Boğaziçi University was established in 1863 as Robert College, the first American college founded outside the borders of the United States. In 1971, it was transformed into Boğaziçi University, an elite Turkish public research university that has kept the liberal arts education tradition and English as the language of instruction. Since then, it has expanded its undergraduate and graduate programs and added new campuses. Currently, Boğaziçi University is one of the most prominent research universities in Turkey with outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs in natural and social sciences, humanities, engineering, education, and applied disciplines. It is the most sought after university for students in Turkey and the region, with world-class faculty, top-notch laboratories and facilities, and a breathtaking campus. Admission to the University is highly competitive. The total number of students has reached 15,000 with more than 4500 graduate students. The mission of Boğaziçi University is to generate universal knowledge and to educate individuals who respect ethical standards, who are environmentally conscious, who can think critically and who, with their academic and cultural formation and self confidence, are versatile, creative and capable of being successfully employed in academic institutions and in public or private sectors.