TRACKING APPLICATIONS
Measuring applications & admissions of underrepresented groups
Established in 1773, Istanbul Technical University is one of the world’s oldest universities. Our university is located in Istanbul, a cosmopolitan and multicultural city, which connects the East and West.
ITU students are from various walks of life including potentially underrepresented groups. These groups include ethnic minorities, low income students, non-traditional students, LGBT students and disabled students. Our university takes measures to represent underrepresented groups and tracks the completion of their studies.
Fair Access Scheme
ITU offers equal opportunities by accepting students based only on their academic success.
The rights of underrepresented groups are protected with the law stating that “The following acts warrant suspension of advancement or a penalty involving deduction from one or more salaries: … In the performance of duties, discriminating on the basis of language, race, color, gender, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion, or sect; acting contrary to the requirements of the duty; engaging in behavior that targets the benefit or detriment of individuals.”
https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.2547.pdf
Admissions of Low Income Students
As a public university in Türkiye, ITU provides free education to local students. Students who have exceeded the program duration in first-cycle programs pay a contribution fee.
ITU Rectorate Scholarships and Dormitories Coordinatorship provides accommodation services to our students in the Ayazağa, Gümüşsuyu and Tuzla Campuses with its student dormitories with a capacity of 5300 beds. In addition, various levels of dormitory, food and financial support are provided to our students within the framework of scholarships supported by ITU Foundations, private individuals and institutions.
ITU Rectorate Scholarships and Dormitories Coordinatorship tracks and measures the applications & admissions of low income students.
Need-Based Scholarships are offered to low income students to ensure the completion of their studies. Students can benefit from cash scholarships according to their economic needs. Cash scholarships are provided by ITU Foundations, ITU Alumni and Associations, and other private individuals, foundations, organizations, and institutions.
Admissions of Students With Special Needs
ITU is taking the necessary measures and making arrangements in order to ensure the full participation of Students With Special Needs in the education and training processes, and ensuring their full participation with equal opportunity in all services and activities carried out at the University and the environments they are carried out. The studies of students with special needs are tracked by the ITU Disabled Student Unit.
https://sustainability.itu.edu.tr/docs/librariesprovider76/policies/directive-on-equal-opportunity-%C4%B1n-education.pdf
For this purpose the mentoring, counselling, peer support programmes to support students, staff, faculty from underrepresented groups includes the following actions:
a) The sentence “If you need any academic adaptation, please contact me.” is added to the course syllabuses followed by the faculty members.
b) Faculty members are obliged to keep the personal data of students with special needs sent by the Coordination Unit for Students with Disabilities confidential.
c) Instructors and faculty members cooperate with the Coordination Unit for Students with Disabilities during the preparation of course materials for students with special needs.
d) Classroom locations are selected by considering the possibility of students with ability differences to attend the course and taking into account the physical accessibility conditions; measures are taken in classrooms so as not to cause mobility restrictions for students with special needs.
e) Faculty members deliver the lecture facing the class especially upon request of students with hearing impairment.
f) In line with the request of students who use hearing aids, systems that reduce background noise and negative sound effects in classrooms are provided, which are configured based on current technology.
g) Students who cannot follow the lectures with alternative academic adaptations for their special needs are allowed to follow the lecture sessions by taking audio or video recordings for note-taking and studying purposes. If the student and the course instructor agree, a document guaranteeing the use of the recordings only for the course may be prepared to be signed by the instructor and the student.
h) Faculty members may deliver course materials related to the covered topics before, during or after the course to students who follow the course with assistive technology solutions due to visual impairment or vision loss in digital or printed formats upon the student’s request.
i) In order to ensure that students who follow courses with assistive technology solutions due to visual impairment or vision loss can benefit from computerized application courses in an accessible way, screen reading software, electronic magnifiers and similar appropriate equipment are made available, and cooperation is made with the Coordination Unit for Students with Disabilities for their opinion and guidance while making the necessary adaptations.
j) In line with the request of the student, who has difficulty in comprehending the lesson with 3 the methods provided for everyone due to visual impairment or vision loss, the faculty members describe and detail the visuals in the lesson in order to ensure equality in education.
k) Assignments and projects given to students with special needs are adapted by taking into account the ability differences of the students.
l) At the beginning of the academic year, an orientation meeting is held, which describes the services offered to students with special needs by the Coordination Unit for Students with Disabilities and the duties and responsibilities of the University Units for Students with Disabilities, including the representatives of the relevant administrative service units of the University.
m) Upon request of students with special needs, all course content such as lecture notes and presentations are provided in print and/or electronic format at the beginning of the academic semester (within the first two weeks of the semester) or at least 48 hours before each lecture.
n) Upon request of students with special needs, the syllabus/program, which explains the detailed course plan, weekly topics to be covered, assignments, evaluation criteria, attendance requirements, expectations, etc. in detail, is provided in written and/or electronic format according to the student’s preference.
o) If needed, it is ensured that the courses in which students with special needs are registered are broadcast live on an electronic platform and/or the video recordings of the courses are created in a professional manner, and the students are given access to the video recordings.
● Support can be requested from the Coordination Unit for Students with Disabilities before, during and after exams in order to ensure that students with special needs can continue their education within the framework of the principles of equal opportunity and inclusive education and that their success is not adversely affected.
● All electronic systems and technologies used by the University are tailored to the needs of students with special needs.
● Necessary accessibility arrangements are made for students with special needs who continue their education at the University to benefit from the health services offered by the University.
● With an anti-discriminatory approach, the University encourages students with special needs to participate in cultural and sports activities organized by the University and provides the necessary facilities in this regard.
● In case of disasters and emergencies, necessary arrangements are made by the relevant units so that students with special needs, like all students, can safely leave the place they are in; all activities such as training and informative documents are delivered by making appropriate arrangements that students with special needs can benefit from
Admissions of International Students
The studies of the International students including refugee students and ethnic minorities are tracked by the ITU Registrar's Office.
The admission for the international students does not discriminate on the basis of language, race, color, gender, political opinion, philosophical belief, religion, or sect. International students who are currently seniors or have graduated from a secondary school that offers a curriculum equivalent to a Turkish High School and who satisfy the requirements below may apply to undergraduate programs at Istanbul Technical University. Applications to undergraduate programs are made online, usually in August every year, through the website of the ITU Registrar's Office. International students who are accepted after the applications are evaluated by the relevant faculties, may register to our University individually by coming to ITU Registrar’s Office. After registration individually, students can start their education.
DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY COMMITTEES
ITU administration tasks diversity and equality officers to advise on and implement policies, programmes, and trainings related to diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights on campus as stated in our directives:
Gender Equality Officers, Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination Prevention Board;
“At least two of the permanent Board members are selected from academic staff specializing in gender studies, well-informed of and sensitive to issues related to gender equality, or actively engaged in such issues.”
Disabled Students Officers;
“ITU Disabled Student Unit, which continues its activities within the framework of the regulatory provisions of the Council of Higher Education in force, especially the Turkish Law on the Disabled No. 5378, aims to prevent our students' ability differences from causing a disadvantage in their education life and to contribute to being a more accessible University with inclusiveness studies on the axis of current standards.”
International Students Officers;
“The Office of International Affairs enables qualified international students and academics to engage in education and research activities.”
Low income students:
ITU Rectorate Scholarships and Dormitories Coordinatorship provides students various levels of dormitory, food and financial support.
ITU Humanities and Social Sciences Department Advising on Human Rights;
“The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences consists of three departments: History of Science and Technology, Science, Technology and Society and Political Studies. It provides postgraduate education with 3 Master's Programs and 2 Doctorate Programs.”
ITU Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Club;
The ITU students support each other through the activities of the club.
I.T.U. Women Studies Center in Science Engineering;
“The idea of establishing a center within ITU to best leverage the potential in the field of gender studies led to the creation of our center, which was established by the decision of the YÖK Executive Board dated November 4, 2009, and numbered 5510.
BMT-KAUM (I.T.U. Women Studies Center in Science Engineering) aims to conduct research and studies to ensure equal opportunities for women and men in science, engineering, technology and arts, to increase social awareness on this issue, to monitor relevant practices, to develop databases and indicators, to increase the visibility of the field of women's studies and women's contribution to social/academic life, and to provide continuous and up-to-date publications/documents that will enable the creation of an information center on the subject at the university. The establishment of the center is also important in terms of making comprehensive arrangements that have yet to adopt gender sensitivity in the undergraduate/graduate programs implemented at our university, where the presence of female students and academics is gradually increasing. Therefore, the activities of the center aim to provide academic support to complement and enrich the programs and research implemented in the departments from a gender perspective.”
KAUM Directive
Equality for Diverse Groups
The rights of students and staff are protected with “Directive On Preventing Sexual Harassment And Gender Discrimination With Its Functioning Methods And Principles” by the University. According to the Directive the definitions include:
Harassment on the basis of sexual orientation: any act discriminating against a person or
violating their human rights on the basis of their sexual orientation.
Retaliation: Making disparaging remarks about a person or complicating a person’s work or education life in an implicit or explicit fashion for purposes of revenge because the person has turned down an act or proposal of sexual or romantic nature, or because the person believes that she/he has been sexually harassed or assaulted and wants to proceed or has already proceeded with complaint processes.
Maternity and Paternity Leave
“Female employees are granted a total of sixteen weeks of maternity leave, consisting of eight weeks before childbirth and eight weeks after childbirth. In the case of multiple pregnancies, two weeks are added to the eight weeks of maternity leave before childbirth. However, a female employee who can prove with a doctor's report that her health condition is suitable for work up to eight weeks before the expected date of birth may, if she wishes, work at her institution for up to three weeks before childbirth. In this case, the actual period worked before the birth based on this report is added to the postnatal maternity leave period. If the birth occurs early, the unused portion of the prenatal maternity leave is also added to the postnatal maternity leave period. In cases where the birth occurs before the date on which the pre-birth maternity leave should begin, the period between the date of birth and the date on which the maternity leave should begin is added to the post-birth maternity leave. In the event of the mother's death during or after the use of maternity leave, the father, if he is a civil servant, is granted leave for the same period as that provided for the mother, upon request.
Paternity Leave to be granted to the father: In the event of the mother's death while maternity leave is being used during or after childbirth, the father, if he is a civil servant, will be granted leave for the same period as that provided for the mother, upon request.
● Leave entitlements granted for adoption purposes shall be granted to:
● Civil servants who adopt a child under the age of three together with their spouse,
● Single or married civil servants who adopt a child under the age of three individually,
● Public servants whose non-public servant spouse adopts a child under the age of three individually shall be entitled to these rights.
b) No distinction shall be made between female and male public servants in the exercise of leave rights due to adoption.”
https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2016/04/20160413-10.htm
PROGRAMMES TO SUPPORT UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS
ITU offers mentoring, counselling, peer support programmes to support students, staff, faculty from underrepresented groups as follows;
● Activities for ethnic minorities
Refugee students from Ukraine, Sudan and Palestine
Students who are unable to continue their education due to the war have been granted the right to transfer if they are eligible, and those who are not eligible have been granted the opportunity to be a “special student”, which is in a sense a guest student.
● Activities for low income groups
TÜBİTAK Research Scholarship to Our Students
ITU PhD students Hatice Kübra Özkan and Çiğdem Çakıcı were entitled to receive TÜBİTAK 2214-A PhD Research Fellowship. With this scholarship, our students will conduct scientific research abroad. (24 Jun 2024)
Support from the European Union to Our Faculty Member
ITU Department of Environmental Engineering faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kübra Altuntaş was deemed worthy of support within the scope of ERA Fellowship Plan. (31 May 2024)
TÜBİTAK Scholarship to Our Research Assistant
ITU Department of Geophysical Engineering research assistant Ceyhun Erman was entitled to receive “2214-A PhD Research Fellowship” given by TÜBİTAK. (25 Mar 2024)
Research Scholarship to Our Doctoral Students from TÜBİTAK
Doctoral students from ITU were entitled to receive “TÜBİTAK 2214-A Doctoral Research Fellowship” with the projects they designed based on their theses. (22 Mar 2024)
Support to Our Academics from TÜBİTAK
The 2024 list with 13 projects to be supported within the framework of the POLAR-1001 call made by ARDEB under the conditions determined by TÜBİTAK-MAM Polar Research Center has been announced. Four ITU academics on the list attracted attention with their scientific projects on the poles.
Our Faculty Member Receives TÜBİTAK Scholarship
Our faculty member Dr. Alper Yurttaş has been awarded the “2219 Overseas Postdoctoral Research Scholarship” by TÜBİTAK. (13 Feb 2024)
ITU Opens a New Girls' Dormitory
Another new dormitory for ITU students opened. The opening ceremony for the Haşim Gürdamar Girls' Dormitory, built on the Ayazağa Campus, was held on July 3, 2024.
International Support for Project Aimed at Sustainable and Efficient Agriculture
The project titled “Quantum Dot-Based Nano-Optical Antennas for Sustainable and Efficient Agriculture,” prepared by an academic team led by Prof. Dr. Levent Trabzon, a faculty member at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, and including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Caner Ünlü, a faculty member at the Department of Chemistry, has been awarded funding by the UK Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology in collaboration with the British Council. (25 Oct 2024)
Training to Students in the Earthquake Region by ITU Bellatrix Team
ITU Bellatrix Team, which achieved significant success as the first and only Turkish team accepted to NASA’s human exploration rover challenge HERC, came together with the students of Doğanşehir Science High School, located in the earthquake region, at the Space and Science Festival. (22 Feb 2024)
● Activities for non-traditional groups
Learning Station Design Training for Academics
The Learning Station Design Training for Academics, organized by the ITU Center for Excellence in Education (MEM), was held on March 20. ITU MEM will also provide training for students and EELISA European University academics in the coming weeks. (29 Mar 2024)
ITU Day Brings Together ITU Alumni from Different Generations
The 251st ITU Day, held on May 26, 2024, brought together our alumni who have completed 70, 60, 50, and 40 years in their professions, along with their families, at the ITU Ayazağa Campus, SDKM. (May 29, 2024)
Children of Martyrs and Veterans
Children of Martyrs and Veterans are exempt from fees (within the duration of their education).
● Activities for women
The 10th Issue of Mimoza Magazine is Out!
The 10th issue of Mimoza magazine, prepared by the ITU Center for Women's Studies and Applications in Science, Engineering, and Technology and published by ITU Press, has been released to readers.
The Historical Journey of Turkiye's First Female Engineers
We conducted an interview with Gül Aydın. According to the results of the TÜBİTAK 2214-A Doctoral Research Fellowship, Gül Aydın, who was deemed worthy of spending a year as a visiting researcher at Friedrich Alexander University, answered questions from Fatih Çünkioğlu, News Editor at ITU Communications Directorate, about her doctoral thesis on the first female engineers in our history and their work. (08 Jan 2024)
ITU’s Inspiring Women Engineers
“Inspiring Women Engineers” Panel, organized by ITU WSC in SET, was held at ITU Ayazağa Campus, Prof. Dr. Nahit Kumbasar Conference Hall on March 5, 2024.
“Women Who Choose and Are Chosen” Panel at ITU on Women's Rights Day
The “Women Who Choose and Are Chosen” panel, organized by ITU's Center for Research and Application on Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology as part of Women's Rights Day, was held at the Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center on our Ayazağa Campus on December 4, 2024, and attracted a lot of attention.
Special quota for women over 34 at public universities by YÖK
Women over the age of 34 who could not attend university for various reasons were allocated quotas in associate and undergraduate programs at public universities.
“Where Do Girls Fit into Women's Studies?” Workshop Held
Women's research centers shared their experiences as part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, 2024.
“Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” for EELISA
UNWOMEN 2024 continues to share the inspiring stories of individuals who are bringing the slogan “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” to life. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emine Görgül, Deputy Director of the ITU Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Research and Application Center, was selected from among these inspiring individuals and shared her story with us.
Gender-Sensitive Disaster Management
The panel on “Gender-Sensitive Disaster Management” organized by the ITU Center for Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology Research and Application on March 7, 2023, brought together experts in the field of gender and disaster management.
● Activities for LGBT groups
ITU Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Club
The club continued its activities for the rights and freedom of underrepresented groups throughout the academic year. The instagram page of the ITU Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Club announces the events.
● Activities for disabled groups
Overcoming Communication Barriers for Children with Disabilities Using Artificial Intelligence
Prof. Dr. Hatice Köse, a faculty member at the Faculty of Computer and Information Sciences, was the recipient of the first-ever EELISA Diversity Award in 2023. Prof. Dr. Köse answered questions about her work and the significance of this award. (17 Jan 2024)
Groundbreaking Innovations in Wearable Robotic Technology
In the study led by our faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür Atalay, a groundbreaking soft actuator with the potential to be used in daily life for people experiencing muscle weakness and mobility limitation was developed. (28 May 2024)
EU Erasmus+ Support for the TE(A)CHADOPT Project at ITU
The TE(A)CHADOPT project, coordinated by ITU faculty member Prof. Dr. Hatice Köse, has been awarded funding from the EU Erasmus+ call for proposals. The project, which aims to educate university students on technology-based approaches for children with autism, will begin on December 15, 2024, and will last for three years. (28 Nov 2024)
'Sentiment Analysis in Turkish Sign Language Through Facial Expressions and Hand Gestures'
ITU Department of Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering research assistants won the first prize in the Best Oral-Visual Presentation Article Competition at the IEEE SIU 2024 Conference held on May 15-18.
Türkiye Disabled Sports Assistance And Education Foundation Higher Education Students Tesyev Scholarship
Our foundation provides scholarship assistance to disabled students who are enrolled in associate degree, undergraduate, or graduate programs at a faculty, institute, college, conservatory, or vocational college within a state university, who are committed to Atatürk's principles and reforms, possess national sentiments, have a strong character, are reliable, and successful, and who meet the eligibility criteria specified below, if selected.
Lingify:
This innovative startup, founded by twin siblings at ITU Arı Teknokent, develops science-based and AI-powered digital health solutions to improve the quality of life for individuals with speech and language disorders.
The siblings, one a Speech and Language Therapist and the other a Psychology and Nutrition and Dietetics graduate, combine their expertise from different disciplines to transform science into a solution that improves people's quality of life.
