The International University of Sarajevo (IUS) formally opened the 2026/2027 academic year on October 8, 2026, bringing together students, academic staff, members of the diplomatic community and distinguished guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Türkiye.
The ceremony featured addresses by IUS Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Osman Kuşakcı and H.E. Emin Akseki, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by the Academic Year Opening Lecture delivered by Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, Rector of Istanbul Technical University (ITU). A significant part of the ceremony was also dedicated to the White Coat Presentation for newly enrolled students of the IUS–University of Health Sciences (SBU) Double Diploma programs in Medicine and Dental Medicine.
In his welcome address, Rector Kuşakcı reflected on some of the University’s most important recent achievements. He highlighted IUS’s international accreditation successes, including YOKAK institutional accreditation and ASIIN program accreditation, stressing their importance for strengthening the quality and international recognition of IUS education.
He also celebrated the historic achievement of the IUS TURBOS Rocketry Team, which recently won first place in the international category of the TEKNOFEST Rocket Competition with its rocket “Inat.” Rector Kuşakcı emphasized the importance of connecting education and research with innovation, entrepreneurship and real-world impact, while also referring to the development of the future IUS Technopark and the construction of the University’s third faculty building.
Addressing the ceremony, H.E. Emin Akseki described the new academic year as another chapter in IUS’s continued success. He emphasized the University’s important role in quality higher education and its growing attractiveness to both domestic and international students.
Ambassador Akseki also highlighted IUS’s contribution to strengthening relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Türkiye, particularly through educational cooperation and double diploma programs that enable students to benefit from academic opportunities in both countries. He thanked IUS for its contribution to bilateral relations and wished students success in the new academic year.
A central academic part of the ceremony was the keynote lecture “Addressing Global Challenges through Co-Creation: The ITU Experience,” delivered by Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal.
At the beginning of his lecture, Prof. Mandal congratulated the IUS Rector and University community on recent achievements, including YOKAK and ASIIN accreditations and the success of the IUS TURBOS team at TEKNOFEST. Referring to the students’ achievement, he described it as a strong example of co-creation — learning from one another, working together and transforming knowledge into meaningful results.
He also welcomed the continued development of cooperation between ITU and IUS and the growing number of students participating in the universities’ double diploma programs.
Prof. Mandal then turned to the increasingly complex and dynamic nature of global challenges, addressing risks such as geoeconomic conflict, misinformation and disinformation, social polarization, extreme weather events, armed conflicts, cyber insecurity and the consequences of emerging technologies.
He stressed that such challenges cannot be solved by individual institutions or disciplines working in isolation. Instead, they require multidisciplinary cooperation involving universities, industry, government, civil society and other stakeholders. Drawing on ITU’s experience, he presented co-creation as an approach based on shared knowledge, joint responsibility and long-term collaboration in research and innovation.
White Coat Ceremony Marks a New Beginning
One of the most symbolic moments of the event was the White Coat Presentation Ceremony for students enrolled in the IUS–SBU Double Diploma programs in Medicine and Dental Medicine.
A total of 67 newly enrolled Medicine students and 31 Dental Medicine students formally marked the beginning of their medical education and future professional careers by receiving their white coats.
The students were welcomed by IUS Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Osman Kuşakcı and SBU Rector Prof. Dr. Kemalettin Aydın, who emphasized the advantages of studying in two countries and within two university systems.
Prof. Aydın particularly highlighted the opportunities students will gain during the final three years of their studies at SBU in Türkiye, including clinical education and practical experience within some of the country’s leading healthcare institutions.
White coats were presented by distinguished guests attending the ceremony, including ambassadors, President of the IUS Board of Trustees Prof. Dr. Sevgi Kurtulmuş, SEDEF Foundation President Mr. Hasan Topaloğlu, Vice Rectors of IUS and SBU, Deans of the Faculties of Medicine and Dentistry from both universities, as well as academics from the relevant faculties.
The ceremony symbolized the students’ first formal step into the medical profession and the responsibility, commitment and dedication that will accompany their academic and professional journey.
IUS TURBOS Honored for Historic Success
The ceremony also included a special recognition of the IUS TURBOS Rocketry Team for its outstanding achievement at TEKNOFEST 2026.
Team members received Certificates of Appreciation and gifts from the IUS management, while their success was particularly acknowledged by both Rector Kuşakcı and Rector Mandal as an example of student innovation, teamwork and perseverance.
The Opening Ceremony of the 2026/2027 Academic Year reflected IUS’s continued commitment to academic quality, international cooperation, innovation and creating opportunities for students to develop the knowledge and skills needed to address the challenges of the future.
