Istanbul Ticaret University was established in 2001 by Istanbul’s Chamber of Commerce which is among the largest chambers in the world.
The university has grown rapidly from a start with 73 students, to a roll of around 7,000 in 2018.
Its name translates as "University of Commerce", with the motto ‘Local Identity, Global Vision’.
In early 2019 a "ranking of rankings" exercise found that it was one of only four Turkish universities to appear in all 11 leading international rating systems, including the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Its vision is to "carry out interdisciplinary studies that are necessary for the information age without losing its academic flexibility". Students are spread across four campuses in Turkey’s largest city, two on each side of the Bosphorus strait, with most provision in Sutlure and most postgraduate work at Eminou, plus a satellite campus at Bursa.
There are six faculties – art and science, communication science, law, engineering and design, commerce and applied science. The 20 research centres include one specialising in European Union issues and another focussed on the credit ratings of leading Turkish companies.
While the majority of courses are taught in Turkish, courses in business, economics, mechatronics, electrical-electronics engineering and jewellery engineering are offered entirely in English and some others with 30 per cent English content. The English Preparatory school offers training courses in the language.
Among the associated Institutes, the Institute of Foreign Trade is described as "the graduate academic unit which forms the core of Istanbul Commerce University". Student lawyers are encouraged, and often funded, to compete in international moot competitions, while Bistlab offers finance students a Stock Market simulation laboratory.
