Our History

Kemal GÖZÜKARA Education and Culture Foundation, foundation of Istanbul Arel University, was established on 14.09.1999 with the aim of raising people who synthesize national and universal values in the globalizing world, respond to the expectations of the society, are sensitive to republican values, are democratic and liberal, research, produce and create. For this purpose, with the initiatives of the foundation, Istanbul Arel University was established by Law No. 76 2809/5656 – Annex and published in the Official Gazette No. 26526 dated 18 May 2007.

Our university, which initially started education in the Küçükçekmece-Sefaköy campus, has grown rapidly. With the completion of the Büyükçekmece-Tepekent Campus in 2010, the units providing undergraduate education were moved to the Tepekent Campus, and Vocational Schools and Institutes continued education in the Sefaköy campus. Our Sefaköy campus, which has a closed area of 18,560 m2, is at a central point on the E5 Highway in Küçükçekmece. In our campus where Vocational Schools and Institutes are located, there are 80 smart classrooms, 6 lecture halls, project halls, Radio and Television Studio, laboratories, workshops, library, conference hall and cafeteria.

Due to the location of the university campuses, Istanbul Arel University has the distinction of being a city and campus university. Our Cevizlibağ Campus, established in the 2019-2020 academic year, is an indicator of this. Our Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, which continue their activities in cooperation with Bahçelievler Memorial Hospital, are located on our campus; it has a closed and open area of 15,000 m2, includes 2000 m2 of basic medical laboratories, nutrition and dietetics laboratories, physiotherapy laboratories, enzyme laboratories, and many other state-of-the-art health-related laboratories operating at undergraduate level.

The name of Tepekent Campus, located within Tepekent Uydukent, was changed to Kemal Gözükara Campus by the senate decision taken in 2018. Covering a closed area of 52,400 m2, in the Kemal Gözükara Campus, located in the west of Büyükçekmece Lake, followings included;

• The education building has the capacity to provide education to 7,500 students with 300 smart classrooms and lecture halls of different capacities.
• ARELTECH, Technology and Engineering Center,
• ARELPOTKAM, Polymer Technologies and Composite Application and Research Center,
• ARELUZEM, Distance Education Application and Research Center,
• ARELUSAM, International Strategic Research Application and Research Center,
• ARELMED-I, Artificial Intelligence Studies Application and Research Center,
• ARELTTO, Technology Transfer Office,
• ARELMEDYA, Communication Center,
• ARTIAREL, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center,
• ARELKAM, Career Planning, Application and Research Center,
• ARELDİLMER, Language Application and Research Center,
• GENÇAREL, Youth Studies Application and Research Center,
• ARELPAM, Psychology Application and Research Center,
• ARELPDR, Psychological Counseling, Guidance Application and Research Center,
• ARELSEM, Continuing Education Application and Research Center,
• ARELFINLAB, Financial Center,
• AREL Community Studies Application and Research Center,
• ARELAYO, Academic Writing Office,
• ARELPRO, University and Business World Education Cooperation Office and many other research centers,
• Interpreting and Translation Technologies Laboratories,
• Molecular biology, genetics and chemistry laboratories,
• Editing, materials and mechanics laboratories,
• Seventeen laboratories, including the optical laboratory,
• Libraries, conference halls, cafeterias, sports complexes with a semi-Olympic swimming pool and various sports areas, and student houses intertwined with nature.