The Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University was established in 1992. Although it is a state university, it is supported by the İzzet Baysal Foundation, which was founded by İzzet Baysal in 1987.
The Foundation has helped over 100 charity projects, ranging from kindergartens to universities, and from village clinics to fully equipped hospitals. İzzet Baysal was rewarded for his charitable work in 1994 as he was given the "Grand Service Medal of Turkish Republic" by the President at the time, Süleyman Demirel. Unfortunately İzzet Baysal passed away in 2000.
The university is located in Bolu, a province in northwestern Turkey, which is situated between two of the country’s largest cities, Ankara and Istanbul. Bolu is known for its outstanding natural beauty, an area of vast forests and mountains.
Not only does the university have campuses in the centre of Bolu, it also has three located in the districts of Gerede, Mengen, and Mudurnu. The university’s main campus, İzzet Baysal, is situated just 8km from the city centre in Gölköy.
The university consists of 16 faculties, one institute, two schools, eight vocational schools and 16 research centres. With these centres, the university hopes to advance scientific research and technological developments.
Outside of the classroom, there are over 40 clubs that students can get involved in. The university also has a number of social events that take place throughout the academic year including conferences, panels, theatre performances and movie shows. There is a museum in the university’s Culture Centre, which hosts exhibitions primarily focusing on the life of İzzet Baysal.
