Honorary Doctorate to Hakan Altınay in Our 250th Anniversary Doctorate Graduation Ceremony

ITU’s 250th Anniversary Doctorate Graduation Ceremony took place on 20 June 2023 at Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center. Hakan Altınay, one of our graduates, was awarded honorary doctorate for his successful work in robotics and software areas, while our graduates who completed their doctorates were presented their diplomas by our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu.

Istanbul Technical University’s 250th Anniversary Doctorate Graduation Ceremony took place on 20 June 2023 at Süleyman Demirel Cultural Center. ITU Department of Astronautical  Engineering graduate Hakan Altınay was awarded honorary doctorate for his successful work in robotics and software areas, while our graduates who completed their doctorates were presented their diplomas by our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu.

The ceremony started with a moment of silence and the Turkish National Anthem, after which a concert was given by our artist Dr. Erdem Şimşek from ITU TMSC Instrument Department.

Making the opening speech of the ceremony, our Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu emphasized that the good results obtained from ranking agencies such as THE and QS  indicate that ITU’s success has become permanent and addressed our graduates as follows: “The doctorate diplomas we will present to you today have a special importance. You have personally experienced ITU’s 250^th Anniversary enthusiasm. We have witnessed this historical period together. Thus, you become the 250^th year graduates of Istanbul Technical University. Our 2023 graduates had such a chance. I congratulate all of you once again.”

Honorary doctorate to our graduate Hakan Altınay

At the ceremony, after our Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Şule Itır Satoğlu read the Senate decision regarding the conferral of honorary doctorate to Hakan Altınay, our university’s Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics graduate Hakan Altınay was awarded the title of honorary doctorate “in recognition of his entrepreneurship and establishing international companies operating in areas such as electromechanics, robotics and software, and developing advanced technology products that contribute to the development of our country with his R&D studies”.

Hakan Altınay, in his speech of thanks to the PhD graduates, talked about his undergraduate education at ITU and the process of starting his studies in the field of robotics: “The Department of Astronautical Engineering had just opened the year I entered. We received a very intense and rigorous education. ITU equipped us very well with the education it provided. Even after our graduation, it was always with us with the opportunities it provides. ITU is not only a pioneering university in our country, but also a university that always supports its graduates and students in the best way possible.

“Being an ITU member is a privilege”

Speaking on behalf of the 250^th Year doctorate graduates, Dr. Tuğçe Bilen congratulated all her friends for their studies during their education and said, “Being an Istanbul Technical University member is a privilege. I am very happy and proud to have this privilege.” Director of the Graduate School Prof. Dr. Ahmet Duran Şahin expressed that graduate students and graduates are one of the most important sources for universities to develop themselves.

After the speeches, Prof. Dr. Koyuncu presented awards to winners of 2022 Outstanding Doctoral Awards and Best Graduate Thesis Awards and their supervisors, and then the diplomas of 250^th Anniversary graduates.

The Doctorate Graduation Ceremony ended after the group photo shoot and the cap throwing of the graduates.

Click to access ITU 250^th Anniversary Doctorate Graduation Ceremony album.

Click to watch the ceremony.