The roots of Our Department, which is the first modern window opening to the space in our Country, go down to the two rooms assigned to Astronomy Institute within Faculty of Science that become functional in 1933 with University Reform. The preparation and development of the contemporary scientific infrastructure in Turkey took place with this Reform was encouraged by Atatürk and it came into realization by the contributions of the scientists invited from abroad. Astronomy also received its share through the foundation of the Institute.
Today, more than 100 academic staff and researchers are active in various astronomy subjects, over 1000 undergraduate and graduate students continue their education in these institutions which were based and developed by the Astronomy Institute that is the source of our department. Quality education, unique research and spreading the scientific culture depending on worthy knowledge transfer should be the common aim of our scientists who are involved in astronomy professionally. Meticulous study, keeping up ethical values and social sensitivity are the must-have necessities in reaching this goal.
Astronomy and Space Sciences Department is not only concerned with education, but we are also trying to spread scientific knowledge and culture through various activities to the people and to schools. We regard it as our social responsibility.
In our lectures, we take up the universe which encompasses satellites, planets, the Sun, stars, galaxies, in short, everything in the sky; we try to understand and teach their functioning principles. While doing this we do not take up science as a bunch of knowledge, but we try to acknowledge and present it as a way of thinking and life. We are making every effort to create more research and application opportunities by producing efficient scientific infrastructure projects as far as our resources go; and we try to share all these with our students.
We aim to develop continuously and to contribute more to our students and to the scientific literature in universal standards by improving the infrastructure, the hardware equipment and library facilities; we also try to keep up the high standards for the academic staff after this as we have done until now. To reach this ultimate aim, we are aware that we can attain it only by raising individuals who value quality over quantity, "see" instead of look, deal with problems critically and produce common solutions and who are analytical thinkers.
With these feelings and thoughts we invite you to push the boundaries of the universe in an Earth negligible in the universal scale...
Prof.Dr. Türker Özkan
