Bahçeşehir University or commonly abbreviated as BAU is a private university located around the Bosphorus in Çırağan Caddesi, Beşiktaş, Istanbul. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey authorized the establishment of Bahçeşehir University by the Bahçeşehir Uğur Education Foundation in 1998. In February 1998, an academic and strategic col…Bahçeşehir University or commonly abbreviated as BAU is a private university located around the Bosphorus in Çırağan Caddesi, Beşiktaş, Istanbul. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey authorized the establishment of Bahçeşehir University by the Bahçeşehir Uğur Education Foundation in 1998. In February 1998, an academic and strategic collaboration was signed with San Diego State University in California. The university's first cohort of students enrolled following the first university placement exam in the 1999–2000 academic year. The current rector is Prof. Dr. Şirin Karadeniz.