Yıldız Technical University Facts for Kids

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Yıldız Technical University
Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi

Former names	Kondüktör Mekteb-i Âlisi/ The Conductors (Technicians) School of Higher Education (1911-1922) Nafia Fen Mektebi/The School of Public Works (1922-1937) The Istanbul Technical School (1937-1969) Architectural Academy (1969-1982) Yıldız University (1982-1992)
Motto	The ever-shining star (*)
Type	State Technical University
Established	1911; 114 years ago (1911)
Affiliation	Caucasus University Association,
President	Tamer Yılmaz
Academic staff	1,675
Students	38,908
Location	Istanbul , Turkey
Campus	Yıldız • Davutpaşa • Maslak
Colors	Navy Yellow

(*) Yıldız means star.

Yıldız Technical University (often called YTU or Yıldız) is a well-known university in Istanbul, Turkey. It focuses on subjects like engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences. It is one of the oldest schools in Istanbul. The main campus is in the Beşiktaş area, and a newer campus is in the Esenler area. The university has ten main departments (called faculties), three special schools, and two institutes.

History of Yıldız Technical University
- How the Campuses Grew
What You Can Study
- Special Schools and Institutes
University Connections
University Rankings
Famous Teachers
Famous Graduates
Gallery
See also

History of Yıldız Technical University

Yıldız Technical University Campus

Yıldız Technical University A Block

Yıldız Technical University Main Square

Yıldız Technical University has a long and interesting history. It started way back in 1911. It was first called Kondüktör Mekteb-i Âlisi, which means "Conductors School of Higher Education." It was created to train "science officers" (who are now called technicians) for public works projects. The school was set up like a similar school in France and was part of the Ministry of Public Works.

In 1922, the school's name changed to Nafia Fen Mektebi, or "School of Public Works." Over the years, the time students spent studying there increased. It went from two and a half years in 1926 to three years in 1931.

As Turkey grew and needed more technical help, the school changed again. The old school closed, and a new "Technical School" opened. This new school trained both technical officers (for two years) and engineers (for four years). The school moved into buildings that were once part of the Yıldız Palace. These buildings are still used today!

At first, the school had departments for civil engineering and mechanical engineering. Later, in 1942, departments for electrical engineering and architecture were added. In 1969, the school became an independent place for learning and research.

How the Campuses Grew

Yıldız Technical University, Faculty of Architecture

Over time, different schools and departments joined together to form Yıldız University. This included the Istanbul State Engineering and Architectural Academy and other related schools. They also added a Science Institute, a Social Sciences Institute, and departments for languages and arts.

In 1992, the university got its final name: Yıldız Technical University. The big Engineering Faculty was split into four smaller faculties: Electrical-Electronics, Construction (Civil Engineering), Mechanical and Chemical-Metallurgy, and Economics and Administrative Sciences. Some parts of the university in Kocaeli became a separate school called Kocaeli University.

What You Can Study

Yıldız Technical University has many different departments, called faculties, where students can learn. Here are some of them:

Faculty of Electric and Electronics
Faculty of Literature and National Culture Studies
Faculty of Arts & Sciences
Faculty of Art and Design
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences
Faculty of Civil Engineering
Faculty of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty of Naval Architecture and Maritime
Faculty of Architecture
Faculty of Applied Sciences

Special Schools and Institutes

Besides the main faculties, there are also other places to study:

Institute of Science and Engineering
Institute of Social Sciences
School of Vocational Studies
School of Foreign Languages

University Connections

Yıldız Technical University is part of the Caucasus University Association. This means it connects with other universities in the Caucasus region to share knowledge and work together.

University Rankings

Yıldız Technical University is known around the world for its quality. In 2018, the Times Higher Education group ranked it among the top 1000 universities globally.

The university is especially strong in engineering. For example, in 2023, it was ranked very highly (among the top 300) for "Electrical & Electronics Engineering" and "Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering" by the QS World University Rankings. For all "Engineering & Technology" subjects, it was ranked 357th worldwide.

Other rankings also show YTU's strength in specific engineering fields like Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, and Chemical Engineering.