A Snapshot of Life at Robert College

While the semester break marked a pause in the academic calendar, learning at Robert College continued well beyond the classroom. Throughout the break, our students remained deeply engaged, exploring new ideas, taking initiative, and representing the school across disciplines and geographies. On campus, students hosted the Eurasian Schools Debating Championship, welcoming peers from across the region. Internationally, members of our Model United Nations team represented Robert College at the Model United Nations conference in The Hague. At the same time, students took part in Community Involvement Program (CIP) projects across five cities, including Istanbul, while another group traveled to Kenya as part of the Adventure and Outdoor Learning program – expanding their perspectives through service, collaboration, and challenge. This period also brought significant institutional recognition. The New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) extended Robert College’s accreditation for a five-year period, through June 30, 2031. In its report, NYSAIS noted that “students are confident, curious, self-directed learners, guided by faculty and staff who center their educational experience and well-being,” adding that “the devotion of the faculty and the non-teaching staff to the school, its mission, and its students is palpable and inspirational.” Academic excellence was further reflected in national competition results: five of our students earned Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals at the TÜBİTAK 33rd Science Olympiads, a remarkable achievement that highlights both individual dedication and strong academic mentorship. On the sports fields, our Girls’ and Boys’ Volleyball teams competed in regional tournaments with outstanding results – the Girls’ team finishing second, and the Boys’ team claiming first place. On stage, the Hamlin Players brought energy and creativity to campus with their production of Grease, showcasing the depth of student talent in the performing arts. Student leadership was also on full display on Saturday, February 14, when students hosted the Social Entrepreneurship Festival on campus, bringing together ideas, initiatives, and conversations around impact and innovation. Looking ahead, we invite our community to mark their calendars: the next Soli Özel Talk will take place on March 11, 2026.

Encouraging the Next Generation of Artists

Since 2006, the RC 97 Art Scholarship in Memory of Özlem Akçakuş has enabled art-oriented RC students to take part in summer workshops around the world, experiences that leave a lasting mark on how they see their work and their future.

This year’s recipients, Ayliz Çıldır and Zeynep Su Bayam, were both accepted to the Summer Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Their works have been on view in the Gould Corridor since November in a small but thoughtful exhibition. While Zeynep Su works primarily with artist books and Ayliz with illustration, their practices meet in a quiet dialogue – playful, inventive, and carefully considered.

Reflecting on the scholarship, RC Art Department Head Alex Downs notes its role in encouraging students to explore beyond familiar boundaries. Established by Özlem Akçakuş’s family and classmates in honor of her love for art, the scholarship continues to open new paths for young artists at RC – quietly, steadily, and with lasting impact.

Returning to the Heart of RC

After many years away from the spotlight, we first reconnected with Ergün Kırlıkovalı RA 70 earlier this year. An entrepreneur whose journey from Robert College to global innovation reflects the lasting power of curiosity and education, he returned to campus as a guest speaker. Following a gathering hosted so generously by him and his wife in November, this time the meeting took place where it perhaps mattered most: on campus, with students. During his visit, Ergün Kırlıkovalı spent nearly a full day at Robert College, meeting with faculty and staff and, above all, engaging with students. His talk, “Ignite Your Genius: The Creative and Innovative Business Is Already in Your Head,” sparked a wide-ranging conversation around ideas, opportunity, and creative thinking. He speaks often at universities around the world, yet he remarked that RC students stood out as one of the most intellectually sharp audiences he has encountered – curious, direct, and unafraid to ask difficult questions. The exchange was lively, demanding, and deeply rewarding on both sides. Alumni were also invited to the talk, and it was especially moving to see classmates from the Class of 70 seated in the front row – there to listen, ReConnect, and show their support. We are excited to share that Ergün Kırlıkovalı will be returning to campus this spring. His next visit will be announced in due course.

Two Cities – One RC Community

The semester break offered a chance to reconnect – first in London, then in Boston – as Robert College leadership spent time with alumni across generations, geographies, and very different life stages. Our annual London AlumNight brought together more than 200 graduates, from RC 67 to RC 25, at Beaufort House. The evening was generously sponsored by Fırat İşbecer RC 98, whose support helped sustain what has become a long-standing London tradition.

Beyond the gathering itself, the London visit included a series of one-on-one meetings with community members, allowing for focused conversations and genuine exchange. We were also warmly hosted by the Ambassador of Türkiye in London, Koray Ertaş, whose hospitality we gratefully acknowledge.

For many alumni – particularly those from earlier generations – the visit carried an added sense of closeness. Spending time once again with Head of School Whitman Shepard and his wife, Bengü Shepard, brought back memories of campus life and underscored the continuity that remains central to the RC experience.

In Boston, nearly 70 alumni and friends gathered at the Harvard Faculty Club, despite a major winter storm forecast for the region. We were honored by the presence of Diğdem Buner, Consul General of Türkiye in Boston, whose attendance added a special note to the evening.

Board Chair Erol Hakanoğlu RC 74, Trustee Prof. Cemal Kafadar RC 73, Head of School Whitman Shepard, and Academic Dean Maura Kelly reconnected with alumni from different generations, many of whom have long-standing academic and personal ties to Boston. As in London, conversations unfolded easily – rooted in shared history and enhanced through continued engagement.

 

A Growing Community of RC Entrepreneurs

A new initiative, the RC Community Entrepreneurs Bond (RCCEB), is already generating strong momentum across our community. Introduced and led by Hüseyin Tığlı RA 71, it has sparked significant interest among alumni founders, innovators, and investors, particularly during recent gatherings on both the West and East Coast.

At its core, the idea is simple yet powerful: the RCCEB invites alumni entrepreneurs to give back not only financially, but also through their time, experience, and creativity. It is shaped as a pledge of intent – a promise to support Robert College when the time feels right, and in ways that feel authentic to each individual’s journey.

This collective approach can make a tangible difference. One entrepreneurial success story has the potential to fund scholarships, strengthen the endowment, or sustain programs that meaningfully shape students’ lives.

The initiative has now taken its first concrete steps, marked by energy, curiosity, and a strong sense of ownership from the alumni community. In January 2026, three Zoom meetings brought together alumni and friends from different geographies, generations, sectors, and stages of experience. What stood out was not only the level of participation, but the quality of engagement: participants listened closely, challenged ideas thoughtfully, shared openly, and remained actively invested in the conversation.

The RCCEB is built on a clear premise: a bond to a community shaped by innovation and entrepreneurship; a bond to an ecosystem designed to amplify entrepreneurial impact; and a shared commitment to staying connected with Robert College in ways that feel genuine, timely, and sustainable.

Based on this collective input, several concrete steps have been taken, including the formation of the Founders Council and the Validators Circle, with further initiatives underway. The community is now working to expand its dedicated communications platform for members, alongside the development of a new website to support ongoing exchange and collaboration.

As the project continues to grow, the door remains open. Alumni and friends who wish to learn more or explore membership are warmly invited to contact the RCCEB Team at admin@rcceb.org

Korkut Bardakçı RC ENG 57 Leaves Behind a Legacy of Mind, Character, and Belonging

Robert College has received a significant bequest from the Professor Korkut and Ruth Bardakçı Living Trust – one that will change the lives of many for generations to come and that reflects not only extraordinary generosity, but also a lifelong bond shaped by gratitude, intellectual discipline, and a deep sense of belonging.

Bardakçı, who passed away on March 16, 2024, in Oakland, California, was a distinguished physicist whose life and work exemplified the values Robert College seeks to instill.

After graduating from RC, he earned his PhD from the University of Rochester in 1962, pursued postdoctoral appointments at the University of Minnesota and the Institute for Advanced Study, and joined the UC Berkeley Physics Department in 1966. Over the course of his career, he became a Sloan and Guggenheim Fellow, held visiting fellowships at Cambridge, and published more than 80 influential works in quantum chromodynamics and string theory.

Yet beyond his international standing, those who knew him remember a man of quiet wit, deep curiosity, and an unmistakable RC spirit. His yearbook captured these qualities perfectly, recalling him mid-problem, half-murmuring to himself: “Azizim bu öyle basit değil… Hele şu demaraj bobinindeki gerilim düşünümünü hesaplayayım da…” (“My dear it is not as simple as that... let me first calculate the voltage drop in that starter coil.”) Indeed the habits of mind he carried throughout his life – precision, curiosity, and humility – were already visible during his years at Robert College.

For all his international recognition, Robert College remained central to who Bardakçı was. Together with his beloved wife Ruth Bardakçı, who passed away six years before him, he made a decision that spoke volumes about loyalty and gratitude. In 2001, they designated Robert College as a beneficiary of their estate, ultimately leaving one third of it to the school that had shaped his earliest intellectual foundations.

This bequest cannot be separated from the life that preceded it: a life of depth, intellectual rigor, and integrity, for which Robert College was a formative force.

Korkut Bardakçı RC ENG 57’s legacy lives on where it began: at Robert College, remembered with respect, affection, and enduring pride, especially by those many RC students whose lives this legacy will impact profoundly.

Sedef Betil ACG 66 Focuses Her Lens on the Intricacies of Filial Dynamics

“RC made me a good reader which in return made me a writer.”

Author Sedef Betil has followed her short story collections with an intergenerational novel: Leylekler Aşklar Söylentiler (Storks Loves Rumors, İletişim Yayınları). Revolving around a painter, the novel spans decades, while exploring filial dynamics. Indeed it was the importance of families that incited Betil to write in long form: “We get our first values, behavioral traits, tastes of all sorts through family members. Large families enlarge one’s views, especially if you live together, even partly. I grew up with lots of women around me. My latest book covers the very long life of a woman. It is more or less a debt gratitude to my large family who had nourished me with their love, knowledge and wit and who also challenged my curiosity.”

When comparing the two literary forms, Betil sees a clear difference in creative process: “I prefer to express myself, to narrate my stories in short texts, that is why I write short stories; it’s like taking a photograph of a feeling, a gesture, a cry, an unspeakable joy or desire. Writing a short story needs a lot of concentration, I generate my thoughts around the subject for a while, but then it comes out fast and clear. Novel writing needs a longer time, more planning and working.”

Betil returned to the RC campus on December 22, 2025 as a guest of the Turkish Language and Literature Department to engage with current RC students. She puts the contribution of RC to her literary career succinctly: “RC made me a good reader which in return made me a writer.”

Coast-to-Coast ReConnections

In November, our AlumNights tour carried the Robert College spirit from coast to coast and it was an unforgettable journey. From San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego to New York City, alumni gathered to reconnect with the RC energy that continues to link generations. Board Chair Erol Hakanoğlu RC 74 and Head of School Whitman Shepard joined the tour, with each event made possible through the generosity of an alumnus.

The series included an AlumNight at Dalida Mediterranean Restaurant in San Francisco, hosted by owner and award-winning chef Sayat Özyılmaz RC 04; a luncheon hosted by Ergün Kırlıkovalı RA 70; a dinner in San Diego hosted by Hüseyin Tığlı RA 71; and an AlumNight at the Penn Club of New York.

AlumNights in both San Francisco and New York City reached record attendance this year: we welcomed nearly 100 alumni in San Francisco and about 150 in New York City. Our heartfelt thanks to all alumni who showed up and ReConnected!

RC 90 – 35 Years On

This summer, we came together to celebrate 35 years since our graduation from Robert College — a milestone that felt even more meaningful because we had to skip our 30th reunion during the pandemic. We made up for it in style.

More than 80 of us reunited from across Türkiye and around the world — from Australia, the U.S., Europe, the U.K., the UAE and Saudi Arabia — proving once again that distance means little when it comes to RC 90. We laughed, reminisced and danced like the 16- and 17-year-olds we once were — young, hopeful and full of dreams.

And the feeling of being together again? It was like coming home.

No matter how many years pass or how many countries lie between us, when we gather, time collapses. The miles disappear. For a little while, we are simply home — as if there were no moments lost, no boundaries separating our lives today from the youth we shared on that hillside overlooking the Bosphorus.

The mood throughout the celebration was joyful and relaxed. Many of us are now empty nesters or on our way there; some are inching closer to grandparenthood. But who cares about age? When we’re together, all those markers fade, and we return to the friendships, the music and the sense of possibility that shaped us.

Our beloved history teacher Hafize hanım once said at a homecoming, “You’re at the age where you know yourselves, you’ve succeeded, and now you give back to your community.” How true that feels today. We have become a class of givers, fundraisers, mentors and participants — always ready to serve our alma mater, each other and the greater good.

This year, we also celebrated the extraordinary leadership that keeps RC 90 strong. Our Student Council President İgal has, in many ways, been our de facto leader ever since graduation. His calm and wise presence, steady optimism and ability to bring people together have been invaluable. Thanks to him, our committee worked with harmony, purpose and true RC spirit.

Our tireless class agents — Mete, Aysan and Okan — once again showed what dedication looks like. They never gave up on us and have made RC 90 one of the top classes in giving and participation. We are deeply grateful for their efforts, which bind us together year after year.

Our class DJ, Burak, deserves a special mention for keeping the beat — literally — for more than three decades, connecting us through the music that has become the soundtrack of our lives. And our runner friend Ahmet, who ran miles (and then some!) to raise funds for Robert College, continues to embody the spirit of giving back in the most inspiring way.

The night of our reunion had another highlight: Mete’s unforgettable, stand-up-worthy performance, which had everyone in stitches. If he ever decides to switch careers, the stage is waiting!

A heartfelt thank you also goes to Bizim Tepe and the RC Alumni Association for their warm support and for helping us create a night worthy of 35 years of friendship.

Here’s to 35 years of laughter, friendship and shared memories —
and to the people who keep the RC 90 spirit alive.

Hanzade Özerten Urul RC 98

Our dear friend Hanzade Özerten Urul RC 98 passed away. We are devastated to lose someone so radiant and full of life. During our RC years, Hanzade was the spark at the center of everything — choreographing our “Orta” Maze Day dance, lifting our spirits on the volleyball court, and greeting us each morning with her bright smile, strong voice, and unmistakably rosy cheeks. She carried that same warmth into adulthood as a communicator, writer, painter, and a devoted advocate for nature and animals. Her energy, empathy, and generosity touched everyone around her. As we face this painful goodbye, we will honor her each year on February 27th, her birthday — a fitting tribute to someone who never forgot to celebrate ours.  

Hanzade Özerten Urul Memorial Forest, set up in the Bursa Eyerce village by her family, will stand as her living legacy.

Zeynep Dirikcan RC 98

Neylan Bağcıoğlu İzgi RC 98

Ayşe Baykut Dallal RC 98

Deniz İlkbaşaran RC 98