Ibn Khaldun University

Ibn Haldun University (IHU) is a endowment university established in Istanbul in 2015 by the Türkiye Youth and Education Services Foundation (TÜRGEV) and began academic activities in the 2017-2018 academic year. University aims to emerge as a “research university” in Türkiye and globally through an educational model specialized in the social sciences. Within the principle of intellectual independence, it seeks to enable its students to develop independent thought and to become globally competent individuals.

Academic Staff and Programs

Ibn Haldun University, with an international academic staff, provides education with 384 academics as of 2025. The university comprises six faculties and twelve bachelor's degree departments:

• Faculty of Education
• • Guidance and Psychological Counseling Department
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Communication
• • New Media and Communication Department
• Faculty of Islamic Sciences
• Faculty of Human and Social Sciences
• • Philosophy
  • Comparative Literature
  • Psychology
  • Political Science and International Relations
  • Sociology
  • History
• Faculty of Management Sciences
• • Economics
  • Business Administration

The Graduate School of Education offers twelve doctoral and twenty-two master’s programs. The Institute of Civilizations Alliance provides one doctoral and one master’s program. In total, eighteen undergraduate and graduate programs hold international accreditation from FIBAA.

Research and Application Centers

Ibn Haldun University supports its academic activities through fifteen distinct research and application centers. These include centers focused on Conflict Analysis and Peace Research, Ethical Studies, Islamic Economics and Finance, Psychotherapy, and International Law and Human Rights like.

Student Profile and Language of Instruction

Ibn Haldun University offers an international instruction environment. As of September 2025, the university hosts 1,246 Turkish students and 665 international students from 77 countries. It aims for 75 percent of its students to be enrolled in graduate programs. The languages of instruction are Turkish, Arabic, and English, with elective courses offered in German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Malay.

Campuses

The university’s educational activities are carried out across three campuses:

• Süleymaniye Campus: Composed of the medreses of the Süleymaniye Külliyesi.
• Bakırköy Taş Mektep Campus
• Ibn Haldun University Başakşehir Külliyesi: This modern campus, inspired by Ottoman medrese architecture, was opened for service in October 2020.

Dependence on the West and the Quest for Intellectual Freedom

For the past two centuries, concepts such as progress and Westernization have been imposed on societies outside the West, leading these societies to weaken their intellectual independence and become dependent on the West. Educational systems have become a mechanism reinforcing this dependence. Ibn Haldun University was established to break this cycle and reconstruct intellectual independence through an educational model that promotes original production in the social sciences.

Educational Approach and Core Values

Ibn Haldun University has built its social sciences education on the following fundamental values on:

1. Comparative Education: IHU does not limit itself to Western ideas and theories but critically presents to students the scientific, cultural, and artistic legacies of diverse civilizations. This approach, which examines Freud alongside Ghazali and Marx alongside Ibn Khaldun, supports the emergence of original thought.
2. Traditional Innovation: The university has developed an understanding that embraces modern innovation without rejecting tradition. This approach avoids mere imitation in the name of innovation and aims to reconstruct the civilization’s heritage in accordance with contemporary needs while preserving the dynamic nature of tradition.
3. Fütüvvet: Fütüvvet, an ethos grounded in moral values such as youthfulness, courage, generosity, and heroism, encourages students to demonstrate ethical conduct and contribute to society as virtuous individuals.
4. Open Civilization: The concept of open civilization expresses an approach that recognizes the right to existence and life for other civilizations and defends universal human rights. This vision, rooted in the Islamic civilization’s experience of multi-civilizational coexistence, embraces an understanding capable of generating solutions to global challenges.
5. Global Competition: The university aims to cultivate individuals capable of competing at the international level. This approach, which fosters global literacy, enables students to develop a global perspective.
6. Preparation for the Future: IHU applies modern educational models to cultivate individuals capable of adapting to a rapidly changing world. This understanding, which promotes analytical thinking, seeks to produce generations capable of addressing future societal needs.
7. Multilingual Education: The university ensures that students attain proficiency in at least three languages. In addition to Turkish, English, and Arabic, it offers educational opportunities in German, Japanese, and Persian.