Academic Principles

Our Academic Principles

The Place Where Wisdom Wanders Freely: University

Today, rapid change in all areas of society also requires questioning and transforming the conventional definitions of higher education. As access to information is becoming easier every day, social needs are constantly transforming, and we cannot even predict which professions will exist in the near future. Thereby universities have to not only keep up with this rapid change with scientific research, education, and community service activities, but also to lead it. Achieving this is only possible by ensuring that universities are independent of all economic and political powers and protecting them as a place where wisdom wanders freely, and ideas clash with each other.

As a university that bases its foundations on this philosophy, we aim to actively contribute to the change in the world and guide our country’s education, development, and progress through research that paves the way for innovative, democratic thinking and action and academic studies of universal value. To take our place among the world’s leading universities and provide a modern education, research, and academic freedom environment, we aim to:

identify problems on local, regional, national, and global scales and create a research culture based on scientific skepticism and critical thinking, free from all kinds of dogma, in order to trigger the sprouting of free and creative solutions and innovative understandings based on strong theoretical foundations and original data,
establish an innovative and contemporary understanding of education that focuses on teaching learning to learn, takes its excitement from research, cares about nurturing curiosity, and fosters lifelong awareness of learning,
provide our students with the intellectual infrastructure so that they can:

think freely, question and understand their society and the world, and build their own place in it,
predict the consequences of their ideas, decisions, and behaviors beyond their own lives and act with this responsibility,
become individuals who are confident, and recognize the rights of all living beings that we live together in nature and the world facing an ecological crisis,
approach diversity and pluralism with an open mind, and
play an active role in the development of society through civil participation,

always support the peace and well-being of our academic staff and students in order to ensure the development of the most competent students and academicians with the principles of equal opportunity and inclusion,
fulfill our obligation to society and the planet based on the values of public interest, accessibility, sustainable development, social responsibility, and awareness as the basis of all our activities,
and maintain a study and living environment where scientists and students are evaluated only on the basis of scientific norms of success and merit; there is zero tolerance for discrimination against age, class, gender and sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and religious beliefs; and the freedom of expression and movement of all employees and students as well as the democratic structure arising from the history of the university are always meticulously protected.

Academic Freedom

At Kadir Has University, we unquestionably accept and undertake our firm commitment to our principles of academic freedom and merit together with our students and academic and administrative staff in all areas of scientific research, education, and community service activities. Home to scientific development and critical thinking, contemporary universities share founding missions: the combination of research and education, freedom of education, and autonomy of academia. These missions also form the basis of our university’s understanding of academic freedom.

According to this understanding, academic freedom is the cornerstone of a university where:

all students, faculty members, and stakeholders have the right to freely determine, conduct, express, and share their research subjects and methods with society without any political, commercial, or religious motive or without depending on the conditioning of any dogma,
all members of the university are considered to have equal rights,
students are actively participating in the design of their educational methods and activities, and academic staff transparently approach the questions, comments, and suggestions of all students without any hierarchy and they are excited about their potential academic contributions,
access to information and science is open to everyone to ensure development via interpersonal communication,
decisions are taken by elected boards and administrators in democratic methods,
and there are no barriers to scientific doubt.

As an institution that has maintained these values since its foundation and has strictly adhered to the ideals of academic freedom and scientific autonomy in research and educational activities, we firmly believe in unconditional freedom of thought and uphold the principle that scientific production can only be evaluated according to its own rules and that science has no purpose other than to seek the truth.

No Discrimination!

“We are different but equal!” - Kadir Has University rejects all forms of direct or indirect discrimination based on language, religion, race, color, age, citizenship status, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, social status, educational status, and political opinion. As a matter of fact, science can only develop in an environment free from discrimination, and our University is aware that it can achieve its goal of continuing to be an exquisite higher education institution only by providing an environment that is pluralistic, fair, open-minded and where everyone can be equal with their differences.

We respectfully announce to all our stakeholders, including our students, prospective students, employees, and third parties from whom we receive services and visitors, that we consider discrimination due to status – especially those mentioned above and protected by legal and universal principles – and any acts of harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on discrimination are unacceptable and cannot be ignored.

In this context, we are committed to all legal regulations and make the best efforts to ensure an academic and social work environment that is free from discrimination, based on equality, respects differences, and is inclusive for all stakeholders.

If you think you have been discriminated against at our University, we are ready to listen to you! Please submit your thoughts, requests, and complaints to the Equality Commission (equity@khas.edu.tr) of our University.

For definitions and sanctions of such actions and the legislation of our University, see Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination.

No to Sexual Harassment!

“We stand by you and are ready to listen to you!” – Our University prohibits all acts and behaviors involving gender-based violence and discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, or stalking in a manner that disturbs any member of our University and physical or verbal violence. Kadir Has University’s management knows that any such behaviors and actions that are not consensual may adversely affect the person physically and/or psychologically and explicitly announces that such actions will not be tolerated under any circumstances within the University, disciplinary and criminal investigations will be carried out against those who commit such acts, the University will give all kinds of support to the victims of such behaviors and actions, and they will enforce all internationally accepted principles and regulations against such actions.

We respectfully announce to all our stakeholders, including our students, prospective students, employees, third parties from whom we receive services, and visitors that all violent and discriminatory acts and behaviors based on sexual harassment and sexual assault may constitute a crime and that such actions are disruptive to the academic and social environment of our University, in addition to the physical and/or psychological effects on victims.

We are ready to listen and assist all members of our University who feel that they are victims of this type of action or behavior. No matter who performs such an action or behavior, we undertake that we are ready to listen to you, provide all kinds of support, including psychological support, and protect your personal data and identity away from all kinds of hierarchical, social, and material pressures within the corporate structure.

If you believe that you have been sexually harassed, sexually assaulted, or subjected to gender-based violence and discrimination, including the acts of stalking, following, and domestic violence by any member of our University, contact us immediately!

Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Prevention Unit (CİTÖB)

citob@khas.edu.tr

Even if it is based on mutual consent, our University does not approve of any close relationship that members from different hierarchical levels (students, faculty members, employees, etc.) may develop due to concerns that such a relationship may lead to possible ethical conflicts of interest and hierarchical relationship abuse. In all circumstances, such relationships must be reported to the unit supervisors, even if they are consensual.

Regarding the definitions and sanctions of such actions and the legislation of our University, see:

Academic Honesty and Ethics

“The first key to our success is our honesty towards ourselves and society.” – Kadir Has University community recognizes that academic honesty is the absolute requirement of academic studies, research, education, and training activities and undertakes that they will carry out all academic studies, research and education, and training activities under the roof of our University always in accordance with all academic integrity rules/principles.

At Kadir Has University, we know that academic honesty is a must to ensure an egalitarian, libertarian, scientific doubt-based, open-minded, and merit-based research and education environment. We firmly believe that a university culture shaped by academic cooperation and fair scientific competition is the basis for success in education and training, research, academic study, and university management. We also believe that such a university culture is important in preventing actions that are not academically honest.

Therefore, we accept and declare that we adopt a zero-tolerance policy against any unethical act violating academic honesty, such as copying, plagiarism, the presentation and acceptance of third-party-generated assignments, projects, etc., academic labor exploitation based on hierarchical position or any interest or punishment, distortion of research data, fabrication, academic sabotage and actions and behaviors contrary to all scientific ethical rules. In case any such action or behavior requires disciplinary proceedings, legal punishment, and sanction, we undertake and declare that we will take all necessary legal steps, and we will not accept such action or behavior under any circumstances, even if there are no clear legal sanctions.

All our students and prospective students, all academic and administrative members, are expected to comply with internationally accepted academic honesty rules in education and training activities and throughout the process that includes determining the subject in academic research, collecting and evaluating research data, and writing a dissertation. In case they have any doubt about the confirmation of their studies to the abovementioned rules, they are expected to request support and assistance from the relevant units without exception.

If you need information about academic honesty or ethical rules, or if you are in doubt and need support, please contact us (Academic Ethics Commission: ethics@khas.edu.tr). We would be more than glad to help you.

For detailed information on our academic honesty and ethical rules and the regulation of our University, see:

Our Philosophy

The founder of Kadir Has University, the late Mr. Kadir Has, dedicated his life to education.

Our institution’s founding grew out of his philosophy: “I will strive to do and be the best for my country.” In keeping with this motto, our purpose is to facilitate today’s youth’s education, development, and prosperity through innovative research and academic teaching that inspires democratic thinking and practice. We believe that education can fortify our students to meet the tests of their own time as it did earlier generations.

We aim to create an environment of education, research, and academic freedom at the world’s level of the best universities. Thus, we offer instruction based on traditional disciplines and interdisciplinary models; we foster the skills necessary for continuing social and cultural development. While helping students prepare for the future, we encourage their search for higher truths.

The central tenet of Kadir Has University’s philosophy is to produce self-confident students who question, consider all perspectives, evaluate them without prejudice, and are open to the winds of change. We want students to see that as successful scholars and fulfilled individuals, they are the leaders of our society. To reach this goal:

We hold to international standards of quality while keeping our tuition fees at moderate levels;
We offer scholarships to all our students who achieve a high GPA;
We strive to keep class sizes small for better teaching;
We prefer targeted education over loosely organized programs;
We give students access to our advanced technological facilities and intellectual resources;
We update our curricula and syllabi each year in response to international developments and student needs, preferring a dynamic curriculum to static programs;
We encourage the free expression of faculty and student opinion and creative ideas; we focus on academic freedom, a democratic environment, and positive human relations for intellectual discussion;
We select our faculty members from internationally respected universities and encourage them to consider their fields of expertise from both a local and global point of view;
We foster social responsibility projects that contribute to the environment and society and motivate our students to be responsible citizens;
By collaborating with prominent foreign universities, we assist our students in furthering their education abroad;
With our doors open to international collaboration, we pursue our goal of becoming a world university in the center of Istanbul.