Student 5.0 Ecosystem | IMU AI Office

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"Technology is progress only when governed by human values."
Commit to ethical standards in your academic work.

T.R. ISTANBUL MEDENIYET UNIVERSITY

SCIENTIST'S DECLARATION ON AI ETHICS AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

1. VISION AND LEGAL BASIS

"Technology is progress only when governed by human values."

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, which are radically changing research and education paradigms in higher education, bring unprecedented ethical responsibilities alongside the opportunities they offer. As a scientist at Istanbul Medeniyet University, I view digital transformation not merely as a technical update, but as a "Values Revolution."

With this declaration, I commit to adhering to the universal ethical framework established by the European Commission, UNESCO, and OECD, and primarily to the "Ethical Guide on the Use of Generative AI in Scientific Research and Publications" (May 2024) published by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE/YÖK). Our goal is to transform algorithms from "black boxes" into transparent, accountable, and fair systems placed at the service of humanity.

2. 3 PILLARS OF TRUSTWORTHY AI

In line with our university's ethical governance vision, I will observe the following three fundamental pillars in all AI-supported activities:

Legal Compliance: Full compliance with KVKK (PDPL), AI Act (EU), and relevant legislation.
Ethical Principles: Loyalty to fundamental human rights, academic integrity, and CoHE ethical principles.
Technical Robustness: Usage of systems that are resilient to errors, secure, and auditable.

3. FUNDAMENTAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES (CoHE & IMU Framework)

I declare that I will apply the following 6 Fundamental Principles in my academic work under the "Duty of Care":

Human Autonomy and Oversight: I use AI systems not as an autonomous author, but as a "drafter" supporting human intelligence. I accept that the final say and oversight authority in all critical academic decisions, final text approval, and result interpretation belong to me.
Transparency and Explainability: In accordance with the "Openness Principle" emphasized in the CoHE guide, I transparently declare the AI tools used in my research, their purpose, and scope in the "Methodology" or relevant section of the study. "Unexplainable technology is unverifiable technology."
Privacy and Data Governance: I protect student and staff data in full compliance with KVKK standards. I do not upload sensitive data, personal information, or unpublished research findings to public generative AI models (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) that do not guarantee data security without anonymization.
Diversity and Fairness: I am aware that AI algorithms may harbor biases originating from data sets. I critically filter outputs that carry a risk of discrimination based on gender, race, belief, or disability, and act in accordance with inclusive design principles.
Scientific Accuracy and Responsibility: Against the risk of AI "hallucinations" (fabricating unreal information), I verify all generated data and sources against original sources. I accept that I am directly responsible for any errors or violations caused by AI outputs.
Authorship Limits: As clearly stated in the CoHE guide, I accept that artificial intelligence cannot be the "Author" of a scientific study; however, it can be used as a "Drafter," and I declare that the originality and scientific responsibility of the study belong entirely to me.

4. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY COMMITMENT: "DRAFTING AND CURATION"

In the use of AI in academic writing and research processes, I comply with the standards determined by the IMU AI Office:

Permitted (Drafting and Structural Support): I may use AI for language optimization, translation, literature review, code checking, and data analysis processes (cleaning, planning, coding), as well as for drafting specific sections of the study and for ideation.
Responsibility: Draft texts generated by AI are merely "raw material" for me. I do not use these outputs as final text without subjecting them to a comprehensive process of editing (heavy editing), verification (fact-checking), and rewriting. The final selection of the original research idea and scientific responsibility belong to me.
Data and Recording: The principle of data minimization is observed in data sets transferred to AI tools, and anonymization is performed to the extent possible. The tool(s) used, version information, and if deemed necessary, basic prompts and critical transformation/analysis steps are recorded in study notes.
Prohibited (Autonomous Ghost-writing): I do not use AI to write the entirety of the study without human supervision.
Unsupervised Use: I do not directly copy-paste any text or analysis produced by AI into my work without reading, verifying, offering intellectual contribution, and confirming its source.
Synthetic Data: Furthermore, in accordance with the CoHE warning, I do not generate synthetic data (fake survey responses, etc.) using AI in research.

5. CONCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE

In accordance with the "Competent and Virtuous Scientist" model aimed by our university, I accept that I will combine my technical expertise with ethical reasoning and social responsibility awareness, and act knowing the limits and possible ethical consequences of the tools I use.

"Every piece of knowledge we produce is measured not by the speed of AI, but by human conscience and academic integrity."

I undertake the ethical and legal responsibilities that may arise in case of conduct contrary to the matters in this document.

Date: ... / ... / 20...
Academic Title / Name Surname: ...........................................................................
Department / Faculty: ...........................................................................
Signature: 


© Istanbul Medeniyet University | Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation Office

T.R. ISTANBUL MEDENIYET UNIVERSITY

STUDENT'S COMMITMENT ON AI ETHICS AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

1. VISION AND PURPOSE

"Technology is progress only when governed by human values."

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are powerful tools that can assist me in my educational journey; however, they cannot replace my learning process, critical thinking skills, and intellectual effort. As a student of Istanbul Medeniyet University, I believe that my diploma is not just a piece of paper, but a genuine indication of my knowledge, effort, and character.

With this document, I commit that I will not compromise on digital honesty in my education and research processes, in line with the "Ethical Guide on the Use of Generative AI in Higher Education" (May 2024) published by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE/YÖK) and the ethical principles of our university.

2. FUNDAMENTAL STUDENT PRINCIPLES

I will adhere to the following 4 fundamental principles in the assignments, projects, theses, and exams I prepare throughout my education life:

Learning Responsibility (Human-Centricity): I may use AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc.) as a "private tutor" or "assistant"; however, I cannot use them as a "subcontractor" to do my homework. The responsibility to acquire the course outcomes belongs to me; I do not delegate this mental process to an algorithm.
Transparency and Declaration: If I received AI support in the works I prepared, I do not hide it. I explain which tool I used and for what purpose (finding ideas, language correction, etc.) at the end of my work or in the citation format specified by my professors.
Accuracy and Verification: I am aware that AI systems may "hallucinate" (fabricate unreal information or non-existent sources). I do not include any information generated by AI in my work without verifying it from the original source. I accept that the responsibility for incorrect information belongs entirely to me.
Data Privacy: I do not upload personal data of myself, my friends, or my professors; confidential course materials belonging to our university, or unpublished research data to open-source AI platforms with uncertain security.

3. LIMITS OF USE: DO'S AND DON'TS

In accordance with the IMU AI Office and CoHE guide, I determine my "red lines" in my academic work according to the following table:

✅ PERMITTED (Structural Support)	❌ PROHIBITED (Ethical Violation / Plagiarism)
Ideation: Brainstorming, searching for topics, or developing a perspective.	Ghost-writing: Having AI write all or part of the assignment, project, or thesis and submitting it as my own sentences.
Language Support: Correcting spelling and grammar errors in the text I wrote, making it more fluent.	Copy-Paste: Using AI output directly without reading, editing, or questioning its accuracy.
Summarization: Summarizing complex articles or concepts to understand them better (Reading assistant).	Fake Data (Synthetic Data): Generating results for a survey, experiment, or field study I did not conduct using AI and presenting it as "real data."
Code Checking: Getting support to detect errors (bugs) in the code I wrote.	Exam Violation: Solving questions using AI in online or face-to-face exams.

4. SPECIAL COMMITMENT FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

(Covers Master's and Doctoral Students)

As a future academic candidate or expert researcher, I declare that:

I will use AI only as an auxiliary tool in my thesis and publications,
Intellectual processes such as forming the hypothesis of my thesis, interpreting data, discussion, and drawing conclusions will belong personally to me,
As clearly prohibited in the CoHE guide, I will not present artificial intelligence as the "Author" of a study and I will not generate fake data (synthetic data) using AI instead of real participants; knowing that this constitutes the crime of "Data Fabrication."

5. CONCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE

In a manner worthy of Istanbul Medeniyet University's vision of a "Competent and Virtuous Individual";

I pledge on my honor that I will earn my diploma not as a product of artificial intelligence, but of my own effort and intelligence; and that I know that my behaviors contrary to the rules in this commitment will be subject to sanctions (grade cancellation, suspension, etc.) within the scope of the Student Disciplinary Regulation of Higher Education Institutions.

Date: ... / ... / 20...
Student No: ...........................................................
Name Surname: ...........................................................
Faculty / Institute: ...........................................................
Department / Program: ...........................................................
Signature: 


© Istanbul Medeniyet University | Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation Office

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