NON-PROFIT 3. SECTOR: FOUNDATION UNIVERSITIES IN TURKEY

Abstract

The third sector, which defines civil society as well as the public and private sector in Turkey, has
started to grow since the 1980s. The neo-liberal political economic approaches that started in the
world and in Turkey during this period narrowed the public sphere and enabled the development of
the private sector and civil society. Especially with the 2000s, 3. The non-profit activities of the
sector have become much more visible in the social, economic and political sphere. 3. the sector
stands out as a non-profit sector, usually composed of non-governmental structures and especially
non-governmental organizations. These organizations aim to ensure the expansion of civil space on
the basis of democracy and rights against the public through the social, political, economic and
cultural dimensions of the system. A strong area of non–governmental organization appears to exist
in developed democracies. Private universities by foundation or other designation are established
under the pretense of not-for-profit. It is aimed at alleviating the burden of Public Service and
strengthening the community, especially in the field of Higher Education. Especially since the
2000s, their numbers have increased and they have taken an important place in the structure of
Higher Education. This study will focus on foundation universities, what the non-profit sector is,
how it emerges, what its similarities and differences are with other sectors, and what role the
foundation universities play in this sector. As of 2019, 77 foundation universities have been
established in Turkey. 48 of these universities operate in Istanbul and 12 in Ankara. Of a total of 77
foundation universities, the first of which was established in 1984, 19 were established before 2000
and 58 after. In this case, the proportion of those established after 2000 is around 75%. 24 of the
foundation universities are medical, 11 are dentistry, 9 are Faculty of Pharmacy. 22,741 foreign
students are studying at these universities. Foundation universities, which have an important place
in the whole higher education system, can sometimes be criticised for their profit-making activities,
such as the private sector. They compete both among themselves and with state universities. For
these reasons, they are dealing with positive –negative reviews in many ways. In this study, the nonprofit 3. The status of the sector in Turkey, its size and impact, as well as the status of
foundation universities in the field of higher education are discussed.