Department of Mechanical Engineering

By its general definition, engineering is a profession that presents matter and energy in nature for the benefit of mankind by developing economic methods, using the knowledge gained by theoretical and experimental research revealed by mathematics and basic sciences. Mechanical Engineering, on the other hand, is a discipline that deals with the design and production of tools, devices, machines, systems and processes that society needs in daily life, and its history dates back to ancient times. Today, modern mechanical engineering discipline covers the main topics of mechanics, thermo-fluid systems and energy, control, materials and manufacturing, as well as computer-aided design, modeling and analysis of systems. It is also necessary to see mechanical engineers as the professionals responsible for designing and performing their functions defined as tasks in a way that is efficient, safe, economical and respectful of the environment and ethical values.

It is possible to accept the profession of Mechanical Engineering, which currently has the widest field of study in our country and in the world, as well as today's profession as in the past. First of all, it is worth noting that the areas and topics of mechanical engineering discipline are very wide. From heating installations to nuclear power plants, from bicycles to sports cars, from washing machines to petro-chemical plants, from refrigerators to ice rinks, all topics are of interest to mechanical engineering. Design and manufacturing of machines and/or equipment for petro-chemical, food, iron and steel, shipbuilding, aerospace, automotive and textile industries; hydro-electric, nuclear and thermal power plants, air-conditioning systems are the basic functions of mechanical engineers and they take on duties R&D (research and development), operations, maintenance, production, quality control, design, project development, marketing, contracting, consulting and administrative tasks within the scope of services.

Department of Mechanical Engineering was established in 2007 and its first mechanical engineers were graduated in 2011. Currently, four undergraduate programs are conducted in the Department:

·       Mechanical Engineering (English) (Program started to enroll students in 2007 and is still being conducted),

·       Mechatronics Engineering (English) (Program started to enroll students in 2011 and is still being conducted),

·       Automotive Engineering (English) (Program started to enroll students in 2012 and stopped enrollment of new students in 2019. The program will continue to be run until the enrolled students graduate),

·       Mechanical Engineering (Turkish) (Program started to enroll students in 2013 and stopped enrollment of new students in 2020. The program will continue to be run until enrolled students graduate).

The Department also offers master's degree programs in Mechanical Engineering (English) with and without a thesis dissertation.

In a world that faces to the reality of globalization, English still retains its validity and importance as a common language, especially used in technical sciences. Currently, the professionals who manage industrial organizations consider it necessary for engineers to have an English language and use it effectively. With the university administration's decision to offer education and training opportunities to international students, and considering the available technical resources on earth are in English, the language of the conducted programs has been decided to be English.

By taking the advantage of strong mechanical engineering infrastructure of the Department, education/training is also provided in Mechatronics and Automotive Engineering Programs, whose employment and applications are becoming prominent today and which significantly overlap with Mechanical Engineering subjects in terms of their contents. In the Mechanical, Mechatronics and Automotive Engineering Programs carried out by the Department, besides professional knowledge and skills, education that provides a good infrastructure is offered to those who aim to move to different fields in the future. In undergraduate programs conducted, skills such as designing, analyzing, problem solving, reasoning, reaching conclusions, creative thinking, working in teams, making experiments, and communication are spread throughout the courses, and they are tried to be acquired by students by blending them with professional knowledge in a programmatic and systematic way.

Students studying in the programs of the Department are also offered double major and minor opportunities, including a wide range of other undergraduate programs conducted in and out of the Faculty of Engineering.

The vision of Mechanical Engineering Department at Işık University is defined as follows:

"To be the focus of national mechanical, mechatronics and automotive engineering education and training at undergraduate and graduate levels"

The mission of the Department is outlined as follows:

"To graduate contemporary mechanical, mechatronics and automotive engineers to the society who;

·       will be able to work successfully as technical, managerial and R&D staffs of public and private sector industrial organizations, by conducting updated undergraduate and graduate programs with international recognition,

·       will be able to contribute to science and national values by carrying out independent technological work at the international level as well as national level,

·       will have self-confidence with the habit of working together and updating ability with respecting environmental, cultural and ethical values."

 

National and international accreditation activities of undergraduate programs carried out by the Department are being intensively carried out. Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Program in English has been accredited by MÜDEK^(*) on July 2016, for five years.  The graduates of the program have been entitled to receive EUR-ACE ^(**) label in their diplomas. In this context graduates will significantly improve the visibility and recognition of their diplomas in national and international level. The accreditation activities and process for Mechatronics Engineering Undergraduate Program is also continued with the same intensity.

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^(*) It is a nationwide engineering program evaluation/accreditation organization, whose competence and authority are recognized by YÖK (Higher Education Council of Turkey) and is an active member of the ENAEE and IEA international engineering program accreditation head organizations currently.

^(**) The EUR-ACE label is a certificate issued to engineering undergraduate programs accredited by the accreditation organizations authorized by ENAEE (for example, MÜDEK of Turkey) and is important for ensuring that diplomas belonging to the graduates of the program are recognized by the relevant institutions of European ENAEE Member States.