Graduation Joy of Our Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Istanbul Technical University (ITU) graduated undergraduate and graduate students of 2019-2020 Academic Year and 2020-2021 Academic Year with magnificent ceremonies held at the ITU Stadium for three days on 8-9-10 September.

ITU undergraduate and graduate graduation ceremonies, which are celebrated with great enthusiasm every year, lasted for three days on 8-9-10 September at ITU Ayazağa Campus under the pandemic measures. On September 8th, the first day of the ceremonies, 2020 and 2021 graduate students wore their gowns together. ITU graduated a total of 2,581 graduate students, including 1,279 master’s and 176 doctoral students in 2020; 936 master’s and 190 doctoral students in 2021. In the undergraduate graduation ceremonies held on 9 and 10 September, around 6 thousand undergraduate students received their diplomas, including 3,531 students from 2020 and 2,290 students from 2021. Academics, graduates and parents shared the graduation joy of ITU students.

Graduation joy of 247th year and 248th year

247th year and 248th year graduation ceremonies of Istanbul Technical University, which is preparing to celebrate its 250th anniversary, were held at the ITU Stadium with a magnificent organization. In the graduation ceremonies that lasted for three days, it was the graduate students of the university who first threw their caps. Students who finished the academic year were twice happy in the graduation ceremonies. They both met their school and friends, from whom they were separated for a long time due to distance education, and they received their diplomas.

ITU Rector: “I believe that you will reflect ITU’s values and tradition everywhere you go.”

In his speech in the ceremonies, ITU Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu emphasized the importance of being an ITU member and wished the new graduates success in their working lives. Thanking TİM and Vakıfbank who sponsored the graduation ceremonies, Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu addressed the students as: “Dear graduates... You have successfully completed your education in Turkey’s best technical university. In the next period, some of you will start business life right away while some of you will continue to improve yourself academically. I wish success to all of you. I can say this confidently: No matter what road you take with your steps that will shape your future, ITU graduation on your CV will open every door for you. And not only in our country, wherever you go in the world… There is no one who does not know the standards of ITU, its worldwide prestige, and how strong a reference it is in the business world. But I want to emphasize something more important: I think that what makes an institution so strong for nearly 250 years is that it acts with a family consciousness. Because when we say ITU Family, we are talking about a common culture, a sense of belonging and an unbreakable bond … Imagine a family: founded 248 years ago, built our country technically and in terms of infrastructure, took responsibility under all circumstances and made great efforts for the future of our country, raised new values in the field of science, academia, politics, bureaucracy, and business world, raised two presidents and countless prime ministers and ministers, always paved the way for family members with its international connections and accreditations all over the world, always made an impact with its projects and what it produced, designed and built, repeatedly became the best in Turkey and among the best in the world in academic rankings, has always been a pioneer and a guide with its knowledge, experience and infrastructure. You are graduating here today as members of such a strong family. Now you will live your own adventure and leave good memories behind. We will be proud of you as you build your career step by step with the work you do. And I believe that you will reflect ITU’s values and tradition everywhere you go and in everything you do.”

Important names of the business world addressed the new graduates

In the ceremonies, important names of the business world such as ITU Mechanical Engineering 1994 graduate, Eti Maden General Manager and Chairman of the Board Serkan Keleşer, ITU Electronics and Communication Engineering 1989 graduate and Esas Holding Chief Executive Officer H. Çağatay Özdoğru, and  ITU Electrical Engineering 1983 graduate and Turkish Exporters Assembly Chairman İsmail Gülle addressed the new graduates.

Hüseyin Umutcan Ay from ITU Management Faculty, Management Engineering Department, who completed Istanbul Technical University’s (ITU) 2020-2021 academic year with an average of 4.00, made the valedictory speech. After his speech, he was given the first medal and his diploma by Council of Higher Education (CoHE) President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar and  ITU Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu.

Chairmen and Presidents together in the ceremony 

ITU 2020-2021 Academic Year undergraduate graduation ceremony brought together Council of Higher Education (CoHE) President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, ITU Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu, Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) Chairman İsmail Gülle, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, AKP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Osman Nuri Kabaktepe. CoHE President Prof. Dr. Özvar’s son Mehmet Asım Özvar, who graduated from Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s son Mehmet Selim İmamoğlu, who graduated from Department of Civil Engineering, and AKP Provincial Chairman Kabaktepe’s daughter Ravza Kabaktepe, who graduated from Department of Urban Planning and Architecture received their diplomas. Gülle, who graduated from ITU 39 years ago but lost his diploma, was given a new diploma by ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Koyuncu.

In the ceremonies, students who experienced the joy of graduation and faculty members were invited to the stage for taking photos. Meanwhile, the names of the students who finished their departments as first, second and third were read. ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory Voice Training Department graduate Simge Sağın gave a mini concert. The ceremony ended with the oath taken by the students with ITU Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Şule Itır Satoğlu and cap throwing.