“China Day at ITU”

The “China Day at ITU” event, held on our Ayazağa Campus on May 11, attracted great interest from our students and academics.

On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and China, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Istanbul and ITU organized an event focused on culture, innovation, research, and technology. Diplomatic mission representatives of Russia, Malaysia, and Egypt in Türkiye, along with the Deputy Governor of Istanbul Elif Canan Tuncer, were also among the guests of the event.

The event, where students, academics, and administrative staff were invited to the booths and experience areas set up at the Turgut Özal Congress and Student Social Center, began with the speeches of ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal and the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Istanbul, Wei Xiaodong.

Delivering a presentation themed “Co-Creating the Future of Science,” Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal summarized the developing academic cooperation between ITU and Chinese higher education institutions and technology organizations, revealing the potential for the future. Prof. Dr. Mandal reminded the audience of the joint research laboratories, academic mobility, and student internship programs implemented by ITU and Chinese universities. He announced that ITU conducts joint studies with Chinese universities and research organizations in a wide range of fields—from flexible electronics to next-generation batteries, and from carbon capture technologies to smart structures and humanoid robotics. He touched upon the importance of the process that extends to co-designing, co-developing, co-producing, and co-innovating.

Our Rector thanked Consul General Wei, stakeholder institutions, academics, and students for the “China Day at ITU” event, which he described as “a valuable meeting that strengthens cultural interaction, provides students with new perspectives, and carries the scientific and technological collaborations between Türkiye and China even further.”

In his multifaceted speech introducing China, Consul General Wei pointed to the “Chinamaxxing” trend, which has become popular on social media, as an example of the value shift occurring in US public opinion. He stated that the “China Day at ITU” event aims to take the “Chinese lifestyle and cultural charm” off the screens and present it in the real world.

Underlining that China, like Türkiye, is an ancient civilization, Wei Xiaodong said that the Silk Road has connected both societies with friendship throughout the ages. Referring to the collaborations between ITU and Chinese academic institutions listed by Prof. Dr. Mandal, Wei expressed his belief that more joint research laboratories could be established on ITU campuses in the future.

Scholarship opportunities to study at Chinese universities

Li Shiqing, Consul of the People’s Republic of China in Istanbul, provided a general overview of the educational collaborations between China and Türkiye before making an informative presentation about the Chinese Government and Chinese Consulate General Scholarships. He mentioned that information about the scholarships offered by the Chinese Government can be obtained from the campuschina.org/scholarships website, and that applications for the Chinese Consulate General Scholarship will start between June and July. He advised interested students to follow the Consulate General’s account (chinaconsulist) on X (Twitter). Li also stated that free registration is available for the 2026 Türkiye “Study in Beijing” Education Fair and the HSK Study in China Promotion Event to be held in Istanbul on May 18.

Ruru Xu, a doctoral student in the ITU Graduate School Computer Engineering Program, took the floor during the Q&A session. Noting that she conducted her master’s research at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, Ruru offered to share her academic experience in both Türkiye and China, and to support participants who may wish to pursue their studies in China in the future.

In the second part of the event, participants experienced China’s rich traditional culture, cuisine, and Chinese medicine practices at the Chinese cultural fair set up in the area. Furthermore, Chinese companies and organizations interactively exhibited their high-tech products and shared information about career opportunities. Various gifts related to Chinese culture were presented to the participants in memory of the day.

Click here to watch the YouTube recoridng of the event.