Istanbul Technical University hosted EELISA President Dale A. Martin and EELISA Executive Director Sofia Costa d’Aguiar. EELISA officials who visited ITU Ayazağa and Taşkışla campuses received detailed information about the projects and studies carried out at ITU.

During their visit to the Ayazağa Campus and Taşkışla Campus, EELISA President Dale A. Martin and EELISA Executive Director Sofia Costa d’Aguiar received information about the work carried out at our University. Dale A. Martin and Sofia Costa d’Aguiar visited our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu. They also met our Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Lütfiye Durak Ata, Prof. Dr. Bülent İnanç, Prof. Dr. Şule Itır Satoğlu, and Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Kızıl.

Visits to ITU’s research and application centers
ITU attaches particular importance to strengthening its technical and technological presence that will nurture quality. ITU has a rich R&D presence with its nearly 30 education and research centers, as well as more than 400 laboratories that enable students, young researchers, and academicians to conduct scientific studies. These centers and laboratories enable scientific research in many different fields that also constitute essential meeting points for interdisciplinary work.

Mr. Martin and Ms. d’Aguiar received detailed information about the studies carried out from leaders of ITU Research and Application Centers. Moreover, they visited National Research Center on Membrane Technologies (MEM-TEK), ITU Aerospace Research Center (ITUARC), and Nanotechnology Research Center (ITUNano).

“ITU’s energy will provide tangible contribution to our community”
After the visits at ITU, President Dale A. Martin made the following statements: “There are two elements which make EELISA very specific. The first one is the European engineering degree. In quality, it is a very high aim. We as EELISA have set out to design this European engineering degree, and this should be a blueprint not only for EELISA, but beyond EELISA in the not too distant future. This is a real challenge, but EELISA said we are going to do this, and we are doing this. The other one is a little bit the other way around. It is the EELISA Communities and the EELISA credentials for being active, for giving and showing this impact to society, and being part of thinking and doing something about what EELISA, specifically engineers and technical people can give as answers to the challenges of today and the challenges of tomorrow. This is what to my mind is very special and very positive about EELISA. Definitely very exciting and there is a lot to do yet. The interaction among the partners of EELISA is a real, true, and tangible benefit. I am quite confident that we and EELISA can do that. I can feel the energy here at ITU.”

ITU will work in close collaboration with the other partner universities
Expressing that the EELISA delegation was extremely pleased with their visit to ITU, our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu said that as part of the EELISA alliance, ITU will work in close collaboration with the other partner universities in reshaping the “European Engineer” concept and engineering education.

“As Istanbul Technical University, we are happy to be a part of The European Engineering Learning Innovation and Science Alliance, which brings together nine universities with the aim of promoting a model European engineer and architect combining technical competence and societal impact. The Alliance will reshape next generation of European engineers, capable of pursuing their career and leading sustainable change in a multidisciplinary, diverse, multilingual, and global environment, leveraging the European values with ITU’s strong academic staff and the active participation of its hardworking students and with its partners. By strengthening the combination of research and education and by aligning knowledge and commitment, we as ITU will work in cooperation in identifying and helping to solve challenges facing EELISA societies.”

Close interest in ITU project teams
Martin and d’Aguiar received information from students about their projects. EELISA president Dale A. Martin and Sofia Costa d’Aguiar came together with students who obtained success in competitions with their projects. Showing close interest in students’ projects, d’Aguiar said the following about her visit to ITU: “To be an EELISA student means that we hope to bring new opportunities to our students to engage their European citizenship, take part of this alliance, take the mobility as a new opportunity, and take the strengths of our members to be able to tackle a little bit more and to be more active in society. For example the communities that we are putting together in EELISA, communities that will bring together students from the nine members, teachers, researchers, and innovators to tackle societal challenges. That will prepare students better for their professional careers. ITU’s role is quite important. You have a very important role in the topic education by research. You’re the leader of this topic, so bringing together and helping us to put forward the vision that we need to bring new models of higher education. Also I see that with its dynamism and the way they work together, ITU team is bringing a lot of positive influence in terms of innovative educational topics and to see how can we handle and build new models for learning.”