14 Aug 2020
Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu was appointed as Rector
Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu was appointed as Rector of Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) with the Presidential Decree.
News: İTÜ Media and Communication Office
İTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu started his duty with the change of command ceremony held at İTÜ. Speaking at the ceremony, İTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu was quoted; “As of 13.08.2020, I have been appointed as the Rector of Istanbul Technical University. I would like to express my gratitude to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who deemed this duty worthy of me. It is a great honor for me to be appointed as the Rector of a deeply rooted university. With all my respect, I remember all our Rectors who have served since the foundation of our university and I extend my gratitude to all of them.”
İTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Koyuncu continued his words as follows:
“We will work hard together for İTÜ to take further steps. We aim to create a research and development ecosystem that will tell our past well, benefit from our experiences and will shape the future with the power driven from here, and enable groundbreaking activities. Our most important goal is to grow with research centers as a research university, to involve students in more research and practice, and to have more foreign students and faculty members in the system.
Each member of Istanbul Technical University, with a distinguished body of faculty and administrative staff, is very important for us, our country and all humanity. Turkey’s most outstanding students always prefer İTÜ. With the harmonious union of these two powers, our university will be one of the leading educational and research institutions in the world. In this context, international cooperation is also very important. Close cooperation will be established with distinguished institutions of the world, cooperation protocols will be signed and these protocols will be effectively followed up.
In the context of Turkey’s 2023, 2053 and 2071 vision, we will contribute to educate graduates compatible with science, technology and culture policies, who are equipped with knowledge and capabilities. We will form the infrastructure for local and national technology in priority areas, we will have a say in regional and global area, and will work for a sustainable İTÜ brand.
We will all work with one heart for being a leader and leading university by reaching our goals with a fair, equitable and accessible management philosophy.”
About İTÜ Rector, Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu
Born in 1974 in the village of Ziyaret, Suruç district of Şanlıurfa, where his family resided due to his father’s duty; Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu completed his primary, secondary and high school education in his hometown, Antalya.
Prof. Dr. Koyuncu graduated from Istanbul Technical University Environmental Engineering Department, which he started in 1990, and finished in 1995 as the second in the department. He completed his master’s degree in 1997 and his doctorate in 2002 in the same department.
Prof. Dr. Koyuncu became associate professor in 2004 and professor in 2010 and is currently working as a professor at the Department of Environmental Engineering, Istanbul Technical University. Besides, since 2019, he has been teaching as a visiting professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University (USA).
In 2002-2003, Prof. Dr. Koyuncu completed his post-doctoral studies in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University, one of the leading universities in the USA, with the scholarship granted by TÜBİTAK NATO B1. Afterwards, he took part in many projects as a visiting researcher at the University of Leuven (Belgium) for two months in 2003 and again at Rice University for a year in 2004.
Prof. Dr. Koyuncu held many academic and administrative positions through his career among which are Director of İTÜ Institute of Science and Technology (2012-2018), Member of İTÜ Board of Directors (2012-2016), Member of İTÜ Senate (2012-2018), Member of İTÜ Civil Engineering Faculty Board (2015-2018) and Member of the Commission for İTÜ Environmental Engineering Department.
Besides his membership of Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA); Prof. Dr. Koyuncu was elected a Member of the Committee for Climate Change and Health under the Asian Academy of Sciences in 2019 and a board member of Membrane Technologies Group under the International Water Association (IWA), positions which he actively carries on.
Prof. Dr. Koyuncu has been a member of Associate Professorship Commission of the Interuniversity Board since 2016. Within TÜBİTAK, Prof. Dr. Koyuncu acted as Presidency for TÜBİTAK Technology and Innovation Support Programs (TEYDEB), Executive Board Member for Biotech Group (2015-2017) and Consultant for TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) Environment and Cleaner Production Institute (2014-2017).
Prof. Dr. Koyuncu actively took part in numerous applied engineering projects, providing consultancy to many public and private organizations on issues related to his field. Prof. Dr. Koyuncu gave trainings and executed many projects on issues of infrastructure, waste management and recycling under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, Union of Municipalities of Turkey (TBB), Turkey Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), the General Directorate of the Etimaden and Turkey Water Institute.
Prof. Dr. Koyuncu gave trainings in the field of environmental and infrastructure engineering at Islamic Countries Statistics, Economic and Social Research and Training Center (SESRIC) within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The design and project trainings on water recovery, which were held in Palestine-Ramallah and given to the engineers of the Palestinian Water Union is the most prominent among these trainings.
Within the scope of his social responsibility activities, Prof. Dr. Koyuncu acted as a Member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Foundation and as a Member and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation.
He was awarded with YÖK Outstanding Achievement Award (Advisor for the Science and Engineering Sciences Doctoral Thesis of the Year Award) in 2019, TÜBİTAK Incentive Award in Engineering in 2008, International Award by the Economic Cooperation Organization in 2009 and the Special Award for his articles published in 2001 by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry Environment Awards in the Institution / Foundation Category.
Prof. Dr. Koyuncu is fluent in English and possesses fluent communication skills. He is married and has three children, 1 girl and 2 boy.