Setting and
Infrastructure

Bilkent University was founded on October 20, 1984 by İhsan Doğramacı, through the joint resolution of İhsan Doğramacı Education Foundation, İhsan Doğramacı Science and Research Foundation and İhsan Doğramacı Health Foundation. The establishment of this private university was later approved by an act of Parliament. The aim was to create a center of excellence in higher education and research. The name “Bilkent”‘ exemplifies the founder’s aim, since it is an acronym of “bilim kenti” in Turkish for “city of science and knowledge.”

Preparations for Bilkent University had begun as early as 1967, with the purchase of a large tract of land to the west of Ankara. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the above mentioned foundations undertook construction, on the future site of Bilkent, of the buildings which now house administrative offices, the Faculty of Engineering, and the library. Construction of residences for academic staff, cafeterias, student dormitories, the Student Union building and various academic buildings followed in rapid succession.

Bilkent University campus is a single campus structure spread over a wide area. However, this large area is divided into two: “Main Campus” and “Eastern Campus”.

• Total campus area is 2.954.109 m2.
• Total campus buildings area is 537,778 m2 and,
• Total forest area is 1.622.442 m2.

In I.D. Bilkent University, Security Office is in charge of campus security in line with the provisions of Article 5188 of the law regarding private security services. Security Office is responsible for:

• Checking and registering the IDs of people and vehicles at campus entrance points
• Bilkent University security staff provides 24 – hour safety by making regular rounds around the buildings, facilities and the green areas located in vicinity of campus. The University also has a surveillance system available at campus entrances as well as buildings and parking lots.
• Regulating campus traffic; enforcing traffic rules and regulations.
• In campus vicinity, physical violence is considered an unacceptable behavior and may be required a disciplinary action.
• Preventing noise pollution on campus inside buildings, classrooms, and dormitories.
• Regularly checking on non-smoking areas to make sure all individuals comply with smoking ban.
• In the case of a lost item, please immediately contact the security staff of the building where the items were lost. If you cannot find your item at the building security desk, contact the main Security Office located in the basement of G Building (Main Campus) in Room B-09.
• Please call the Bilkent Emergency Call Center, which is available for 24/7 at 290-6666 for assistance in the above or similar matters.

In campus, there are total 938 CCTV, panic button, personnel, fire extinguisher, hydrant and various emergency lighting and directions available. And then the security and civil defense personnel can respond to all emergencies within 3-5 minutes. (126 personnel, 2218 fire extinguisher, 62 hydrant, etc.)

Safe Campus Environment:

• Patrolling
• Emergency Call Center
• Lost and Found

Basic Safety Rules:

• Personal Safety
• Walking, Riding a Bicycle and Doing Other Activities
• Wild and Stray Animals
• Smoking Ban on Campus
• Smoke Free Areas on Campus
• Safety in Cars
• Over the Phone Threads
• Fire Situation
• Traffic at Bilkent

Safe Traffic

The university has defined different types of vehicle stickers to ensure traffic safety. For drivers with these vehicle stickers, classifications have been made as academic-administrative personnel parking, student, graduate and visitor parking. Special areas have been designated for vehicles such as motorcycles and bicycles.

The rules that all stakeholders with high awareness of safe traffic are obliged to comply with are;

Speed Rules: The speed limit on campus is 50 km/h as shown on the signs, and 30 km/h when approaching intersections. Controls are carried out with cameras within the campus borders. Pedestrians have undisputed superiority of passage: PEDESTRIANS have the superiority of passage on the Bilkent University campus. Vehicles must stop completely behind pedestrian crossings and give way to pedestrians who want to cross.

• Dangerous driving is prohibited.
• Drivers must heed the warnings of security guards.
• Vehicles that have been modified in a way that disturbs the environment or whose exhaust system is faulty or that produce excessive smoke and noise are not allowed on campus.
• It is forbidden to honk the horn unnecessarily, listen to loud music in the vehicle that disturbs the surroundings, and throw garbage out of the vehicle.

Safe Life

The Security Office, which takes precautions and informs its stakeholders about any security weakness or emergency situation that may be encountered within or outside the campus borders throughout the day, has also detailed what to do in the following situations;

• Theft situation (in dormitory, gym, classrooms, libraries, at home)
• Fire (in dormitory, at home, in forest areas)
• Earthquake
• Emergency assistance (Health Center and ambulance service)

The goal of the university’s Health Center is to promote the physical and emotional well-being of the students and staff. Located on both the Main and East Campuses, the center provides medical services as well as preventative health care and health education. Its professional staff includes general practitioners, a neurologist, a gynecologist, an ophthalmologist, psychiatrists, a dermatologist, an orthopedist, a dentist, a radiologist, an ear, nose and throat specialist, nurses, emergency medical technicians and a paramedic.

A physician and a nurse are on duty at the Main Campus Health Center 24 hours, including weekends. In cases of emergency, university ambulances accompanied by Health Center doctors and nurses are available 24 hours to take patients to nearby hospitals.

The Centers have two in-house laboratories for immediate medical tests such as blood counts, urine analysis, blood chemistry and a unit for X-ray and ultrasound exams.

Services Provided:

• First aid treatment and medical examinations
• Contagious disease prevention
• Supervision of patient recovery
• Conducting research about the environmental health conditions on campus and reporting the results to the university administration
• Health education programs on general medical and health issues and first aid courses

Applying to the Health Center:

In the event of illness or injury, students and staff should seek medical help from the Health Center. First aid and initial treatment are carried out at the Health Center and, if necessary, the patient may be referred to a specialist or to a hospital which has a medical services agreement with the university.

In addition, dermatology, dentistry, ophthalmology, gynecology, otolaryngology, neurology, orthopedics, psychiatry, radiology, and ultrasonography specialists also provide services on a contractual basis within the health centers.

• Psychological Counseling and Development Center, located within the Health Center, provides services with its expert staff, consisting of 11 clinical psychologists, 1 coordinator, and 1 administrative assistant, to help students get to know themselves and develop. Working in coordination with our psychiatrists, the psychologists conduct 50-minute individual consultations with students once a week. Based on feedback from students, seminars are organized on topics of need and interest, and psycho-educational groups are formed.
• The Smoking Cessation and Counseling Clinic provides counseling services to students and staff on smoking cessation methods by specialist physicians. The First Aid Training Center within the Health Centers provides certified first aid courses to students and staff.
• The Sexual Health Counseling and Treatment Center is structured to provide services in the field of reproductive and sexual health to university students and staff. In addition to providing health services, brochures on reproductive health issues, and contraceptive methods, the unit also offers counseling services. Services are provided during designated working hours and within the Health Center building. 

In addition to emergency medical services and medical examinations, the Health Centers provide preventive medicine services for infectious diseases, periodic and pre-employment medical examinations for staff, and athlete health examinations for students in university teams. They also provide research services on environmental health conditions on campus.

The Bilkent University Accessible Bilkent Unit was established to facilitate campus life for students with all kinds of disadvantages. The Unit, which was established in accordance with the Higher Education Institutions Disability Solidarity and Coordination Regulation, includes an academic representative assigned by each faculty and a representative of the Dean of Students. Faculty representatives also serve as advisors for disabled students of their academic units. The “Disabled Student Academic Advisor” mechanism is an important requirement for academic staff to be in close communication and cooperation with disabled students in the departments (visually, physically, hearing, dyslexia, hyperactivity and attention deficit problems, diabetes, etc.). In addition to the facilities provided by the university for disabled students and staff, the Activity Report prepared by the unit at the end of each academic year is submitted to the Presidency of the Council of Higher Education.

For staff in similar situations, the process is managed by the Human Resources. For stakeholders with special needs, the process of adapting the facilities falls under the responsibility of Construction and Maintenance.

The Campus Accesibility Guide was prepared in collaboration with the University Accessibility Committee and the Institutional Data Analysis and Quality Management Unit.

The kindergarten serves the children of Bilkent University’s academic and administrative staff and graduate students. Students from university-affiliated companies such as Tepe and Meteksan may also be accepted within the allocated capacity. Fees are determined at a discounted rate by the university’s senior management. 

Bilkent University Kindergarten possesses the most suitable conditions for a kindergarten building. It is built on a single-story ground floor without stairs. It has a total indoor area of ​​630 m² and includes 5 classrooms, each with a usable area of ​​50 m². There are 2 separate toilets. The spacious garden is ideal for students’ enjoyment. It features a mini swimming pool and a large sandpit.

There are different types of animal friends on Bilkent University campuses. The living species that are seen as members of the family by all internal stakeholders of the university and symbolize natural life are as seen in the pictures below;