For 60 years ODTÜ has been serving society with its qualified graduates, has been transforming industry, and educating society through continuous educational activities, publications, science schools, and open course materials.
With the R&D activities it has run for 60 years, ODTÜ is developing technological solutions to social problems and striving to produce solutions to social problems specific to our country.
With its science festival organized by the Society and Science Center, ODTÜ brings science to all parts of the society, and popularizes science with the Science and Technology Collection and Applied Science Center.
ODTÜ started many firsts for the higher education sector, and with innovative programs has paved the way for important steps in higher education:
- To meet the need for academicians in newly established universities, our university has initiated the Scientific HR Development Program (ÖYP). Within this program, the university has graduated more than 500 doctoral students (including 2015) and continues to train more than 400 academicians for universities in development.
- It trains qualified researchers for the Turkish industry through models such as the Program for Training Researchers for Industry (SAYP), the Collaboration Development Program for Centers (MİGEP), and the Techno-thesis program.
- It has played an important role in the development of support programs to meet the needs of universities in Turkey. Our university developed the SAN-TEZ program which is supported by the Ministry of Science, Industry, and Technology.
- It has set up the first and largest technopolis of Turkey and has set an example for technopolises in their establishment process.
- It was placed in the top rank among the most prestigious universities of Turkey in an evaluation made with respect to criteria such as academic staff, importance attached to innovations and technology, professional and qualified employees, and success of graduates (Turkey Prestige Index 2013, Prestige Workshop, XSIGHT).
- It was rated by students as the “Turkish University with the Richest Social Environment” with the opportunities it offers in terms of science, culture, arts, and sports (Newsweek Nr.92).
ODTÜ will start the “Society University” initiative in 2016 and will develop new programs aimed at serving the society. It will design new activities to be conducted in collaboration with national and international organizations to bring science to the society and popularize it.