YTÜ Yıldız Technopark, one of Turkey’s leading technology ecosystems, along with Petkim and STAR Refinery, have signed a collaboration agreement focused on R&D, joint projects, strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and developing a qualified workforce.

YTÜ Yıldız Teknopark, Petkim, and STAR Refinery have signed a Cooperation Protocol aimed at strengthening university-industry collaboration, accelerating the transfer of knowledge and technology, and developing innovation-focused joint projects.

Under YTÜ’s new university-industry collaboration model, R&D companies will be able to enroll up to three of their employees in master’s or doctoral programs each academic year. R&D projects conducted at companies can be transformed into graduate theses and grant-funded projects under the guidance of YTU faculty members.

The first hackathon of the AI Builders Turkey program, “Founders Create,” organized in collaboration between Meta and YTU Startup House, took place on August 22–23, 2026, at the YTU Davutpaşa Campus. Selected from over 100 applications, 28 entrepreneurial teams spent 36 hours transforming their ideas into complete brand and go-to-market kits; the winners of the $10,000 prize pool were determined following evaluations by a jury of experts in their respective fields.

Yıldız Technical University and the Health and Life Association have signed a cooperation protocol to jointly combat digital addiction. Joint efforts will be undertaken to raise public awareness of the risks of the digital world, protect children and young people, and promote the responsible use of technology. 

Yıldız Technical University and the Istanbul Chamber of Industry have taken another step forward in university-industry collaboration. YTÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik and ISO President Erdal Bahçıvan signed a protocol that will enable ISO member companies to access testing and analysis services at the YTÜ Central Research Laboratory under more favorable terms. The collaboration aims to contribute to companies’ product development, quality control, certification, and R&D processes.

Three books by Prof. Dr. Mustafa GÜNDÜZ, a faculty member at the Faculty of Education at Yıldız Technical University, have been published. Ranging from the role of the Enderun School in Ottoman educational and state traditions to external influences on the Turkish education system, and from the introduction of Turkish educational history to international academic circles to the historical transformation of educational institutions, these works offer a comprehensive perspective on educational thought from the past to the present.

The modular seismic isolator developed as part of a project carried out at YTÜ in collaboration with industry and with support from TÜBİTAK offers an innovative solution with its design adaptable to structures of various sizes. This domestically developed system, which allows isolators of any desired size to be created by assembling standard subunits according to the construction project, stands out for its cost and time advantages. 

The YTÜ Yıldız Rover Team won the “Best Astronaut” and “Best Team Structure” special awards at the Anatolian Rover Challenge held in Ankara, placing first among Turkish teams and fifth worldwide.

The Yıldız Technical University Yıldız Rover Team continues its work in the fields of space research and unmanned ground vehicles through its successes in national and international competitions. The team achieved a significant success with its performance at the Anatolian Rover Challenge, organized by UKET in Ankara and supported by TUA and TÜBİTAK.

The Council of Higher Education has established the procedures and guidelines regarding the process for students eligible for the “student amnesty” regulation to return to universities. Students whose enrollment at their universities has been terminated or who were unable to enroll in the program they were admitted to will be able to apply until December 9, 2026. Students benefiting from this regulation will be able to resume their higher education in the 2026–2027 academic year.