TOBB President’s visit to Güzelbahçe Campus

The President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, inspected the construction of the Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Güzelbahçe Campus, the foundation of which was laid in June and is progressing rapidly. Stating that the campus, which will consist of 18 buildings and have 160,000 square meters of indoor space, will serve as an important educational hub for Izmir, Hisarcıklıoğlu also noted that the campus project is an exemplary initiative in terms of serving the community.

During the visit hosted by IUE Board of Trustees President and Izmir Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mahmut Özgener, along with IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Aslı Ceylan Öner delivered a detailed presentation on the progress of the campus, which is scheduled for completion in 2026, and the plans for the next phase.

A FIT FOR IZMIR

Emphasizing that Izmir is one of Turkey's leading cities in education, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said the new campus will greatly enhance the city's profile. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Izmir is gaining a new educational hub. This is a valuable project for the youth, whom we see as the guarantee of our future. Seeing the Güzelbahçe campus in person has been very gratifying for me and my colleagues. This campus will also be a model center for serving the community. I am always excited by projects involving education and youth, and this campus project is a wonderful example. I congratulate Izmir Chamber of Commerce Chairman and IUE Board of Trustees President Mahmut Özgener and everyone involved in the project.”

TARGETING THE TOP 500

Expressing his pleasure at hosting TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu at the new campus site, President Mahmut Özgener reaffirmed their determination to reach the goal of ranking among the world's top 500 universities. Özgener emphasized the importance of the Güzelbahçe campus project in this context, saying, “We laid the foundation for the campus in June, and in the five months since then, we have made significant progress. We are paying close attention to every detail and working to provide the best educational environment for our students. Regular team meetings are being held regarding the campus, and we place great importance on collaboration and consensus. This campus is not only valuable for Izmir or the Aegean region but also for our entire country. We are excited to bring this campus to life for our students and are working tirelessly to achieve this. We thank TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu for taking the time to visit and for his consistent support and interest.”

FOCUS ON A ‘GREEN CAMPUS’

Highlighting the campus's environmentally friendly features, Özgener said, “Our green campus is designed to suit the climatic conditions of the Aegean Region, incorporating clean energy technologies and buildings optimized for energy performance. We will also use electric vehicles for internal transportation within the campus. The buildings, organized around an interior and exterior spatial network, will offer a permeable spatial experience, allowing campus residents to enjoy the Aegean climate without feeling isolated. We believe the campus will significantly enhance the sense of belonging, serving not only as an educational center but also as a vibrant social, sports, and cultural hub."

EXTENSIVE PARTICIPATION

The visit to the campus included many attendees such as TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, TOBB Vice President and Aegean Region Chamber of Industry President Ender Yorgancılar, TOBB Board Member and Aydın Chamber of Commerce President Hakan Ülken, TOBB Board Member and Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce President Mehmet Tuncay Yıldırım, Nevşehir Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Arif Parmaksız, Aydın Chamber of Industry President Gökhan Maraş, Credit Guarantee Fund Chairman Erdoğan Özegen, Izmir Chamber of Commerce Vice President and IUE Board of Trustees Member Cemal Elmasoğlu, IUE Board of Trustees Member and Izmir Chamber of Commerce Assembly Member Ayhan Sulak, former IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar, Izmir Chamber of Commerce Board Member Serdar Gökhan Arıkan, IUE Secretary-General Kaya Arslan, and Vice Secretary-General Volkan Koç.