, the University also aims to support the access of students with limited opportunities to these services. As a prominent initiative of recent years, smoking areas on the campuses have been increasingly restricted on the way to become a smoke-free university.

The University is also committed to be an Accessible Campus with a healthy life perspective, and remove any obstacle for any individual to participate in campus life equitably.

Bilkent University conducts its sustainability studies with a ‘continuous improvement’ approach. While the University administration attends any issue with urgency without delay and takes the necessary precautions, it ultimately works towards building an environment of awareness and transformative learning to design and implement all its activities through a sustainability lens. For this, a controlled and consistent approach is adopted, where the cumulative effects of curricular and extra-curricular activities yield successful returns in the medium-long term.

Bilkent University is committed to maintaining an equal opportunity environment in all of its functions. The Bilkent University Gender Equality Plan (BGEP) aims to facilitate the mechanisms to cultivate this environment and improve upon the existing policies for promoting gender equality. Bilkent University established Human Rights Studies Application and Research Center (BHRC) in 2021. The BHRC’s foundational philosophy is based on the understanding that the responsibility of protection and fulfillment of human rights principles and norms is primarily – and initially –assumed by the national authorities by ensuring the effective implementation of the Constitution and relevant laws including international commitments. The mission of BHRC, in this sense, is to contribute to public awareness and action that work towards progressive legislation in the fields of human diversity, equality and inclusion.