Istanbul Technical University
Encyclopedia
Istanbul Technical University (Tr.
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...

 İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, commonly referred to as ITU or Technical University) is an international technical university located in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. It is the world's third oldest technical university dedicated to engineering sciences as well as social sciences recently, and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey. ITU is ranked 108th worldwide and 1st nationwide in the field of engineering/technology by THES - QS World University Rankings
THES - QS World University Rankings
The term Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings refers to rankings published jointly between 2004 and 2009 by Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds . After QS and Times Higher Education had ended their collaboration, the methodology for these rankings continues to be used by...

 in 2009. Graduates of İstanbul technical university have received many TUBITAK science and TUBA awards. Numerous graduates have also become members of the academy of sciences in the U.S.A, Britain and Russia. The university's basketball team, ITUSpor
Istanbul Technical University (basketball team)
Istanbul Technical University basketball team is a Turkish professional basketball club based in Istanbul. It is one of the most successful club in the history of the Turkish Basketball League, having won the league's championship 5 times...

, is in the Turkish Basketball League Division II. The university has 39 undergraduate, 144 graduate programs, 13 colleges, 346 labs and 12 research centers. ITU has 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

History

  • Imperial School of Naval Engineering, 1773
  • Imperial School of Military Engineering, 1795
  • School of Civil Engineering, 1883
  • Engineering Academy, 1909
  • Istanbul Technical University, 1944

Ottoman Empire

Considered as the world's third institution of higher learning specifically dedicated to engineering education, Istanbul Technical University (ITU) has a long and distinguished history which began in 1773. ITU was founded by Sultan Mustafa III
Mustafa III
Mustafa III was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1757 to 1774. He was a son of Sultan Ahmed III and was succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I . He was born in Edirne...

 as the Imperial School of Naval Engineering
Turkish Naval Academy
The Turkish Naval Academy is a four year co-educational military academy located in the district of Tuzla in Istanbul. Its mission is to develop cadets mentally and physically for service as commissioned officers in the Turkish Navy...

 , and it was originally dedicated to the training of ship builders and cartographers. In 1795 the scope of the school was broadened to train technical military staff for the modernization of the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 army. In 1845 the engineering function of the school was further widened with the addition of a program devoted to the training of architects. The scope and name of the school were extended and changed again in 1883 and in 1909 the school became a public engineering school which was aimed at training civil engineers who could provide the infrastructure for the rapidly developing country.

Modern Turkey

By 1928 the institution had gained formal recognition as a university of engineering which provided education in both engineering and architecture. In 1944 the name of the institution was changed to Istanbul Technical University and in 1946 the institution became an autonomous university with architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...

, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

 faculties.
With its long history of 234 years, its modern teaching environment, and well-qualified teaching staff, Istanbul Technical University today is the personification of the engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

 and architectural education in Turkey. Istanbul Technical University not only played a leading role in the modernization movement of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

, but has also maintained its leadership position in the changes and innovations taking place in the construction, industrialization, and technological realms during the modern days of the Turkish Republic. Engineers and architects trained at Istanbul Technical University have played significant roles in the construction of Turkey's highways, bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

s, dams
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...

, factories, buildings, energy production plants, communication networks, and in the development of its villages, towns, and cities. Alumni also played a significant role in Turkish politics. Since its establishment in 1773, Istanbul Technical University has managed to keep itself up-to-date by following the technological developments which have occurred worldwide. The university offers its students an educational environment which is rooted in tradition and yet open to the very latest in modern education techniques and settings. By promoting strong international relationships, this public university also offers its students truly universal educational opportunities which are not limited by national boundaries.

Academics

The structure of each "Faculty" at ITU is comparable to those of "colleges" in the U.S. institutions, where each faculty is composed of two or more departments. For example, the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering consists of the departments of electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...

, computer engineering
Computer engineering
Computer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...

, control engineering
Control engineering
Control engineering or Control systems engineering is the engineering discipline that applies control theory to design systems with predictable behaviors...

, electronics engineering and telecommunications engineering.

College of Civil Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Geomatic Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering

College of Architecture
  • Architecture
  • Urban and Regional Planning
  • Industrial Product Design
  • Interior Architecture
  • Landscape Architecture

College of Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Manufacturing Engineering

College of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
    Electrical engineering
    Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...

  • Control Engineering
  • Electronics Engineering
  • Telecommunication Engineering

College of Mines
  • Mining Engineering
  • Mineral Processing Engineering
  • Geological Engineering
  • Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering
  • Geophysical Engineering

College of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
  • Food Engineering]

College of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
  • Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering

College of Sciences and Letters
  • Mathematics
  • Engineering Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Engineering Sciences

College of Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • Aeronautical Engineering
  • Astronautical Engineering
  • Meteorological Engineering

College of Management
  • Management Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering

Maritime College
  • Marine Engineering
  • Marine Transportation

Technologies and Design
  • Textile Engineering
  • Fashion Design
  • Textile Development and Management

Institutes and Research Centers

  • Energy Institute
  • Institute of Science and Technology
  • Social Sciences Institute
  • Institute of Informatics
  • Eurasia Earth Sciences Institutes
  • Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Genetics Research Center (MOBGAM)
  • ARI Technopolis
  • Center for Satellite Communications & Remote Sensing
  • National High Performance Computing Center
  • Rotorcraft Research Center (ROTAM)


Finally, ITU also has the following departments / educational institutes that are not tied to any of the faculties, but serve as independent departments. These include
  • School of Foreign Languages
  • School of Fine Arts
  • School of Athletic Education
  • State Conservatory of Turkish Classical Music
  • Advanced Musical Sciences Research Institute

International Perspective

University rankings
2009 2008 2007
THE–QS World University Rankings Engineering/Technology 108 133 157
THE–QS World University Rankings Natural Sciences 221 257 393
Global University Ranking 339

23 engineering departments of ITU are accredited by ABET
Abet
Abet may refer to:* Abet Guidaben , former Philippine Basketball Association basketball player* ABET, Inc., a non-profit organization that accredits higher education programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology....

. Also ITU's faculty of architecture is accredited by NAAB
Naab
The Naab is a river in Bavaria, Germany, and is a left tributary of the Danube. It is approx. long, including its main source river Waldnaab....

 and faculty of maritime is accredited by IMO
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...

. Minimum score of 213 from TOEFL
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL , evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting....

 CBT, or success in the English proficiency exam is one of the prerequisites to register the Bachelor, Master, or Doctorate level courses at ITU. According to THES - QS World University Rankings
THES - QS World University Rankings
The term Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings refers to rankings published jointly between 2004 and 2009 by Times Higher Education and Quacquarelli Symonds . After QS and Times Higher Education had ended their collaboration, the methodology for these rankings continues to be used by...

, Istanbul Technical University is among the top 500 universities in the world and is the top university in Turkey in the field of technology and engineering.
Instruction is both in Turkish and English (roughly 70% and 30%, respectively) and it has been announced that departments are going to open English-only programs.

Campus

ITU is a public (state) university. It has five campuses, which are located in the most important areas of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

. Among ITU's five campuses, the main campus of Maslak is a suburban campus, covering a total area of 2.64 km². The University Rectorate, swimming pool, stadium, along with most of the faculties, student residence halls and the central library of ITU are located there.

Another suburban campus of ITU is the Tuzla Campus. It serves the Maritime Faculty students and faculty members. It is located in the Tuzla district of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, which is a dockyard area.

One of the three urban campuses of ITU is the Taşkışla Campus. It was a military barracks in the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 era. Taşkışla is one of the most renowned historical buildings in Istanbul.

Gümuşsuyu (Mechanical Engineering Faculty) and Maçka (Management Faculty) campuses are close to Taksim Square
Taksim Square
Taksim Square situated in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major shopping, tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the Istanbul Metro network...

, and they are also among the important historical buildings of Istanbul.

Mustafa İnan Library

  • Mustafa Inan Library
    ITU Mustafa Inan Library
    The ITU Mustafa Inan Library was a printing house was established in 1795 at the first engineering school ever to be opened in Halıcıoğlu under the name of Mühendishane-i Berri Hümayun. The books published here constituted the core of the ITU Library. ITU libraries, located in Maslak campus,...

     has approximately 533,000 books, 500,000 volumes of book periodicals and 6000 rare Ottoman/Latin books. ITU Library has access to international libraries and online databases. It has the largest collection on technical materials (science and engineering) in Turkey. It is Turkey’s contemporary and technically richest library. ITU Mustafa Inan Library is the central library of the six libraries and coordination center of the library services of the Technical University. ITU Library Services' history goes back to 1795, the printing house of the Mühendishane-i Berri-i Hümayun of Ottoman Empire.
  • ITU Mustafa Inan Library's Rare Books Collection

Triga Mark-2 Nuclear Reactor

ITU's nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...

 of Triga Mark-2 is in the Maslak campus. It is located at the Energy Institute. The ITU Lake is the cooler for this reactor.

Arı Technopolis

Since the foundation in 2003 Arı Technopolis
ITU Arı Technopolis
Arı Technopolis is a science park located in Istanbul Technical University main campus. It occupies an area of 24.500 metersquares with its 2 buildings Arı-1 and Arı-2.Arı-3 building is announced to be built. It has the 49% portion of export of science parks in Turkey.- External links :*...

, where is located at the Ayazağa Campus, provides companies with researching, technology development and production opportunities at the university, in cooperation with the researchers and academicians. The technopolis have two buildings:Arı-1 and Arı-2. Arı-3 building in Maslak and another building in Floria are announced to build. Arı Technopolis has the 49% of export among technopolises in Turkey.

National High Performance Computing Center

NHPCC, is located at the Ayazağa Campus. It is the national center for high performance computing. The super computer of this center was one of the world's top 500 list super computers (240th).

Athletics

Having a suburban campus like Maslak has created the opportunity of building many sports areas. Ayazağa Gymnasium is the center of sports in ITU. Ayazağa Gymnasium also has a stadium with a seating capacity of 3500 for basketball and volleyball matches. A fitness center is also located there.

Basketball matches are among the most important sports activities in ITU. ITU Basketball Team, which won the Turkish Basketball League
Turkish Basketball League
The Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...

 Championship for 5 times, currently plays in the Turkish Basketball League's 2nd Division (TB2L). Ayazağa Gymnasium is the home of the ITU Basketball Team. Needless to mention that the students are the team's biggest supporters.

Despite the successes in basketball, the football team of ITU plays in the amateur league. A football stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...

 is also located in Ayazağa, where the football team plays its matches.

Tennis courts and an indoor olympic swimming pool, which is opened in May 2007, are also available in the Ayazaga Campus. An open-air swimming pool serves the ITU faculties.

Other sports clubs/activities in ITU are: Badminton, ultimate, fencing, diving, winter sports, dancing and gymnastics, tennis, paintball, aikido, athletics, mountaineering, bridge, swimming, cycling and triathlon, skiing, parachuting, American football, korfball, handball, iaido, capoeira, wrestling, archery and sailing.

Social Life

ITU offers many options to students who like doing extra-curricular work during their studying years. The most popular ones are Rock Club, Cinema Club, EPGIK, International Engineering Club. Also ITU has an option for those who like to organise events and socialise with people from various European countries in the Local Board of European Students of Technology
Board of European Students of Technology
Board of European Students of Technology is an international, non-governmental, non-political, non-profit student organisation comprising 90 Local BEST Groups in 30 countries around Europe with more than 3000 active members....

 Group which had 40 members in 2007. Despite all these, it can still be a little quiet in the campus from time to time because students can choose the city of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

 over the campus life.

Housing

ITU dormitories have a capacity of 3000 students. They include Lakeside Housings, IMKB Dormitory, Verda Urundul, Ayazaga Dormitory and Gumussuyu dormitory. Additional dormitories are planned.

Faculty

  • Karl von Terzaghi
    Karl von Terzaghi
    Karl von Terzaghi was an Austrian civil engineer and geologist, called the father of soil mechanics.-Early life:...

     - Civil engineer, founder of soil mechanics
  • Emin Halid Onat
    Emin Halid Onat
    Prof. Emeritus Emin Halid Onat , was a Turkish architect and former rector of Istanbul Technical University.Onat was born in Istanbul in 1908. He entered Istanbul Technical University in 1926. Then, he was sent to Zurich Technical University. Onat was one of the architects of Anıtkabir, the...

  • Cahit Arf
    Cahit Arf
    Cahit Arf was a Turkish mathematician. He is known for the Arf invariant of a quadratic form in characteristic 2 in topology, the Hasse–Arf theorem in ramification theory, Arf semigroups, and Arf rings.-Biography:Cahit Arf was born on 11 October 1910 in Selanik , which was then...

  • Kerim Erim
    Kerim Erim
    Kerim Erim was a Turkish mathematician and physicist.He graduated from the Advanced Vocational School for Engineering in Istanbul in 1914 and received a PhD in Germany...

  • Nihat Berker
    Nihat Berker
    Ahmet Nihat Berker ,is a Turkish theoretical physicist and emeritus professor of physics at MIT. He is the son of a notable scientist and engineer Ratip Berker, who deceased on 17.10.1997...

     - Physicist
  • Aykut Barka
    Aykut Barka
    Aykut Barka was a Turkish earth scientist specialized in earthquake research. He is best known for his contributions to understanding the behaviour of the North Anatolian Fault Zone , one of the most dangerous active faults in the world.-Biography:He was born in Fatih district of Istanbul in 1951...

     - Geologist
  • Rudolf Belling
    Rudolf Belling
    Rudolf Belling was a German sculptor.-Artistic theories:At the very beginning of the 20th century Rudolf Belling’s name was something like a battlecry. The composer of the "Dreiklang" evoked frequent and hefty discussions...

     - Sculptor
  • Bülent Evcil
    Bülent Evcil
    Bülent Evcil is a Turkish solo flutist and is the winner of the Royal Belgium Encouragement Medal of Art. He received the second place award in the Best Overall Performer Award at the 4th James Galway International Flute Seminar in Dublin...

     - Flutist
  • İstar Gözaydın
    Istar Gozaydin
    İştar Gözaydın is a well-known professor of Law and Politics. She is currently teaching in Turkey at Dogus University, Istanbul - School of Law.- Education :...

     - Political Scientist

Noted alumni

Most of the engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

s and architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

s graduated from ITU are successful on their profession. Many of graduates help Turkey developing. Many of the graduates played significant roles in constructing bridges, roads and buildings. For instance, Emin Onat and Orhan Arda are architects of Anıtkabir
Anitkabir
Anıtkabir is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey...

. Süleyman Demirel
Süleyman Demirel
Sami Süleyman Gündoğdu Demirel, better known as Süleyman Demirel , is a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister seven times and was the ninth President of Turkey.-Life:Demirel was born in İslamköy, a town in Isparta Province...

 (civil engineer) and Turgut Özal
Turgut Özal
Halil Turgut Özal was Prime Minister of Turkey and President of Turkey . As Prime Minister, he transformed the economy of Turkey by paving the way for the privatization of many state enterprises.-Early life and career:...

 (electrical engineer) are the two former presidents of Turkey. Necmettin Erbakan
Necmettin Erbakan
Necmettin Erbakan was a Turkish engineer, academic, politician , who was the Prime Minister of Turkey from 1996 until 1997. He was Turkey's first Islamist Prime Minister...

 (mechanical engineer) is a former prime minister of Turkey.

See also

  • Technical university
  • Turkish universities
  • Top Industrial Managers for Europe
    Top Industrial Managers for Europe
    Top Industrial Managers for Europe is a network of more than fifty engineering schools and faculties and technical universities....

     (TIME) network of technology universities
  • ITUpSAT1
    ITUpSAT1
    ITUpSAT1 is a single CubeSat built by Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics of the Istanbul Technical University. It was launched on September 23, 2009 using PSLV from India and became the first Turkish university satellite to orbit the Earth...

    , first Turkish university satellite
  • Radio ITU
    Radio ITU
    Radio ITU is the first university radio in Turkey. Radio ITU is located in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering building in Maslak campus.- External links :* , official website* * *...

  • CESAER Association
    CESAER Association
    The Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research is a non-profit association of leading engineering universities in Europe. CESAER was set up on May 10, 1990, with headquarters in Leuven, Belgium...


External links

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