April 3rd is the birthday of Bilkent University’s founder, Prof. İhsan Doğramacı. Each year, the university community celebrates the occasion as Bilkent Day, with special events that include the annual Bilkent Day Conference and a commemorative concert.
The Bilkent Day Conference, held at the Mithat Çoruh Auditorium, opened with remarks by Prof. Gülsev Kale, chair of the Board of Trustees, on Prof. Doğramacı’s ideals and Bilkent University’s vision: “Today, as we mark the 111th anniversary of the birth of our esteemed founder, Prof. İhsan Doğramacı, we honor his memory with profound respect and heartfelt remembrance, while also celebrating Bilkent Day.”
Prof. Kale continued, “Built on strong and enduring foundations, this university stands as a profound reflection of our esteemed founder’s deep devotion to his country as well as of his unwavering appreciation for music and the performing arts. His dedication to prioritizing scientific advancement while integrating the arts as an essential pillar of human development was a defining aspect of his vision. The effort he invested in harmonizing these elements is the most eloquent expression of Prof. İhsan Doğramacı’s inherent passion for music and the arts.
Today, and on every April 3rd in the years ahead, I have no doubt that future generations of Bilkent will honor and uphold these values with unwavering dedication and commitment.”
Following Prof. Kale’s speech, the event continued with the presentation “The State of the University 2026,” by Rector Prof. Kürşat Aydoğan. In the presentation, he provided a summary of the year, highlighting the university’s most recent academic, educational and research accomplishments. The presentation included various statistics concerning students, faculty, research and awards as well as university budget items.
After delivering his presentation Rector Aydoğan concluded his remarks with gratitude to Hocabey: “With immense gratitude to our founder, we work with a firm dedication to build on his vision and carry this great university to further heights in education and research. Thank you all for your contributions to this mission.”
After Rector Aydoğan’s speech, Prof. Tomris Türmen, president of the ICC, took the floor to introduce Prof. Judith Melki: “Today, we are gathered in this hall for a very special occasion to honour the recipient of the İhsan Doğramacı Child and Family Health Award, which is presented to individuals who have contributed distinguished service to family health globally. Prof. J. Melki, an internationally known scientist, medical doctor and researcher whose work in identifying a defective gene responsible for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) has led to public awareness of this condition and thus contributed to the prevention of early infant deaths.” Following her remarks, Prof. Türmen presented the award to Prof. 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). Prof. Melki then delivered her keynote speech titled “Genomics of Childhood-Onset Neuromuscular Diseases: New Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches.” During her talk, Prof. Melki focused on cracking the genetic code of childhood muscle diseases.
The final event of Bilkent Day was a concert by the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra. The evening opened with Gülsin Onay performing Chopin’s Polonaise Op. 53. It continued under conductor Gürer Aykal, with pianist Tuna Bilgin as soloist, featuring Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 and Symphony No. 40.
