İhsan Doğramacı: Bir Vizyonerin Biyografisi (1915-2010)

Abstract

This doctoral thesis centers on the life story of Prof. Dr. İhsan Doğramacı, examining the structural transformations that took place in the fields of health and higher education in Turkey within their historical context. This journey, which began in Erbil and extended to Bilkent University, is not only the story of an individual but also the story of the development process of an era in Republican Turkey. Doğramacı's family background, education, professional development, and national and international experiences are examined. The establishment of institutions such as Hacettepe and Bilkent, his contributions to this process, and the relationships he forged in the socio-political atmosphere of the period are explored. In this respect, the study attempts to evaluate Doğramacı's individual initiatives within the framework of the conditions of the period. The theoretical framework of the thesis discusses the historical development of biography writing, its methodology, and the use of sources. The primary and secondary sources used in the study are supported by oral history materials and visual documents and are treated with methodological sensitivity. This study is conceived as a historical examination focusing on health and education developments centered on Doğramacı. Rather than idealizing Doğramacı as a “founding figure” or “sole leader,” the thesis examines him within the context of the progress made in health and education in Turkey during that period. In this respect, as a biography, it also offers an opportunity to observe recent Turkish history.