Istanbul Technical University

Istanbul Technical University Overview

Istanbul Technical University (ITU) is a state university located in Istanbul, Turkey, with its roots dating back to 1773. It was initially established as Mühendishane-i Bahrî-i Hümâyûn in the reign of Sultan III. Mustafa to provide engineering education as a military school. Over time, it evolved into Mühendishane-i Berrî-i Hümâyûn, focusing on training artillery and engineering officers, and later, Hendese-i Mülkiye as its civilian wing.

Today, ITU has multiple campuses across Istanbul and Cyprus, with notable historical buildings like Maçka, Taşkışla, and Gümüşsuyu still being used for education. The university has played a significant role in Turkey's development and achievements in engineering, with various firsts in the country, such as televising, university radio establishment, computer usage in a university, sending a satellite to space, creating the first domestic communication satellite, and building the first domestic unmanned automobile and helicopter.

ITU currently consists of 13 faculties, 39 departments, and 6 institutes, with approximately 25,294 undergraduate students, 11,331 postgraduate students, 3,716 doctoral students, and around 2,241 academic staff. It is unique among Turkish universities in having separate faculties for architecture, construction, machinery, and electrical engineering from its inception.

The university's history is marked by various institutions that eventually merged to form ITU, such as Mühendishane-i Bahr-i Hümâyun, Mühendishane-i Berrî-i Hümâyûn, Hendese-i Mülkiye, Mühendis Mekteb-i Âlîsi, and Yüksek Mühendis Mektebi, which later became Istanbul Technical University.

ITU is internationally recognized for its quality of education, with many engineering departments accredited by ABET, and its architecture faculty accredited by NAAB and maritime faculty accredited by IMO. It is actively involved in international projects and networks, and its students have opportunities for international internships through programs like AIESEC and IAESTE.

In global rankings, ITU has consistently placed among the top 500 universities worldwide and remains one of the leading universities in Turkey. It has achieved high rankings in engineering and natural sciences, as well as in various specialized fields.

ITU campuses, such as Ayazağa, Gümüşsuyu, Taşkışla, Maçka, and Tuzla, provide students with a wide range of social activities. On-campus dining facilities and healthcare services cater to the needs of students and staff. ITU offers a vibrant and enriching student life experience.