Asım Kocabıyık, the founder of the Borusan Group always highlighted the importance of education for the development Turkey and to reach the level of modern civilizations. He made significant contributions to cultural and educational life in our country both with the finance of Borusan Group companies and his personal initiatives.
Among the first gifts of education are Borusan Primary School built at Gemlik in 1987 and Asım Kocabıyık Pre-School bearing his name built at Afyon in 1996.
Asım Kocabıyık, his wife and children founded Asım Kocabıyık Culture and Education Foundation in 1992 to engage in education, training and cultural activities and to contribute to the national education and culture of Turkey. The foundation was renamed as the Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation in 2007.
Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation believes that economic, social and cultural development can be achieved through education. Accordingly, the foundation has been offering scholarship to successful students in need of financial support since 1992.
The Foundation decided to support the education mobilization that initiated in 1997 and contributed with one Anatolian Vocational High School and one eight-year primary school and brought both schools to the educational life within two years.
Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation built two student dormitories and one vocational collage at Hereke Borusan Campus of Kocaeli University in Kocaeli which suffered major damage during the 1999 earthquake. The buildings were delivered to the university in 2001 and the foundation continued its support for education.
Asım and Nurhan Kocabıyık Teacher's Lodge opened on November 24, 2005 by Semra Sezer, the esteemed wife of the 10th President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. It was built to meet the social needs of our teachers who have made significant contribution for our country to become what it is today.
A protocol was signed between Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation and Istanbul University on June 3, 2005 to renew the Faculty of Economics Library. The library consisted of two basement floors and one ground floor and it was strengthened against earthquake in accordance with the project Istanbul University had prepared. Then the building was fully renewed and furnished.
In October 2005, Asım Kocabıyık Vocational College construction was initiated at the historical Sunğipek Factory site located at the Gemlik Gulf and allocated to Uludağ University. The building was completed and education was started in 2006 and it was delivered to Uludağ University on November 14, 2006.
In 2007, Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation undertook the construction of the buildings required for the Faculty of Law at Uludağ University located at Gemlik Sunğipek Asım Kocabıyık Campus. Believing that high-quality education is the key to reaching the objective of modernity, Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation initiated the first works to convert the Sunğipek Factory into an educational institution. The factory had been opened by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on February 1, 1938. Following the completion of the deanery building in 2007, the education building was completed in 2008 and delivered to the university in spring.
Another important project of Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation was the Faculty of Law at Afyon Kocatepe University where the construction was initiated in late 2010. The building was completed and delivered to the University in November 2011 and the infrastructure shortcomings of the building will be completed and education will start in 2014.
In December 2011, the construction of a Cultural Center started at Gemlik Sunğipek Asım Kocabıyık Campus of Uludağ University and a majority of the 2012 budget of the Foundation was allocated for this project. The cultural center consisting of student and faculty staff dining halls and a 340-seat capacity lecture hall which can also serve as a conference hall was delivered to the university in the first half of 2012.
Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation has not refused support requests by other educational foundations and in this context, provided scholarship for three years to 100 girls in primary school under the “Father Send Me to School” campaign of the Association for Supporting Contemporary Life. Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation has covered the educational expenses of 3,000 students under the project of the Educational Volunteers Foundation of Turkey in 2010. It has also provided support to the Culture Ants project organized by the Cultural Awareness Foundation and works of the Turkish Ancient Ages Institute and the Third-Sector Foundation of Turkey.
The three-year project initiated in 2007 by Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation with Avcılar District National Education Directorate for the purpose of raising the quality of education and increasing awareness of parents set a model in Turkey. The foundation prepared thirty thousand copies of the book Parent Training in Terms of Violence, Aggression and Guilt Feelings in Children and Youngsters for the project prepared for parents. Under the project, seminars have been given to eighteen thousand parents so far under the coordination of Avcılar District National Education Directorate.
In parallel with this project, 144 hours of training was provided within three years with the participation of nine faculty members from seven universities under the In-Service Field Development Works for teachers. With a participation based on volunteering, a great majority of the teachers in the Avcılar region attended these trainings.
In line with the mission of contributing to culture and arts, which is regarded as one of the most important aspects of the modernization of our country, Borusan Culture and Art Center founded by A. Ahmet Kocabıyık in 1997 has carried out works in culture and art, especially in classic music for many years. Borusan Culture and Art Center continues its works as an independent institution through Borusan Chamber Orchestra, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, Borusan Quartet, Borusan Music Library, Borusan Children Chorus and Ertuğ & Kocabıyık Publishing. Pursuant to the decision to gather all works under Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation, it continues its activities as an economic enterprise of the Foundation as of May 2009.
Having the most comprehensive media art collection of Turkey, Borusan Holding made a decision to institutionalize its activities in the field of visual arts with Borusan Contemporary. Accordingly, Borusan Contemporary initiated its works in 2011 as an economic enterprise of the Foundation at Perili Köşk, the head office of the holding, and still continues to fill an important gap in its field with exhibitions and activities.