Law, one of the oldest fields of study in the world, has developed in different ways across societies, yet economic, political, and cultural interactions among societies have increasingly created common grounds while reducing differences. The rapid development of modern societies necessitates a continuous transformation of each country’s legal system, requiring the ability to generate new solutions to new problems. While the establishment of international organizations such as the United Nations in the first half of the 20th century represented a major innovation, the European Union, as a supra-national entity in the second half of the century, provided new responses to emerging challenges.
Bilkent University, Turkey’s first and still largest foundation university, established the Faculty of Law in the 2002–2003 academic year. The faculty offers a curriculum that integrates both historical and modern perspectives on law, developed with a dynamic approach. Legal education here goes far beyond transferring knowledge of legislation at a given time; it aims to understand law within its logical context and to quickly grasp and respond to new developments. As the foundation university with the largest library, Bilkent University encourages students to engage in scientific research and develop critical thinking skills throughout their studies.
Our faculty follows a multidimensional teaching plan to train students capable of succeeding in both national and international legal communities. In addition to national legislation, some courses with an international dimension are taught by leading and experienced foreign faculty members. This ensures the application of European and Anglo-American legal education methods, as well as the acquisition of academic English skills early in students’ academic careers. Additionally, academic German courses and other foreign language courses offered by the university’s Department of Foreign Languages provide students with the opportunity to attain advanced proficiency in other languages.
Thanks to Erasmus agreements with established universities in Europe, our students have the chance to experience the cultures of other universities closely and broaden their academic horizons during their undergraduate and graduate studies. The outstanding achievements of our graduates, who continue their postgraduate and doctoral studies at prestigious universities abroad or work at international organizations and companies, serve as proof of this success.
Bilkent University Faculty of Law also contributes to academic studies in law through the Master’s program in Economic Law, and the Master’s and Doctorate programs in Private and Public Law, conducted under the Institute of Economics and Social Sciences.
