Ethical Behavior Principles for neutral platform
ITU adopts the following Ethical Behavior Principles for neutral platform and "safe" space for different political stakeholders to come together to frankly discuss challenges:
● “Academic freedom and autonomy: Academic freedom means that academics should be free to acquire, develop, and communicate knowledge individually or collectively through research, investigation, discussion, documentation, production, teaching, narration, and writing. Academic autonomy, on the other hand, is the independence of higher education institutions from all other state and societal powers in making decisions regarding their academic operations; in education, research, community service, international relations, and other related activities; and in establishing their own policies.
● Academic integrity: Acting in accordance with the ethical principles and standards that must be followed in academic circles, which ensure society's trust in science and scientists; acting openly and responsibly in all academic activities.
● Protection and strengthening of fundamental rights and freedoms: It is essential that higher education institutions protect and support the fundamental rights and freedoms of all members of society, including their own staff.
● Respect for others: Members of higher education institutions must respect and value the differences of individuals, not tolerate behavior such as discrimination and harassment, treat colleagues, employees, students, stakeholders, and external units and individuals with respect and courtesy, and take into account the dignity and personality of all individuals with whom they interact.”
The responsibilities of academicians to provide a safe space for political stakeholders to come together to frankly discuss challenges are as below:
“2.1. Responsibilities of teaching staff towards their colleagues
● (a) To behave fairly and respectfully towards colleagues, whether in an academic or administrative capacity
● (b) Defend the academic rights and freedoms of colleagues
● (c) Be fair, impartial, and unbiased when presenting professional opinions or evaluations regarding the work of colleagues; refrain from knowingly making false or malicious statements about colleagues
● (ç) Refrain from disclosing confidential or personal information about colleagues unless legally required to do so.
● (d) To assist in the professional development of colleagues
● (e) Not to discriminate against colleagues on grounds of race, language, religion, age, gender, ethnic origin, disability, or for political, arbitrary, or personal reasons.
● (f) Not arbitrarily obstructing colleagues from exercising their professional rights and authorities and performing their duties.
● (g) Not exerting pressure or coercion to influence colleagues' professional decisions.”
2.2 Responsibilities of teaching staff towards their own scientific fields
● (c) Not to make misleading statements or false declarations regarding professional qualifications in applications for professional positions, or to deliberately conceal facts about their competence and qualifications.
● (f) Not to serve on appointment, promotion, or evaluation committees, act as a judge, or undertake expert witness duties in relation to persons with whom they have a “conflict of interest” or “conflicting interests.”
2.3 Responsibilities of teaching staff towards the university
● (c) To treat members of higher education institutions with respect and fairness, not to use them for personal gain or private business, and not to harass them verbally or physically.
● (d) Not to use their institutional and professional position for personal gain.
2.4 Responsibilities of teaching staff towards society
● (a) Strive to play an active role in serving society by contributing to the development of society's economic, social, cultural, and intellectual capacity.
● (b) Distinguish between scientific findings and personal opinions in statements directed at society.
● (e) When making statements on any administrative matter, to be careful to distinguish between their own views and the institutional views of the university.
● (ç) To make issues concerning the country's scientific, cultural, social, and economic progress and development the subject of teaching and research, to present the results for the benefit of society, and to share their thoughts and suggestions with society.”
4.1 Responsibilities of teaching staff regarding education and instruction
● (d) Providing support and assistance to students with disabilities as required by relevant laws
4.2 Responsibilities of teaching staff regarding students
● (b) Encourage students to learn the fundamental values and principles of the profession or discipline, to freely express their ideas, and to think independently.
● (c) Evaluate students' work and performance fairly, impartially, and honestly; contribute to students' learning through evaluations; and provide timely and constructive feedback.
5.1. Ethical values and principles to be observed by members of higher education institutions in the provision of services
● (a) To act in accordance with the principles of respect for the law, legality, justice, equality, honesty, transparency, and accountability in actions and transactions within the scope of community service, not to discriminate on the basis of language, religion, worldview, political opinion, race, age, gender, or similar reasons when performing duties and providing services, and not to engage in behavior or practices that violate or restrict human rights and freedoms or prevent equal opportunity.”
6.1. Ethical values and principles to be observed by higher education institution administrators
● (a) To respect the personal dignity and professional integrity of university members.
● (b) Not to discriminate among university members on the basis of language, race, color, gender, appearance, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion, sect, or similar grounds.
● (c) To work towards the realization of academic autonomy; to regard academic freedom and the coexistence of different thoughts and opinions as fundamental values of university life.
● (j) To adhere to the principle of impartiality in relations with political institutions and other civil society organizations.”
ITU Public Announcement regarding providing neutral platform and safe space for different political stakeholders to come together to frankly discuss challenges:
“Our university is an institution that encourages critical thinking and the free expression of different ideas, while showing the utmost respect for social values.
Just as it is a natural right not to agree with an idea, lifestyle, or belief, attempting to silence that difference through force is equally contrary to ITU's two-and-a-half-century legacy and culture of coexistence. There is a very clear distinction between the democratic right to protest and criticize and the use of violence or physical force to suppress expression, and the latter is absolutely unacceptable.
We would like to emphasize once again that the Rector's Office is the rectorate of all our students, regardless of their political views, lifestyle, beliefs, or thoughts. Our most fundamental duty is to establish a fair, free, and respectful campus environment where every student, without discrimination, feels like a valued member of this family and feels safe.”
https://haberler.itu.edu.tr/haberdetay/2025/07/13/kamuoyu-bilgilendirmesi-13072025
Diversity and equality officers to provide safe space
ITU administration tasks diversity and equality officers to make sure that various stakeholders including political stakeholders can come together to frankly discuss challenges.
● Gender Equality Officers, Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination Prevention Board
● ITU Disabled Student Unit
● The Office of International Affairs
● ITU Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Club
● I.T.U. Women Studies Center in Science Engineering
● ITU Social Innovation Research and Application Center
Education for Political Stakeholders
ITU Humanities and Social Sciences Department and ITU Political Studies Master of Arts Program and are safe spaces for political stakeholders to come together to frankly discuss challenges
ITU Humanities and Social Sciences Department
The curriculum in humanities and social sciences is open to traditional analysis, techniques and approaches in areas such as history, moral philosophy, philosophy of art, political philosophy and theory, philosophy of science and technology, as well as new methods and alternative approaches that are emerging in this field within a developmental process.
ITU Political Studies Master of Arts Program
The Master of Arts in Political Studies Program aims to foster the ability to make theoretically sophisticated and methodologically rich analyses of contemporary local, national, regional and global politics. Its mission is to prepare nationally and internationally creative and pioneering graduates who reconcile their identities with global values, continuously develop their competence and creativity, and bear deeper respect for the environment, society and ethical values. The Program aims at developing the ability to conduct distinctive, original and critical analysis for better understanding the fast-shifting political realities in our post-globalization world.
ITU Political and social Thought Doctor of Philosophy Program
The Program seeks to develop individuals’ ability to relate different applications of politics with sensibilities to pluralism, justice and difference, and to approach contemporary problems critically. It aspires to become an independent, original and pioneering platform for engaged, creative, and socially responsible scholarship.
Events and Articles
ITU organises events and publishes articles to encourage different political stakeholders to come together to frankly discuss challenges.
ITU Model United Nations
Istanbul Technical University Model United Nations Club formed in 2013. The club's mission is to increase participants' awareness of cultural, social, economic, and political issues in world history through research, discussion, and problem-solving methods; to help nurture academically strong individuals by offering practical experiences in foreign language and history.
The club's vision is to announce the social achievements of its experienced and enthusiastic students alongside the technical achievements of Istanbul Technical University, to elevate the name of ITU, and to become one of the leading names in the MUN community, first in Türkiye and then in the world.
At the 8th ITUMUN Conference held this year, delegates from ITU, other universities, and high schools gathered at our Ayazağa Campus from February 6-9 with the aim of finding solutions to the world's critical issues from their perspectives. ITU provided nearly 500 university and high school delegates with the opportunity to gain experience in foreign language development, diplomatic skills, and international relations by addressing global issues in 10 different UN Committees and the UN General Assembly simulation during the ITUMUN2025 Conference.
The committees working at the ITUMUN Conference are as follows:
● Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN)
● Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL)
● Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW)
● Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
● Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
● Global Compact (UNGP)
● BRICS+ Summit
● Security Council (UNSC)
● Historical Crisis Committee (HCC)
● World Trade Organization (WTO)
Rethinking Technoscientific Imaginaries in Political Ecology by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Yetişkin Doğrusöz
by Kutsi Aybars Çetinalp | Jun 27, 2025
The research project Rethinking Technoscientific Imaginaries in Political Ecology (Project No. 44898), led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Yetişkin Doğrusöz and supported by the Istanbul Technical University Scientific Research Program (BAP), offers a critical investigation into how society envisions its shared future through science and technology. Rooted in the conceptual framework of technoscientific imaginaries from Science and Technology Studies (STS), the project focuses on the formation of collective visions, particularly in relation to emerging technologies, and their influence on political and ecological discourse.
Technoscientific imaginaries refer to how different social groups imagine, relate to, and negotiate technological futures. These imaginaries shape not only how technologies are developed but also how policies are formed and public life is organized. Importantly, the project emphasizes the need to explore alternative and critical imaginaries, visions that challenge dominant techno-political narratives and open up possibilities for more inclusive, just, and sustainable futures.
Humanities and Social Sciences Colloquium II
As the Sociology Department, we were pleased to welcome Dr. Guido Snel, a faculty member from the University of Amsterdam, as the first speaker of the Spring Semester 2023-2024 for our "Humanities and Social Sciences Colloquium" series, which we also organized last year.
Dr. Guido Snel contributed to our seminar series with his presentation titled "Genocide and Visual History: Preservation of the Visual Legacies of the Srebrenica Genocide." Dr. Snel made a presentation focusing on digital archives, particularly the visual heritage, related to the Srebrenica Genocide.
Prof. Dr. Nurullah Ardıç on Eurocentrism and Ottoman Secularism
On May 31, 2025, Prof. Dr. Nurullah Ardıç was invited to deliver a seminar in Skopje, North Macedonia, titled Eurocentrism, Islam and the Ottoman Modernization. The seminar examined the complex relationship between religion and politics in the context of Ottoman modernization, with a particular focus on the late-Ottoman and early-Republican periods.
Harvard University Hosts Prof. Dr. Tuncay Zorlu for Talk on Ottoman Scientific Innovations
Prof. Dr. Tuncay Zorlu from Department of Sociology, participated in the symposium The Ottoman Scientific Heritage: Past, Present, and Future, held at Harvard University. Organized by the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University and the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, the event celebrated the English edition of The Ottoman Scientific Heritage by Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, translated by Maryam Patton.
State-Led Waterfront Redevelopment: A Critical Examination of Istanbul’s Galataport Project by Assoc. Prof. Aslı Öğüt Erbil
Assoc. Prof. Erbil’s research delves deep into the historical, socio-political, and economic dimensions of Galataport’s redevelopment. Through an extensive review of primary sources, such as governmental reports, policy documents, and academic literature, she reveals the complex dynamics behind the project.
Exploring Climate Leadership in Turkish Municipalities: Insights from Assoc. Prof. Aslı Öğüt Erbil
Assoc. Prof. Erbil from Department of Sociology, employs a narrative research approach, using the personal stories and experiences of these public officials to identify leadership features that contribute to the formulation of climate change policies.
Presentation delivered by Assoc. Prof. Aslı Çalkıvik in the EELISA Symposium
Associate Professor Aslı Çalkıvik participated in the 2nd EELISA Research-Based Learning (RBL) Symposium of the European Engineering Learning Innovation and Science Alliance (EELISA) held in Pisa on 17-19 May 2023 and delivered a talk entitled “Engineerings Meet the Social Sciences: The Possibilities and Challenges for Interdisciplinarity Learning and Collaboration”.
ITU Debate Club
ITU Debate aims to develop its members' ability to speak persuasively and convincingly in front of an audience through club activities. In this context, it organizes weekly meetings, participates regularly in national tournaments, and hosts these tournaments.
Applications are still open for the “Türkiye Debate League Competitions,” which aim to create an environment where our students can express their thoughts and contribute to their general culture and intellectual knowledge base, as part of the cooperation protocol implemented between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).
Science and Technology Talks from ITU
This open access series provides academicians a safe space to discuss science and share their findings with the public.
The “Science and Technology Talks” series, which focuses on the contributions of our academics to science and technology, meets with the audience on ITU’s YouTube channel.
Click to watch the first episode of “ITU Science and Technology Talks.”
Open Science Practices
Location: ITU Mustafa Inan Library, Conference Hall
Date: 20 February 2024
ITU Mustafa İnan Library held a free of charge training series to promote open science practices that support transparency and collaboration in the production of scientific knowledge and to raise awareness about open science elements.
In the first session of the face-to-face series, "Open Access Publishing" was discussed. The content was carried out in an interactive environment within the framework of the questions given below, under the guidance of the trainer and with the support of the participants.
- Where is open access in open science?
- What is open access publishing, how to publish open access, what is the benefit?
- How can you find a reliable open access publisher to publish your research?
- How can the library support you in the process of open access publishing?
The registration form must be filled in for training planning.