Işık University (Turkish: Işık Üniversitesi) is a private university located in Istanbul, Turkey. The university is a part of the Feyziye Schools Foundation's Işık Schools, which was established by the Feyz-i Sıbyan School in the city of Salonica on 14 December 1885 (now Thessaloniki).
The history of Feyziye Schools Foundation's Işık Schools (Feyziye Mektepleri Vakfı Işık Okulları) began with the establishment of Feyz-i Sıbyan School in the city of Salonica on 14 December 1885. It subsequently established additional schools in Salonica, including the Şemsi Efendi School attended by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Following the Balkan Wars, when the city became part of Greece, the foundation moved to Nişantaşı Naciye Sultan Mansion in Istanbul. In 1935 during the 50th anniversary of the School, the name was changed from "Feyziye" to "Işık" (which means "light" in Turkish) with the blessings of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In 1986, the foundation completed its Maslak campus, in order to meet the need for educational institutions.
At the beginning of the 1996–1997 academic year, Işık University was launched in the Maslak campus, starting a new page in the history of the foundation.
Panorama of the campusDerslik ve Konferans Salonu Binası (Classroom and Auditorium Building, DK).Mavi Yurtlar (Blue Dormitories)Sosyal Merkez (Social Center)
Işık University operates two campuses. The Maslak campus is located in one of the business centers of Istanbul, while the suburban Şile campus, located 50 km (31 mi) out of Istanbul, opened its doors in 2003. The Şile campus has been planned as a complete “educational campus” with dormitories, social facilities, and educational and administrative buildings situated in an area of 600 acres (2.4 km2). In 2005 summer, most of the university's academic and administrative departments (including the rector) moved to the Şile campus. Three faculties (Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences) and two institutes (Institute of Science and Engineering and Institute of Social Sciences) are located in Şile Campus, but the Faculty of Fine Arts remains in Maslak.
