The Galatasaray Education Foundation
THE GALATASARAY EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND THE PROJECT OF ESTABLISHING AN UNIVERSITY
The various associations, clubs and like set up by the Galatasaray Allumnae
Association have performed useful and positive activities in their specific
fields. However, none of these associations was able to concentrate on the
concept of education. Only the Galatasaray High School could just meet its
educational needs and reach its target within the limited possibilities of
the budget offered by the Ministry of Education. In the early 1980’s with
the increasing awareness of the concept of education, a group of Galatasaray
graduates, especially due to the efforts of Inan Kirac, become involved in
establishing a new institution based on education. On December 29th, 1981 the
Galatasaray Education Foundation was set up under the leadership of Inan
Kirac. Since its establishment, the foundation has successfully publicized
its objectives included in its original statement of intent:
The Galatasaray High School with its 500-year old history has enlightened a
lot of people who have certainly made a lot of contribution to their county.
Now it is their turn to repay gratitude to their honorable school; to develop
and maintain the existence of this undeniably useful institution; to enable
thousands more Turkish students to acquire knowledge from this school; to
enable this institution to increase its contribution to Turkish culture
and education and to have formal educational services function at a more
advanced level within the responsibility of the Galatasaray High School.
This Foundation was founded with a lot of excitement and passion to serve
the various purposes stated above. While the Foundation was making a lot of
contribution both to the Galatasaray High School and Galatasaray associations
during a ten-year period, the project of founding a university gradually
began to take a shape. In fact, this project was something that the
Galatasaray graduates have always longed for.
In 1989 Yigit Okur, the vice-president of Foundation, by means of report,
suggested that the working program of the Foundation should be placed on a
rational basis. This report also included the working groups, one of the
which was "The University Committee". The head of the committee was Coskun
Kirca and the members were Prof.Dr.Yildizhan Yayla, Prof.Dr. Barlas Tolan,
Prof.Dr Erdogan Tezic, Prof.Dr Tahsin Yucel, Prof.Dr Niyazi Oktem, Prof.Dr
Ethem Tolga, Prof.Dr. Haluk Erkut and Levent Dilmac.
The committee set to work enthusiastically and especially with the valuable
contribution of Coskun Kirca, the ambassador, and Prof.DrBarlas Tolan , a
detailed project was designed.
This well-prepared program was immediately sent to Turkish and French
authorities. It was enthusiastically supported by the Turkish Statesmen at
the time. Upon this support On December 6th,1991,the Turkish President
Turgut Ozal had brought out the subject with François Mitterand at the
Palace of Elysée during his visit. The French President Francois Mitterand
visited Turkey on April 13th, 1992 for this purpose and went to the
Galatasaray High School on April 14th,1992 to attend the signing ceremony
of "The Galatasaray University Foundation Document" accompanied by Turgut
Ozal, the Turgut Ozal, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hikmet Cetin and the
French Foreign Minister, M.Roland Dumas.
The project prepared by the Galatasaray Education Foundation, therefore,
gained its legal identity through the international ceremony and document.
The Galatasaray University is the first and the only higher-education
institution which has been set through the supports of statesmen.
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