Bahçeşehir University Women Student Mentorship Program
The Bahçeşehir University Women Student Mentorship Program, organized by CIFAL Istanbul, UNITAR, and BAU EQUAL, is designed to empower women students by connecting them with accomplished women professionals and academics through a structured mentorship framework. The program aims to strengthen women’s participation in academic, professional, and leadership fields—contributing directly to the goals of SDG 5: Gender Equality.
Objective
The program supports the personal and professional development of women students by creating a space where they can learn from real-life experiences, receive career guidance, and gain insight into organizational cultures and leadership practices.
Through mentorship, women students enhance their confidence, networking skills, and readiness to enter professional life.
Mentors: Who They Are and What They Do
Mentors are women professionals, entrepreneurs, or academics with at least five years of experience in their respective fields.
They play a crucial role in:
Mentees: Who Can Apply
All women students enrolled at Bahçeşehir University are eligible to apply for the program.
Participants gain access to a supportive learning network that enhances both their academic journey and professional vision.
Mentor–Mentee Matching Process
Matches between mentors and mentees are carefully determined by the CIFAL Istanbul Office, BAU EQUAL Unit, and BAU Social Impact and Responsibility Directorate, based on the information provided in the application forms that are filled out. The form includes questions such as: “Why would you like to join this program?”, “Have you ever participated in a mentorship program before?” and similar questions in order to assess the applying mentor’s qualifications and areas of expertise. An image of the mentioned form can be seen below:
Each mentee is paired with one mentor, while mentors may support multiple mentees depending on their availability.
Program Duration and Structure
The program is structured to accommodate academic and professional responsibilities while ensuring consistent engagement.
In addition to individual sessions, group events will be organized throughout the term, where all participants will meet inspiring women leaders from academia, industry, and entrepreneurship.
Application Process
Data collected between 2020 and 2024 demonstrate steady growth in participation. The number of female student beneficiaries increased from 1,576 in 2020 to 1,920 in 2024, reflecting continuous expansion and institutional commitment to women’s empowerment. Notably, the program reached 1,680 participants in 2021, 1,611 in 2022, and 1,807 in 2023, highlighting sustained engagement and program impact.
The graph below presents the annual number of women beneficiaries, illustrating the University’s ongoing efforts to promote gender equality through mentorship and capacity-building initiatives.
Career and Long-Term Internship Program Supporting Women Students
At Bahçeşehir University (BAU), the university experience is viewed as a formative period for shaping students’ professional identities and preparing them for meaningful, future-oriented careers.
Through the CO-OP Education Model, BAU provides a comprehensive career development ecosystem that combines long-term internships with career counseling, workshops, mock job interviews, seminars, and industry mentorship programs.
These initiatives equip students with the confidence, decision-making ability, and real-world skills necessary to transition successfully into the workforce.
Within this framework, the BAU CO-OP Career Center manages the entire process of placing students into long-term internship programs in close coordination with the Human Resources (HR) departments of partner companies.
The selection and placement process mirrors professional recruitment systems — including job postings, application collection, interviews, and candidate shortlisting — thereby serving as a realistic simulation of the post-graduation employment environment.
All administrative and insurance procedures for selected students are managed by the university under the supervision of the CO-OP team.
As part of BAU’s institutional commitment to gender equality, the COOPER Program operates under the principle of ensuring equal access for women students to internship and employment opportunities.
Targeted efforts are made to encourage female participation in the program, particularly in sectors and roles where women remain underrepresented.
The placement rates of female students are systematically monitored and reported annually, ensuring transparency and continuous progress toward gender balance.
In recent years, data from the BAU COOPER Program have shown a higher participation rate among female students than male students reflecting the university’s sustained efforts to promote equal opportunity and women’s career advancement.
In 2023, female students represented 56.4% of all CO-OP participants, while male students accounted for 43.6%. This upward trend in female participation continued into 2024, with women comprising 55.5% and men 44.5% of the total participants. These figures demonstrate that female students continue to actively engage in experiential learning and long-term internship opportunities, benefiting from BAU’s inclusive approach to career-oriented education.
The graph below visually presents the gender distribution in the CO-OP program between 2023 and 2024, underscoring the University’s ongoing commitment to ensuring equal access to practical training and professional experience for all students.
Through these inclusive practices, Bahçeşehir University continues to align its education and employment strategies with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) — fostering an equitable, diverse, and empowered new generation of professionals.
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