İstanbul Bilgi University Entrepreneurship Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

İstanbul Bilgi University aims to foster an entrepreneurial culture in line with its missions of education, research and social contribution. The University supports the transformation of innovative ideas into sustainable social and economic value and seeks to create an entrepreneurship-oriented learning and production ecosystem for students, academics and alumni.

This policy applies to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students, academic and administrative staff, alumni, and all stakeholders collaborating with the University.

2. Entrepreneurial Approach and Core Principles

At BİLGİ, entrepreneurship is not defined solely as company formation. It is understood as the ability to identify opportunities, make decisions under uncertainty, act with ethical responsibility, generate innovation and create social impact.

The policy is based on the following principles:

• Opportunity Orientation: Supporting individuals in recognizing economic, technological and societal needs at an early stage.
• Interdisciplinarity: Encouraging entrepreneurial activity across all disciplines, including engineering, social sciences, arts, design and health sciences.
• Experiential Learning: Promoting learning by doing, prototyping, fieldwork and real-world problem solving.
• Ethics and Sustainability: Ensuring that entrepreneurial initiatives align with social benefit, environmental sustainability and ethical responsibility.
• Inclusiveness and Equality: Providing equal access to entrepreneurship opportunities regardless of gender, socioeconomic background or discipline.

3. Entrepreneurship in Education

BİLGİ integrates entrepreneurship into its curriculum as an essential component of education.

The University offers courses, modules and certificate programs designed to develop innovation and problem-solving skills. These programs combine theoretical knowledge with case studies, project-based learning, startup simulations and mentoring.

At the graduate level, entrepreneurship is addressed through technology transfer, deep technology (deep tech), social entrepreneurship and academic entrepreneurship.

Students are encouraged to develop their own entrepreneurial ideas within their coursework and connect them with academic outputs.

4. Research and Academic Entrepreneurship

BİLGİ considers the transformation of research outputs into social and economic value as a strategic priority.

The University encourages academics to commercialize their expertise through entrepreneurial initiatives and supports research-based ventures and spin-offs. Intellectual property rights are managed within a transparent and fair framework that balances academic freedom with entrepreneurial incentives.

Entrepreneurship-focused academic publications, case studies and policy reports are supported.

5. Entrepreneurship Ecosystem and Support Mechanisms

BİLGİ aims to build a strong entrepreneurship ecosystem both on and off campus.

The University supports incubation centers, acceleration programs and entrepreneurship laboratories. It organizes mentorship programs, investor meetings and demo days for students and academics. Collaborations are developed with public institutions, the private sector, civil society and international partners.

Alumni entrepreneurs are actively involved in the ecosystem.

6. Governance and Institutional Structure

The entrepreneurship policy is implemented in alignment with the University’s strategic plan.

Entrepreneurship activities are coordinated among relevant faculties, centers and administrative units. Implementation is monitored through performance indicators and impact assessment.

The University provides the institutional and financial support necessary to ensure the sustainability of the entrepreneurship ecosystem.

7. Social Impact and Global Perspective

BİLGİ views entrepreneurship not only as a means of economic value creation but also as a driver of social transformation and solutions to global challenges.

The University encourages social entrepreneurship and impact-driven initiatives, builds connections with global entrepreneurship networks, and monitors the local, national and international impact of its entrepreneurial activities.

8. Implementation and Review

This policy enters into force upon approval by the University Senate. It is periodically reviewed in line with global developments in entrepreneurship, technological advancements and the University’s strategic objectives.