{"id":3004,"date":"2025-03-25T14:59:56","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T14:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bims.bilkent.edu.tr\/?page_id=3004"},"modified":"2025-06-11T06:49:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T06:49:59","slug":"bims-tarihi","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bims.bilkent.edu.tr\/en\/bims-tarihi\/","title":{"rendered":"BiMS History"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bilkent Malatya Laboratory Schools: An Educational Vision Extending Eastward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Spearheaded by Prof. \u0130hsan Do\u011framac\u0131 and his son Dr. Ali Do\u011framac\u0131, the \u201cEastern Provinces Development Project\u201d is part of a broader vision to extend the high-quality education model of Bilkent University\u2014Turkey\u2019s first foundation university\u2014toward the eastern regions of the country. This initiative aims not only to enhance the quality of education but also to contribute to regional development. The first Laboratory School (BELS) was established in Erzurum in 2007. The second school, named \u0130hsan Do\u011framac\u0131 Foundation Malatya Private Bilkent Laboratory Primary School, will commence its educational activities in Malatya in the 2025\u20132026 academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foundations and Legal Basis of the Project<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The project was made possible by amendments to the Law on the Organization of Higher Education Institutions (Law No. 5526), which came into force in 2006. This legislation enables Bilkent University to establish institutes of educational sciences and affiliated primary and secondary laboratory schools in Ankara, Erzurum, Malatya, \u015eanl\u0131urfa, and Van. The goal is to create educational centers of international quality and standards on these campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Financing Model and Scholarship Opportunities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Described by Prof. Do\u011framac\u0131 as a major financial sacrifice, the project is funded through a special model. Income tax deductions from Bilkent University staff salaries are pooled into a dedicated fund to provide scholarships for students attending these schools. Additional revenue sources and donations secured by Bilkent University also support the project's financing. Importantly, at least seventy percent of students enrolled in the laboratory schools in Erzurum, Malatya, \u015eanl\u0131urfa, and Van must be scholarship recipients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Educational Philosophy and International Standards<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bilkent Laboratory Schools aim to align with the general goals and principles of Turkish national education, upholding Atat\u00fcrk\u2019s reforms and embracing national and cultural values, while simultaneously fostering an educational environment that meets high international standards. Students must meet success criteria in the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams to progress from 10th to 11th grade and to graduate from high school. This ensures that students are raised as \u201cyouth competing with the world.\u201d\n
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\nIn the preschool and grades 1 through 8 of the Laboratory Primary Schools, alongside the national curriculum mandated by the Ministry of Education (MoNE), the Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary Programmes (approved by the Turkish Board of Education) and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) may also be implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malatya Bilkent Educational Campus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As part of the \u201cBilkent Eastern Provinces Project,\u201d the second school after Erzurum is being established in Malatya. The school\u2019s groundbreaking ceremony took place on August 25, 2022, with the participation of Malatya Metropolitan Mayor Selahattin G\u00fcrkan, Chair of the Bilkent University Board of Trustees Prof. Dr. G\u00fclsev Kale, Rector Prof. Dr. K\u00fcr\u015fat Aydo\u011fan, and Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Erdal Erel.\n
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\nThe campus, located in F\u0131r\u0131nc\u0131 Neighborhood of Battalgazi District near \u0130n\u00f6n\u00fc University, will be built on a 350-decare (approximately 86-acre) site and will include a kindergarten, primary school, middle school, and high school. Once completed, the school will serve a total of 900 students and include four housing blocks for teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The construction project will be carried out in three phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n