Yıldız Technical University

Yıldız Technical University is one of the seven government universities situated in İstanbul besides being the 3rd oldest university of Turkey with its history dating back to 1911. It is regarded as one of the best universities in the country as well. Our university has 10 Faculties, 2 Institutes, the Vocational School of Higher Education, the Vocational School for National Palaces and Historical Buildings, the Vocational School for Foreign Languages and more than 25,000 students.

History

The stages our university has passed through in its distinguished past are outlined below.Kondüktör Mekteb-i Âlisi/ The Conductors (Technicians) School of Higher Education(1911-1922) The Kondüktör Mekteb-i Âlisi/Conductors (Technicians) School of Higher Education was founded in 1911 in order to meet the “science officer” (known previously as conductors, and today as technicians) requirement of the Municipality Public Works Section. The school was modelled on the syllabus of the “Ecole de Conducteur” and was affiliated with the Ministry of Public Works. Enrolment began on 22 August 1911.

Nafia Fen Mektebi / The School of Public Works (1922-1937)

The school’s name was changed to Nafia Fen Mektebi/School of Public Works in 1922 and the duration of education was increased to 2,5 years in 1926 and 3 years in 1931.

The Istanbul Technical School (1937-1969)

Following the increase in public facilities and the requirement for technical services, Law No. 3074 published on 19 December 1936 which came into effect on 1 June 1937 ordered the closure of the Nafia Fen Mektebi and the establishment of the Technical School to supply workforce for the gap between technical officers and professional engineers. The school had a 2-year program for technical officers and a 4-year program for engineering and was given buildings, which are still in use today, from the Yıldız Palace annexes and moved here.

In the early period the school had construction and mechanical science departments educating students as technical officers and engineers. From the 1942-1943 semester on electricity and architecture departments were founded as part of the department of engineering. The Law dated 26 September 1941 on the transfer of the Istanbul School of Professional Engineers and the Technical School to the Ministry of Education transferred the school from the Ministry of Public Works to the Ministry of Education. The decree of the Ministry of National Education dated 7 June 1949 founded the Cartography and Land Survey Engineering Department and began education in the 1949-1950 semester as the first institution for engineers in Turkey in this field. In the 1951-1952 semester the department for the education of technicians was closed. In the 1959-1960 semester a department of specialization was opened at the Istanbul Technical School which awarded the titles of professional engineer and professional architect after a year’s study.
The Istanbul State Engineering and Architectural Academy Period (1969-1982)

The school was established as an autonomous higher education and research institution with Law no. 1184 of State Engineering and Architectural Academies published on 3 June 1969.
Law no. 1472 ruled for the closing of special vocational schools in 1971, and engineering schools were affiliated with the Istanbul State Engineering and Architectural Academy.

The Yıldız University Period (1982-1992)

The Istanbul State Engineering and Architectural Academy and affiliated schools of engineering and the related faculties and departments of the Kocaeli State Engineering and Architecture Academy and the Kocaeli Vocational School were merged to form Yıldız University with decree law no.41 dated 20 June 1982 and Law no. 2809 dated 30 March 1982 which accepted the decree law with changes.

The new university incorporated the departments of Science-Literature and Engineering, the Vocational School in Kocaeli, a Science Institute, a Social Sciences Institute and the Foreign Languages, Atatürk Principles and the History of Revolution, Turkish Language, Physical Education and Fine Arts departments affiliated with the Rectorate.

The Yıldız Technical University Period (1992-)

Law no. 3837 dated 3 July 1992 renamed our university Yıldız Technical University. The Engineering Faculty was divided into four faculties and restructured as the Electrical-Electronics, Construction, Mechanical and Chemical-Metallurgy Faculties and also included the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences within its organization. The Kocaeli Faculty of Engineering and the Kocaeli Vocational School were released from our university to be restructured as Kocaeli University. Today our university has 9 Faculties, 2 Institutes, the Vocational School of Higher Education, the Vocational School for National Palaces and Historical Buildings, the Vocational School for Foreign Languages and more than 20.000 students.