Applications Open for the 2025 ITU Awards

The deadline for applications to the traditional “ITU Awards” is December 29, 2025!

The application process has begun for the Istanbul Technical University Awards, which are organized to honor researchers who generate value in the fields of science, education, and society. The 2025 ITU Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Science Award
• Young Academic Achievement Award
• Education and Teaching Awards
• Scientific Authored Work Award
• University-Industry Cooperation Award
• International Cooperation Award
• Innovation Award
• Service Award
• Special Award

As part of the 2025 ITU Awards, the Special Award will be presented in memory of Prof. Dr. Mehmet Nimet Özdaş in the field of Control and Automation Engineering.

The ITU Awards Directive has been updated by the ITU Senate to ensure the awards are granted in a more inclusive manner. Click here for detailed information and to apply for the ITU Awards.

About Prof. Dr. Mehmet Nimet Özdaş

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Nimet Özdaş (March 26, 1921 – June 17, 2014) was one of Türkiye’s distinguished scientists and statesmen who pioneered the fields of engineering, science policy, and public administration. Born in Istanbul, Özdaş graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Istanbul Technical University in 1946 and completed his doctoral studies between 1948 and 1951 at Imperial College and the University of London in the United Kingdom.

Özdaş began his academic career at Istanbul Technical University, earning the title of associate professor in 1952 and full professor in 1961. He conducted research at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) between 1953 and 1955, and at Case Western Reserve University between 1958 and 1959, establishing strong ties with international academic circles during this period.

In 1963, within the ITU Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, he founded Türkiye’s first Chair of Automatic Control, laying the foundation for this field in the country. He chaired this department until his retirement and also served as the founding Director of the ITU Computing Center between 1962 and 1964.

Between 1959 and 1973, Özdaş served as Secretary General and President of the Turkish Automatic Control Institution; between 1964 and 1966, he held the position of Secretary General of TÜBİTAK. From 1968 to 1972, he was a member of the TÜBİTAK Science Board; from 1968 to 1973, he served as the founding Committee Chair and Director of the Marmara Research Institute (now TÜBİTAK MAM); and from 1972 to 1973, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC).

Between 1973 and 1979, he served as Deputy Secretary General for Scientific Affairs at NATO and as Chair of the NATO Science Committee. He also held positions in the governing bodies of the von Kármán Institute and AGARD (Advisory Group for Aerospace Research & Development).

From 1980 to 1983, Özdaş served as Minister of State in the Republic of Türkiye, playing policy-making roles in science, technology, and foreign affairs. In 1986, he was elected as a member of the Islamic Academy of Sciences.

Throughout his life, Prof. Dr. Özdaş built bridges between academia, research institutions, and public administration. He left a lasting legacy through his institutionalization of the education and research ecosystem in control engineering, his pioneering roles in the development of TÜBİTAK and MAM, his scientific diplomacy at NATO, and his contributions to international science policy. He is remembered as a visionary pioneer in shaping Türkiye’s modern scientific infrastructure.