Our Rector Prof. Dr. Esra Gençtürk Gives a Speech at Le Cordon Bleu Istanbul’s 10th Anniversary Celebration

Le Cordon Bleu Istanbul, the Turkish branch of the most prestigious culinary school in the world offering culinary training in Türkiye with the cooperation of Özyeğin University, celebrated its 10th anniversary at the French Palace (Fransız Sarayı) with a special ceremony. During the event held under the auspices of Mr. Hervé Magro, Ambassador of France to Türkiye, our Rector Prof. Dr. Esra Gençtürk delivered a speech highlighting the strong collaboration between the two institutions and the resulting value created for Turkey. “As an entrepreneurial research university, one of the greatest testaments to our innovative practices such as our robust academic faculty, our scientific, applied education model, our high value-added business collaborations, and mandatory internships that give our students the opportunity to professionally develop themselves is the collaboration of our School of Applied Sciences with Le Cordon Bleu. Our criteria for excellence is to take exemplary and pioneering initiatives, fulfill the need at the highest level in everything we do, and bring novelty. Today, our students and alumni take both Özyeğin University’s name and Le Cordon Bleu’s name higher and further across the world. Having the honor of celebrating our 10th year is a testimony of the lasting impact we have created to date,” Prof. Dr. Esra Gençtürk remarked.

During the event, H.E. Mr. Hervé Magro, Ambassador of France to Türkiye, Hüsnü Özyeğin, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Özyeğin University, Defne Ertan Tüysüzoğlu, Director of Le Cordon Bleu Türkiye, Mehmet Teoman Alemdar, Acting Director of the School of Applied Sciences at Özyeğin University, and Alienor Cointreau, International Sales and Marketing Director at Le Cordon Bleu, also delivered speeches.

In celebration of Le Cordon Bleu Istanbul’s 10th anniversary, an exclusive fashion show, the first of its kind in Türkiye, was also held in collaboration with Vakko ESMOD. As part of the never-seen-before fashion show, five clothes designed by the students of Vakko ESMOD, the Türkiye branch of a reputable French fashion school, were decorated with chocolates designed by the students of Le Cordon Bleu Istanbul. Marc Pauquet, an instructor chef and the Pastry Department Head at Le Cordon Bleu, and Ece Çavuşoğlu and Yeliz Korur, instructors at Vakko Esmod Fashion Academy, gave a detailed briefing about the designs before the fashion show.

Özyeğin University launched its Undergraduate Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Program in collaboration with Le Cordon Bleu in 2012 with the goal of collectively training the world’s best master chefs. Meanwhile, certificate programs offered in collaboration with Le Cordon Bleu opened up new horizons for those who aspire to develop themselves or advance their careers in this field. Within the scope of the cooperation between Özyeğin University and Le Cordon Bleu, the “culinary arts” courses of the Undergraduate Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Program and the Undergraduate Hotel Management Program are delivered by the master chefs of Le Cordon Bleu. Meanwhile, just like in over 20 countries across the world, Le Cordon Bleu Certificate Programs are also offered on the Çekmeköy Campus for those who are not university students but wishing to sharpen their skills in culinary arts and crown their achievements with an internationally acclaimed certificate or seeking to change their careers.