istanbul university

Istanbul Technical University (ITU), established around 241 years ago, originated during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III as a naval engineering school. Over the years, its scope expanded to include military training, architecture, and engineering, eventually becoming one of the world's oldest technical universities.

In 1944, it was renamed Istanbul Technical University. Today, it is recognized as one of the top engineering universities globally, ranking 165th worldwide (2015, ÖSYM) and among the top 10 universities in Turkey. It also ranked 24th in Asia (2014) and 7th among BRICS and emerging economy universities, according to Times Higher Education.

ITU has played a key role in both the modernization of the Ottoman Empire and technological development in modern Turkey. The university hosts over 22,300 students and approximately 2,000 academic staff.

Notable alumni include former Turkish presidents and prime ministers like Turgut Özal, Süleyman Demirel, Necmettin Erbakan, as well as Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk.

In 2015, an ITU team introduced the solar-powered Turkish car "Aruna", capable of reaching speeds of 70 km/h, with energy costs as low as 2 dollars for 500 km, and a solar battery that charges within two hours.