A private institution located on the Asian side of Istanbul, Ac?badem University takes both its name and most of its character from its relationship with the Ac?badem Health Group, one of Turkey’s largest healthcare companies.
It was founded in 2007 with the mission "to be an academic institution which creates a model for Turkey and which is shown as a reference in the world, with its high level of excellence, culturally and socially well-equipped, dedicated to creating individuals who have ethical values, who are modern, innovative and pioneering practitioners and who adhere to the principles of Ataturk".
Starting with a school of medicine, it added health sciences in 2009 and engineering in 2014, as well as faculties of arts and sciences – covering psychology, molecular sciences and genetics – and pharmacy.
The 35 acre Kareen Aydinlar Campus, named after Ac?badem Health Group’s founder, includes buildings which won awards from the Chicago-based Architectural Institute of America in 2015 and 2017 and which are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.
It has a 278-bed university hospital with specialist chemotherapy and cardiovascular wards. Facilities include the clinical simulation and advanced level endoscopic-robotic surgery training centre (CASE), which is claimed to be "the world’s most comprehensive simulation centre".
Aiming to bring together all branches of science to pursue research into health and medicine, its innovations include the Department of Radiation Oncology’s in late 2018 of MRI guided radiation therapy for cancer combining MRI and linear acceleration technology. Research centres include one devoted to combatting crime and violence.