Lecture seminars constitute the foundation’s oldest and most popular activities. The number of these courses offered every Fall and Spring semester since 1988 has exceeded 2,000. Taught by hundreds of different academics and researchers who are leading scholars in their respective fields, these courses are followed by approximately 1,000 students every semester.

Topics covered in these courses include:

- The histories of the philosophical, intellectual, scientific, economic, and political traditions of different civilizations

- Philosophy, history, political science, the philosophy of science, social theory, psychology, global political economy, international relations, economics, economic policies, and global and regional thematic studies

- Literature, poetry, music, art, cinema, architecture, and art history

- Political, social, and economic history of Turkey as developed since Ottoman and pre-Ottoman times; the sources and writing of these histories, biographies of important figures as well as historical debates and their transformations with respect to ruptures and continues from the past to the present.

Total lecture hours, 1989 – 2023: 12,343

Total number of lecturers, 1989 – 2023: 409

Total number of lectures, 1989 – 2023: 2,160

One of the basic functions of the foundation, these lectures are free and open to all participants of any educational level and age who would like to enrich their perspective on different scientific, intellectual, and artistic issues. Upper-level classes and programs are also offered for those who would like to deepen their interests in order to participate in the process of the reproduction and dissemination of knowledge in these areas. In addition to these lower- and upper-level courses, one may join various workshops and reading clubs at the foundation -- all free of charge.

At the end of the upper-level programs, participants find the opportunity to focus on a specific topic of their choice through student symposia, which constitute the first step toward their academic and intellectual journey for them. The lower-level lectures and seminars, which constitute the start of a possible companionship in the way of scholarly, intellectual, and artistic activities, also make it possible for established scholars to meet, get to know, and perhaps share their experiences with, the participants.