April 3, 2026 marks the 111th anniversary of the birth of Bilkent University’s beloved founder, Prof. İhsan Doğramacı. Each year, Bilkent celebrates Prof. Doğramacı’s birthday as Bilkent Day, honoring his memory with deepest respect and affection.
Bilkent Day includes two main events: the Bilkent Day Conference and a celebratory concert by the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra.
The 2026 Bilkent Day conference will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Mithat Çoruh Auditorium. Prof. Gülsev Kale, Board of Trustees chair, will make an opening speech, and Rector Prof. Kürşat Aydoğan will make a presentation on “Bilkent 2026.”
The program will continue with a conference by Prof. Judith Melki, Director of the Molecular Neurogenetics Unit at Inserm, Genôpole of Evry, Paris Sud University and head of the Medical Genetics Department at Centre Hospitalier Sud Francilien (Evry), titled “Genomics of Childhood-Onset Neuromuscular Diseases: New Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches.”
Bilkent Day celebrations will end with a special concert by the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra at the Bilkent Concert Hall. The performance will begin at 8 p.m., with Gürer Aykal as conductor and Tuna Bilgin as piano soloist. The program will feature W. A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 and Symphony No. 40.
