While 2.1 million students applied for this year's university entrance exam, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) granted approval for the foundation of five new universities. With these new additions, the number of universities in Turkey will increase to 189.As part of this new regulation, the International Islam Science and Technology University, İbn-i Haldun, the Health Sciences University and İstinye University will be founded in Istanbul. Moreover, the British University of Nicosia in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will be opened in the next academic year.The International Islam Science and Technology University will include faculties of social and human sciences, law, political and Islamic sciences, medicine, engineering, computer and informatics as well as institutes for social, physical and health sciences. İbn-i Haldun University, which will be founded by the Foundation of Youth and Education Service, will be composed of education, communication, humanities and social sciences, law and political sciences faculties as well as social and educational sciences institutes. The Health Sciences University, which will be affiliated to Turkey's Ministry of Health, will have the largest faculty of medicine in Turkey. All current research hospitals within the ministry will be converted into research and application hospitals of the university. İstinye University, which will be opened with the contributions of the 21st Century Anatolia Foundation, will feature faculties of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, health sciences, science and letters, engineering, economics administrative and social sciences, architecture and Islamic sciences along with a vocational school of higher education and institutes of health, physical, and social sciences.