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October 17, 2025 - GTU Office of Press and Public Relations Gebze Technical University (GTU) joyously launches its new academic year with the participation of Prof. Haluk Görgün, Secretary to the Presidency of the Defense Industries of the Republic of Türkiye. The opening ceremony features an awards presentation for academic achievements and a meaningful discussion of innovations in the defense industry.
GTU held its 2025–2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony on October 17, 2025, in the White Hall of the GTU Congress and Cultural Center. Prof. Haluk Görgün, as the guest of honor, attended the ceremony along with Osman Boyraz, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure; İlhami Aktaş, Governor of Kocaeli; MPs Prof. Saadettin Hülagü, Veysel Tipioğlu, and Nail Çiler, Rear Admiral Selçuk Akarı, Commander of Naval Education, Training and Garrison; Hasan Soba, Acting Mayor of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality; GTU Rector Prof. Hacı Ali Mantar; Prof. Nuh Zafer Cantürk, Rector of Kocaeli University, Prof. Muzaffer Elmas; Rector of Kocaeli Health and Technology University; Metin Kubilay, District Governor of Dilovası; Muzaffer Bıyık, Mayor of Darıca; Osman Bilgin, Deputy Mayor of Tuzla; Prof. Abdurrahman Akyol, Director of Teknopark Istanbul; Hasan Tahsin Tuğrul, President of the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry Assembly; Mikdat Aydın, Vice-President of Gebze Chamber of Commerce; GTU senior administration and academics; institutional and organizational representatives; students; industrial zone presidents; and members of the press. The ceremony began with a moment of silence and the national anthem.
Rector Prof. Hacı Ali Mantar: “We Shape the Future in Light of Science” In his opening remarks, GTU Rector Prof. Hacı Ali Mantar wished for a fruitful academic year and emphasized the university’s vision shaped by science, research, and youthful energy. Mantar summarized GTU’s recent progress as follows: • The launch of three new undergraduate programs: Industrial Design, Management Information Systems and Data Science & Analytics • A 25–50% improvement in YKS (university entrance exam) rankings • A 65% increase in international student enrollment, representing 61 different countries • A 950% increase in international projects and a 230% growth in non-Erasmus collaboration agreements • An eightfold growth in revolving fund income
Mantar also noted that new dormitories, a health center, and recreational facilities are strengthening the social life on campus, moving toward the goal of making it a “24/7 living campus.” He expressed pride in Prof. Görgün’s opening lecture and highlighted that the visionary projects initiated during Görgün’s rectorate have propelled GTU toward becoming one of Türkiye’s leading research universities.
Prof. Haluk Görgün: “Reaching the Top in Defense Industry with National Technology” Prof. Görgün delivered the first lecture of the year titled “New Horizons in the Turkish Defense Industry: Technology, Engineering, National Competence, and the Future.” He underlined that the defense industry is built upon reliability, rapid decision-making, and advanced technology. He cited the SİPER project and its ecosystem comprising 10 universities, 50 SMEs, and 750 subcontractors as a strong example of collaboration.
Görgün also noted that Türkiye currently ranks 11th in global defense exports and aims to enter the top 10 in 2025 with over USD 8 billion in exports. With a sector turnover exceeding USD 20 billion and a high domestic ratio, he emphasized the industry’s substantial contribution to the national economy. Görgün further remarked that the average age of professionals in the defense sector is 34, significantly younger than international counterparts whose averages are in the fifties. He illustrated that unmanned aerial vehicles generate up to USD 10,000 per kilogram in value and electro-optical cameras yield USD 20,000–50,000, comparing them to high value-added products.
Highlighting the importance of university-industry collaboration, Görgün called attention to prioritized R&D roadmaps and rigorous qualification processes guiding Türkiye’s rise as a global player in defense. He concluded by stressing the critical role of young engineers and researchers within this ecosystem.
A Ceremony Full of Awards Following the lecture, GTU presented several awards under the GTU Personnel Award Principles Directive, along with TEKNOFEST 2025 Achievement Awards and contributor recognition. The awards were distributed as follows: • Research Incentive Award: Assoc. Prof. Özgün Yücel, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering • Instructor of the Year: Zeynep Karadeniz-Cisdik, Department of Foreign Languages • Loyalty Awards: Prof. Oya Erdil, Prof. Osman Öztürk, Prof. Ferruh Özcan, Assoc. Prof. Fatma İnci Özdemir, Şenol Çam, Alparslan Durukan, Güvengez Durmaz • Service Awards: Prof. Tamer Yağcı, Dilara Akıncı, Önder Diyapoğlu, Beyhan Akçeşme, Caner Demir • Doctoral Thesis of the Year Awards: Bengisu Çiftçioğlu-Gözüaçık (PhD), Hatice Büşra Lüleci (PhD), Melike Artar-Bıyıklar (PhD), Gökben Aydilek (PhD) • Master’s Thesis of the Year Awards: Alper Tunaboylu, Esma Mutlu, Zehra Köle, Ayberk Baykal
At TEKNOFEST 2025, GTU set a record by participating with 107 teams. Notable achievements included: • Kılavuz Kaizen Rocket Team: Second place in the A-2 Medium Altitude category • Blokkurdu Team: Second place in the Blockchain + Artificial Intelligence category for “TomBlok” • Geotech Team: Second place in TÜBİTAK University Research Project Competition with “AI-Supported Real Estate Decision Support Tools”
GTU also presented appreciation plaques to supporting contributors, including İshakoğlu Mining, Green Chemicals, Sarkuysan, Yamantürk–GÜRİŞ, Türkiye Şişe ve Cam Fabrikası, Mobel Kimya, Sinerji Food Chemistry Textile Industry & Trade Co., Abdurrahman Aslantaş (President of the Gebze Chamber of Commerce), Prof. Tahir Büyükakın (Mayor of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality), Zinnur Büyükgöz (Mayor of Gebze), and Muzaffer Bıyık (Mayor of Darıca).
The ceremony concluded with a group photo on stage featuring all awardees. Please click here to view the photos from the award ceremony |
