The Legacy of Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yağcı Upheld by Young Designers

Istanbul Technical University (ITU) will keep the cherished memory of the late faculty member Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yağcı alive in the permanent exhibition space that reflects an interdisciplinary approach, located within the research building dedicated to his memory.

The “Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yağcı Chemistry Research Building” will host a permanent exhibition project developed based on special collections from the ITU Archives. The project and open jury event, where design proposals for the permanent exhibition—which will embody Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yağcı’s scientific journey and legacy—were presented, took place on March 23 in the Main Entrance Hall of the Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yağcı Chemistry Research Building.

Interior Architecture and Chemistry students "collaborated to develop it"

The interior design proposals for the exhibition emerged from a collaboration reflecting ITU’s multifaceted academic depth. Under the guidance of faculty members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Orkan Zeynel Güzelci and Res. Asst. Uğur Efe Uçar, and with the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Özge Cordan and Dr. Saniye Feyza Yağcı Ergün, ITU Interior Architecture Department students developed projects that make the continuity of scientific production visible through design.

Highlighting the project’s significance, ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal noted that the most enduring legacy of academia lies in the values left behind by inspiring faculty members. Our Rector highlighted the significance of transforming the cherished memory of Prof. Dr. Yağcı—with whom he maintained constant communication through their joint achievements under the auspices of TÜBA, TÜBİTAK, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation—into a physical site of memory on campus, emphasizing that this initiative serves as an enlightening guide for researchers. Prof. Dr. Mandal, stating that they would pass on Prof. Dr. Yağcı’s scientific legacy to future generations, noted that this interdisciplinary work symbolizes the university’s unbreakable bond across generations.

Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yağcı, who pioneered the emergence of the “ITU School” in the scientific literature through his work in the field of polymer chemistry and dedicated his life to nurturing qualified scientists, passed away on January 30, 2023. To honor his memory, the University Senate, at its meeting on January 15, 2026 (Resolution No. 902), renamed the “ITU Chemistry Research Building” to the “Prof. Dr. Yusuf Yağcı Chemistry Research Building.”