Köksal Education Foundation (KEV)
The Köksal Education Foundation (KEV) was established on 25 February 1993 by the late Prof. Dr. Güntekin Köksal, Honorary Chairman of Pet Holding, with the aim of supporting academically successful students with limited financial means and helping them complete their education through scholarships.
The late Pınar Köksal, former Vice Chairwoman of Pet Holding, greatly contributed towards the establishment of KEV. She subsequently served as Chairwoman of the Köksal Education Foundation for 22 years, playing a central role in the Foundation’s development and long-term commitment to education.
Since its establishment, KEV has provided scholarships and educational support to more than 1,000 university students, as well as books and various forms of assistance to thousands of other students. For the first 22 years, KEV operated a repayable scholarship model, enabling the Foundation to sustain and expand its scholarship programme through contributions from Pet Holding, individual supporters, volunteers, and the repayments made by former scholarship alumni.
In 2016, Zeynep Köksal Yaykıran succeeded Pınar Köksal as Chairwoman of the Board of KEV. Under her leadership, the Foundation introduced a new model of non-repayable scholarships for university students, while extending its commitment beyond financial support to include international opportunities, cultural and artistic development, educational programmes, alumni engagement, and community initiatives.
Over the years, KEV’s alumni have gone on to become engineers, lawyers, managers, judges, doctors, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Today, KEV graduates are working successfully in a wide range of professions, organisations and companies both in Türkiye and around the world.
KEV: 33 Years of Impact
- For 33 years, KEV has continued its commitment to education with the support of the Köksal Family, Pet Holding and its affiliated companies, and thousands of individual donors.
- Since 1993, KEV has provided books and various forms of educational and social assistance to thousands of students.
- More than 1,000 university students studying in a wide range of fields have received non-repayable educational scholarships from KEV, and the Foundation continues to support new generations of students.
- In 2016, KEV launched the “Student Sponsorship Programme”, where individual donors have funded the scholarships of nearly 100 university students.
- Since 2016, KEV has encouraged scholarship recipients to participate in the Erasmus programme and gain international educational experience. To date, 45 students have received €200 scholarships during their Erasmus studies abroad.
- Since 2016, more than 50 students have received English Language Education Scholarships, helping them strengthen their language skills and expand their educational and professional opportunities.
- Recognising that education extends beyond financial support, KEV has also invested in the cultural and artistic development of its students, providing more than 1,500 tickets to cultural and artistic events since 2016.
- To support the personal and professional development of scholarship recipients, KEV has organised at least one educational seminar every year, either at the Foundation’s premises or online, covering a range of subjects.
- Through its “Graduation Tea” events, which bring together graduates and scholarship alumni, KEV has maintained close ties with its current and past graduates, supporting their career development, maintaining a strong alumni network.
- KEV has hosted more than 50 charity exhibitions and concerts at its Foundation centre, supporting both scholarship students and artists.
- Through book donation campaigns, KEV has helped establish the libraries of four schools.
- The Foundation has carried out a number of initiatives specifically supporting female students, contributing to greater gender balance among scholarship recipients.
- At ArtAnkara and similar events, KEV has organised art activities for children and young people, with proceeds going to the Foundation’s scholarship fund.
- Since 2016, Zeynep Köksal Yaykıran has published two cookbooks and one memoir. The proceeds from the sales and copyrights of these books have been donated to KEV, providing one year of educational support for 50 students.
- Since 2019, nearly 250 volunteer athletes have organised fundraising campaigns through running, swimming and other sporting events, helping provide scholarships to more than 150 students.
- Through the “We’ll Take Your Unused Items” campaign, launched in 2020, KEV has collected clean, second-hand items and made them available to scholarship recipients, helping students meet their everyday needs while promoting the re-use of resources.
- In 2023, KEV collaborated with the Chamber of Petroleum Engineers PMO, forming the “PMO Special Scholarship Programme”. KEV provided educational scholarships to a total of 75 Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering students studying in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, İskenderun and Batman.
Looking Ahead
Drawing on more than three decades of experience, KEV continues to evolve and expand its programmes, strengthening its scholarship provision and alumni and donor networks while supporting young people to thrive academically, professionally, culturally and personally. Its work extends beyond financial assistance to include international experiences, educational and cultural programmes, artistic development and community initiatives, fostering a lifelong network of support and engagement.
At the heart of KEV’s mission is a continued commitment to supporting talented young people with limited financial means, enabling them to access and complete their education, realise their potential and build brighter futures for themselves, their families and the communities around them.
