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ITU Electrical Engineering Department - History

History of our Department

Origins of the Department of Electrical Engineering can be traced back to the Mechanical and Electrical Institute of University of Istanbul, Faculty of Science in 1926. The department was officialy established in 1934 and Electrical Muhabere Department came into existence with the set up of a Muhabere Department in 1937. When Istanbul Engineering College was transformed to the Istanbul Technical University in 1944, the department was renamed as Faculty of Electricity.

Faculty of Electricity was officialy established in June 15, 1946 with the passing of "Universities Act". There were two subdivisions within the faculty: High Current and Low Current. Today's Department of Electrical Engineering is rooted to the high current division. There were five fields of study in the department in 1945. These were
  1. Electrotechnique and Electric Measurement headed by emeritus Ord. Prof. Burhanettin Sezerar,
  2. Electrical Machines headed by Prof. Fuat Külünk,
  3. Electrical Installation and High Voltage Technique headed by Prof. Fuat Külünk,
  4. High Voltage Transmission Lines headed by Prof. Dr. J. Grabscheid,
  5. Industrial Applications of Electricity headed by Prof. Fuat Külünk.
In 1947, Electrical Machines and Electrical Installation and High Voltage Technique divisions were combined and reneamed as Electrical Machines and Installations under the head of Prof. Fuat Külünk. A year later, Alternating Current and High Voltage Transmission Lines division was combined with Industrial Applications of Electricity and renamed as Energy Transmission and Industrial Applications of Electricity under the head of emeritus Prof. Dr. Cabir Hamdi Sepen. This division was further divided into two subdivisions in 1953: Energy Transmission Division headed by Ord. Prof. Dr. Cabir Hamdi Sepen and Industrial Applications of Electricity headed by Prof. Münir Ülgür. Prof. Dr. Turgut Boduroğlu was appointed as the chair of Electrical Machines and Installations Divisions following the death of Prof. Fuat Külünkin 1952. Prof. Dr. Turgut Boduroğlu remained the head of this division until 1964 when the division was divided into three subdivisions: Electrical Machines headed by Prof. Dr. Turgut Boduroğlu, Electrical Power Systems headed by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bayram and High Voltage Technique headed by Prof. İzzet Gönenç

In the same year, the division of Electrotechnique and Electric Measurement headed by Prof. Haldun Gürmen was divided into three subdivisions:
  • Electrotechnique headed by Prof. Haldun Gürmen,
  • Electromagnetic Fields headed by Prof. Ahmet Akhunlar
  • Electric Measurement headed by Prof. Hasan Önal With the passing of YOK (Council of Higher Education) act in 1982, high current division was transformed into Department of Electrical Engineering and Prof. İzzet Gönenç was appointed as the chair of the department. Prof. Dr. Turgut Boduroğlu and Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bayram were appointed as heads of Electrical Machines and Electrical Power Systems, respectively.

    Industrial Applications of Electricity division became the Department of Control and Computer and Prof. Emin Ünalan was appointed as the chair. The Department of Computer Engineering was established in 1998 and consequently Control Systems Division was became part of the Department of Electrical Engineering.

Administrative Personnel since 1982

Department Chairs (with chronological order):

Prof. İzzet Gönenç, 5.10.1982 - 5.5.1983
Prof. Mehmet İnan, 18.5.1983 - 27.2.1987
Prof. Abdi Dalfes, 17.4.1987 - 13.6.1988
Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Özkaya, 6.10.1988 - 8.5.1991
Prof. Dr. R. Nejat Tunçay, 21.10.1991 - 24.10.1995
Prof. Dr. Emin Tacer, 27.10.1995 - 5.1.1998
Prof. Dr. Nurdan Güzelbeyoğlu, 6.1.1998 - 11.2.2000
Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Özkan, - 2.10.2000
Prof. Dr. Nurdan Güzelbeyoğlu, 12.10.2000 - 15.10.2001
Prof. Dr. Adnan Kaypmaz,
Prof. Dr. Serhat Şeker,

Heads of Divisions (with chronological order):
Electrical Power Systems

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bayram
Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Özkaya
Prof. Dr. Nesrin Tarkan
Prof. Dr. Nusret Yükseler
Prof. Dr. Adnan Kaypmaz
Prof. Dr. Kevork Mardikyan, 03.12.2001 - continues

Electrical Machines

Prof. Dr. Turgut Boduroğlu
Prof. Dr. İlhami Çetin
Prof. Dr. Emin Tacer
Prof. Dr. Nurdan Güzelbeyoğlu
Prof. Dr. A. Faik Mergen

Control Systems

Prof. M. Münir Ülgür
Prof. Dr. Kemal Sarıoğlu
Prof. Dr. Atilla Bir
Prof. Dr. Leyla Gören


The late academic staff who played an important
role in the establishment of the Faculty of Electricity:

Mehmet Refik Fenmen
Ord. Prof. Dr. Burhanettin Sezerar
Ord. Prof. Mehmet Emin Kalmuk
Prof. Fuat Külünk
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Santur
Ord. Prof. Bedri Karafakıoğlu
Ord. Prof. Dr. F. Doppler
Bellatini
Ord. Prof. D. T. Bödefeld
Shönfeld
Dumaset
Prof. Fouche
Prof. Dr. J. Grabscheid

The late academic staff who contributed enormously to the institutization and development of high and low current divisions of the Faculty of Electricity (with chronological order):

Prof. Fuat Külünk
Ord. Prof. Burhanettin Sezerar
Ord. Prof. Dr. F. Doppler
Ord. Prof. Emin Kalmuk
Prof. Dr. G. Swoboda
Prof. Dr. J. Grabscheid
Ord. Prof. D. T. Bödefeld
Prof. Sıdıka Saltan
Prof. Süreyya Elbi
Ord. Prof. Dr. Nami Serdaroğlu
Prof. Nüzhet Serdaroğlu
Prof. Dr. Tarık Özker
Prof. Ahmet Özel
Ord. Prof. Bedri Karafakioğlu
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Santur
Ord. Prof. Dr. Cabir Hamdi Sepen
Prof. Mehmet İnan
Prof. Osman İkizli
Prof. Dr. Ö. Vural Aygen
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akhunlar
Prof. Dr. Adnan Ataman
Prof. Dr. Halis Duman
Öğr. Gör. Turgut Menalioğlu
Öğr. Gör. Mümtaz Akyüz

Retired academic staff who contributed enormously to the development of high current division of the Faculty of Electricity and later on the Department of Electrical Engineering (with chronological order):