Quality Recognized, Success Achieved: Appreciation Ceremony Held for IGU FEA Academics Who Contributed to ABET Accreditation

The ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accreditation of Istanbul Gelisim University's (IGU) Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (FEA) has been extended through September 30, 2031. Following a comprehensive evaluation process conducted by the ABET Committee, an independent, US-based non-governmental organization, the engineering programs within the faculty have once again been certified as meeting international quality standards. In celebration of receiving accreditation for the second consecutive time, an appreciation certificate presentation ceremony was held for the academics of Istanbul Gelisim University's Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.

"We Are in the Same League as the World's Leading Universities"

Speaking at the ceremony, Istanbul Gelisim University Board of Trustees Chair Abdülkadir Gayretli emphasized that this achievement carries great significance for the institution's development:
"Receiving ABET Accreditation for the second time is a truly meaningful accomplishment. It demonstrates our professionalism as an institution and shows that we stand in the same league as the world's leading universities."
Noting that this success marks the beginning of new goals rather than a final destination, Abdülkadir Gayretli highlighted how the quality of academic output strengthens the university's international standing:
"Being ranked first in Türkiye and sixth in Europe in terms of citations in the QS rankings, sharing sixth place with Imperial College and standing alongside a university that was ranked first in the world last year, is an extremely important indicator of success for us."
Drawing attention to the strong relationship between increased academic output and rising rankings, Abdülkadir Gayretli continued:
"The harder we work, the more disciplined and high-quality our efforts, the greater the return on our academic output. As we raise the quality of our projects and publications, we firmly believe that our standing in the rankings will strengthen accordingly and that our university will reach even greater milestones. That is why we view this achievement not as an endpoint, but as the starting point for even greater ambitions."

"Success Is Truly a Team Effort"

Also addressing the ceremony, Istanbul Gelisim University Rector Prof. Bahri Şahin drew attention to the team spirit behind the accreditation process:
"Success is not individual, it is truly a team effort. The dedication and effort you have shown in the pursuit of quality are invaluable to us. This achievement, particularly through the accreditation process, represents a critical milestone for our university. The number of universities in Türkiye that have successfully completed this process is quite limited, and we are proud to be among them."
Prof. Şahin underscored that the university has embraced a vision of sustainable rather than coincidental success, and drew attention to the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan:
"We are not pursuing short-term or incidental achievements, we aim for sustainable success. Our 2024–2028 Strategic Plan was prepared with this understanding. It is vitally important that each unit aligns its own objectives with this plan and clearly demonstrates how its work contributes to the university's overall goals."
Noting that research quality is one of the university's greatest strengths, Prof. Şahin also touched on the growing culture of project development:
"This year, we submitted a record number of TÜBİTAK student project applications, and we anticipate that a significant portion will be accepted. A project culture is taking root across our university, and through the training programs and certificate initiatives offered, we are progressing in the right direction. Today, we are a university that holds a place in world rankings. We are achieving consistent, mutually reinforcing results across THE, QS, and other international ranking systems."
Prof. Bahri Şahin concluded his remarks by stating that sustaining these achievements is only possible through shared goals and a strong team spirit.

Engineering Education at International Standards

The extension of ABET accreditation through 2031, as part of the evaluation process conducted by the ABET Committee, powerfully demonstrates that IGU has embraced a sustainable, research-oriented higher education vision backed by international quality assurance.
Following a comprehensive evaluation across multiple dimensions, including educational infrastructure, academic staff qualifications, research outputs, and quality assurance systems, IGU's renewed ABET Accreditation once again certifies that the university meets world standards in engineering education. Appreciation certificates were presented to the FEA academics whose contributions made this important achievement possible.