Social Sciences University of Ankara (ASBU),
- • is research oriented,
- • is dedicated to post-graduate study,
- • acknowledges the importance of international cooperation,
- • prioritizes the most current areas of research,
- • includes the whole world as a field of interest,
- • is enthusiastic to be a leading university in the development of social science education in Turkey,
- • has one of the most extensive libraries in Turkey,
- • is multilingual and multicultural,
- • positively contributes to university’s surrounding community.
ASBU was founded in 2013 in the center of the capital of Turkey in order to pioneer research in the social sciences and is Turkey's first and only state university on this field. ASBU is a research-oriented university for both undergraduate and graduate studies. Among the university’s primary aims is the publication of social sciences research that positively contributes to the international literature. A large number of research and application centers at ASBU are active for this purpose.
Research University
Research in ASBU does not have the understanding of transferring knowledge produced in the West with small contributions, it is based on the production of information that will contribute to the production of unique solutions for social, human, administrative, political, commercial and industrial problems at the local level. For this reason, as in the leading research universities in the world, ASBU is working with a focus on research centers.
City University
ASBU is not a campus university outside the city, it is a city university that penetrates the city's tissue and veins, intertwined with the community, which is the natural laboratory of social sciences. Being a city university gives ASBU the opportunity to integrate into society and examine the dynamic structure of society.
An Environment where Education and Research Integrate with History and Culture
ASBU carries out its education and research activities in buildings with high historical, cultural and aesthetic value in Ulus, one of the oldest districts of Ankara. The ASBU campus is located in historic buildings that also include the first Prime Ministry Building of the Republic of Turkey. Our rectorate building was built in 1925 by the architect Yahya Ahmet Bey and served as the Prime Ministry Building until 1937. After the 1950s, the building, which was the home of the treasury, was used by the Undersecretariat of Customs after 2001, and was allocated to ASBU in April 2013. The campus of our university is also adjacent to the tomb of Hacı Bayram Veli, one of the oldest historical sites in Ankara, the 2000-year-old archaeological Roman Baths of Ankara, the Monumentum Ancyranum and the historic Turkish Parliament Buildings. In this historical texture, the university intends to create educational and research environments using modern technology and to blend past and future in its structure.
Interdisciplinary Approach
ASBU undergraduate and graduate programs are designed on the basis of the interdisciplinary approach to enable our students to be aware of the work in different disciplines. Our undergraduate and graduate programs allow students to take courses from different departments with a rich elective course pool and thus to deepen and study in their fields of interest.
Possibility to learn more than one language
ASBU, which gives importance to multilingualism in education, provides students with opportunities to improve their language skills. In this context, our Language Center offers its students with its Turkish and international experts to a high quality language education. The medium of instruction in all of our programs is English. ASBU students are not only able to acquire a high level of English, but are also particularly encouraged to learn a second foreign language.
In our university, which gives the opportunity of one-to-one communication and interaction with instructors, it is aimed to develop the skills of our students such as speaking in front of an audience, creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and leadership. The course contents, which offer historical and theoretical perspectives, allow our students to analyse current events effectively. Students who wish to pursue their scientific curiosity and develop their interdisciplinary working skills are offered the opportunity to choose from a wide range of disciplines.
Strong and Equipped Academic Staff
In our university, there is a well-equipped academic staff who has taken postgraduate degrees from distinguished universities at home and abroad and who conducts international scientific projects. ASBU, which is very selective when forming its academic staff, is based on international standards in recruitment and evaluation processes. In this way, ASBU has brought together an internationally qualified, equipped and experienced academician group who carries out original projects and researches in different fields.
Active Studentship
In ASBU, students are seen as an active participant in the learning process. Our aim is to enable our students to get the right information, to use critical and analytical filters, to interpret and analyse them, to use them in the context of current issues and discussions. Education in ASBU is not limited only to theoretical knowledge. Our students are encouraged to take responsibility in projects, and they are promoted to learn the research processes in practice.
Extracurricular Program
Our university also offers extracurricular programs to enable our students to improve their extracurricular skills, to better spend their leisure time and to participate in social activities.
University, Combining Education and Research with Society
ASBU collaborates with policy directing institutions and has a rare position that can combine educational and academic research with society. ASBU was founded with the idea that the main task of the university institution is beyond education and research activities. Our university, which aims to create a university understanding shaped with the society and by the needs of society, constructs both educational and research activities with an innovative approach to social benefits.
Courses Compatible with Bologna Information Package
Our university prepares all courses in accordance with the Bologna information package.
In this way, the students will adhere to a standard process that will not have any credit problems in the courses they will take within the scope of exchange programs.
Double Major and Minor Opportunities
ASBU provides its students with the opportunity of double major and minor undergraduate programs. Students who are allowed to take the courses offered by other related undergraduate programs become entitled to receive a Minor Certificate if they complete a minor program. Besides, students who meet the requirements set by the Senate may also register for different courses offered by other undergraduate programs. Students who meet the requirements for a different undergraduate program are eligible for a Second Major Diploma.
Exchange Programs and International Ambiance
Our students have the opportunity to spend one semester or one academic year in European universities thanks to the Erasmus exchange program. International students consider our university as the first option due to the international quality of our academic staff, English language being the medium of instruction and the support of teaching a second foreign language and being able to enjoy the exchange programs like Erasmus and Mevlana effectively.