The Foundation

Gaziantep Eğitim ve Hizmet Vakfı

The Gaziantep Education and Service Foundation was established in 1980 under the leadership of the late Hasan Kalyoncu, together with entrepreneurial and education-minded philanthropists. Hasan Kalyoncu and his associates embarked on this journey with a strong belief in the importance of civil society organization in the fields of education, social assistance, and philanthropy as a means to combat ignorance, poverty, and social division. The decision of a small group of idealistic individuals to undertake long-term, costly, and patience-demanding initiatives and projects in education and training stands as a clear indication of their profound sense of responsibility toward society.

Since its establishment, the Foundation has endeavored to provide all forms of support—most notably scholarships and accommodation—to talented, hardworking, and successful students in need at all levels of education. Hundreds of students who have benefited from the Foundation’s support in service to society and the nation are today serving their country in significant positions across various regions.

Beyond these efforts, the Gaziantep Education and Service Foundation also undertook initiatives to establish institutions in order to actively organize and deliver educational services. Within this framework, the first project realized was the establishment of Private Erdem College in 1998. Today, the college has become a distinguished educational institution in Gaziantep, offering education at all levels from primary school to science high school.

The Foundation’s second major initiative was the establishment of a university to crown its services. The principal objective of this initiative was to establish a university that integrates global trends with national values and the region’s strategic position; upholds universal quality and standards; fosters learning and research; cultivates critical thinking and initiative-taking skills; equips students with competencies to compete in global markets; embraces universal legal and ethical principles alongside national and spiritual values; and regards diversity as a source of enrichment. To achieve this objective, Gazikent University, designed in the 1990s as a university focused on “education, research, and innovation,” was founded in 2008. In 2012, as an expression of loyalty and respect to its founder, the university was renamed Hasan Kalyoncu University.

The vision and mission of the University were defined on unchanging foundations: freedom and critical thinking; the universality of science and the spirit of research; commitment to human rights and freedoms; respect for nature and the environment; equality of opportunity; harmony between knowledge and ethics; and respect for national and spiritual values. Based on these principles, the University’s vision can be expressed as becoming a reputable institution recognized nationally and internationally in science, culture, art, and technology; one that integrates traditional values with universal culture, shapes the future, offers sustainable solutions to social problems through an interdisciplinary, constructive, and innovative perspective.

In line with this vision, the University has defined its mission as contributing to socioeconomic development from the local to the national level; educating free- and critical-thinking, ethically grounded, socially and environmentally conscious, reputable, and highly qualified professionals; offering an innovative, entrepreneurial, and practice-oriented education model; creating distinctions in sustainable quality; and contributing to science, art, and culture at the universal level.

To fully realize its vision and mission, the University has identified three fundamental objectives:
(1) to design and implement programs that take into account the needs of individuals, society, and the business world at all levels in order to ensure high-quality university education;
(2) to complete the necessary institutional and technical infrastructure to fulfill functions related to scientific research, publication, and project development; and
(3) to establish a functional university–society–industry cooperation model in which theoretical education is integrated with practice and experience, and in which produced scientific knowledge is shared with all segments of society, discussed, and transformed into concrete, problem-solving projects.
Our University continues to advance confidently toward these goals.