The significance of sustainability and its environmental,\u00a0economic, and social aspects have been central to Bilkent\u00a0University’s existence and operating principles since its\u00a0genesis.:
\nThe location of the University in Ankara, which previously\u00a0had low economic value and was largely unusable, gained\u00a0an educational purpose and value with Bilkent\u2019s establishment. University campuses are known for their\u00a0well-planned yet simple design where a rich biodiversity\u00a0exists.. Bilkent district, which grew hand in hand with\u00a0Bilkent University, has similar characteristics with its\u00a0residential areas and commercial facilities.<\/p>\n
Other arrangements regarding building, facility and\u00a0landscaping renovations in the operation of Bilkent\u00a0University go through a strict screening of materiality and\u00a0carried out in a way that does not harm the biodiversity on campuses.<\/p>\n
Bilkent Holding companies, owned by the University, have\u00a0historically shown a pro-environmental disposition in their\u00a0business activities, implementing measures to prevent or\u00a0minimize negative externalities at their source.<\/p>\n
Decarbonization and Waste Management<\/strong> Within the scope of decarbonization and waste\u00a0management, dormitories 12, 81 and 82, which comply\u00a0with passive house standards of energy efficiency, were\u00a0built as environmentally friendly buildings with energy efficiency in mind. In reducing, reusing and recycling\u00a0waste products, the requirements by the Ministry of\u00a0Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to obtain\u00a0the Zero Waste Certificate have been successfully fulfilled.<\/p>\n The irrigation needs of the campus land are entirely met by\u00a0the installed rainwater reservoir. The current campus\u00a0buildings have a total of 1,325 square meters of green roof\u00a0and the new student center building alone is planned to have\u00a04000 square meters of green roof. Nearly 15% of the energy\u00a0requirement for heating the semi-olympic swimming pool\u00a0on campus is met by the solar panels installed. The rooftop\u00a0solar panels together with the solar energy field built\u00a0between the Main Campus and East Campuses are planned to meet approximately 10% of the total energy requirement\u00a0of the University.<\/p>\n Healthy Lifestyle<\/strong> The change in consumption patterns is seen as an important\u00a0element of healthy life, and studies on food safety and\u00a0health are continuously carried out by the relevant units. In\u00a0addition to all these, the University also aimsto support the\u00a0access of students with limited opportunities to these\u00a0services. As a prominent initiative of recent years, smoking\u00a0areas on the campuses have been increasingly restricted on\u00a0the way to become a smoke-free university.<\/p>\n The University is also committed to be an Accessible\u00a0Campus with a healthy life perspective, and remove any\u00a0obstacle for any individual to participate in campus life\u00a0equitably.<\/p>\n Awareness for Continuous Improvement<\/strong> Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality<\/strong> The significance of sustainability and its environmental,\u00a0economic, and social aspects have been central to Bilkent\u00a0University’s existence and operating principles since its\u00a0genesis.: The location of the University in Ankara, which previously\u00a0had low economic value and was largely unusable, gained\u00a0an educational purpose and value with Bilkent\u2019s establishment. University campuses are known for [\u2026] <\/p>\n
\nIn recent years, as the impact of climate change and the\u00a0measures for combatting it find an increasingly prominent\u00a0place on the agenda of the global community, Bilkent\u00a0University is also keeps its existing sustainability\u00a0considerations on its agenda well-formulated policies and\u00a0practices. The University has declared the 2021-2022\u00a0academic year as the ‘Sustainability Year’ and has added \u201cto\u00a0generate ideas on sustainability and climate change\u201d to its\u00a0goals for the purposes of raising awareness and to serving\u00a0as a pioneer and example to the society with innovative\u00a0projects. Consequently, the University has started to enrich\u00a0its educational programs with sustainability-oriented\u00a0courses, seminars and academic projects.<\/p>\n
\nBilkent University campuses are residential. Therefore, the\u00a0University has equipped its campuses with facilities and\u00a0practices that will support the sustainability of human\u00a0health. In this respect, the Health Center and Psychological\u00a0Counseling Center provide uninterrupted health services,\u00a0while Sports Center offers a varied set of sports and\u00a0wellness programs.<\/p>\n
\nBilkent University conducts its sustainability studies with a\u00a0‘continuous improvement’ approach. While the University\u00a0administration attends any issue with urgency without\u00a0delay and takes the necessary precautions, it ultimately\u00a0works towards building an environment of awareness and\u00a0transformative learning to design and implement all its\u00a0activities through a sustainability lens. For this, a controlled\u00a0and consistent approach is adopted, where the cumulative\u00a0effects of curricular and extra-curricular activities yield\u00a0successful returns in the medium-long term.<\/p>\n
\nBilkent University is committed to maintaining an equal\u00a0opportunity environment in all of its functions. The Bilkent\u00a0University Gender Equality Plan (BGEP) aims to facilitate\u00a0the mechanisms to cultivate this environment and improve\u00a0upon the existing policies for promoting gender equality.\u00a0Bilkent University established Human Rights Studies\u00a0Application and Research Center (BHRC) in 2021. The\u00a0BHRC\u2019s foundational philosophy is based on the\u00a0understanding that the responsibility of protection and\u00a0fulfillment of human rights principles and norms is\u00a0primarily \u2013 and initially \u2013assumed by the national\u00a0authorities by ensuring the effective implementation of the\u00a0Constitution and relevant laws including international\u00a0commitments. The mission of BHRC, in this sense, is to\u00a0contribute to public awareness and action that work\u00a0towards progressive legislation in the fields of human\u00a0diversity, equality and inclusion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"