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Çukurova University — news, coverage & facts — IJR

History

Çukurova University was officially established in 1973 through the merger of the Faculty of Agriculture, founded in 1969 by Ankara University, and the Faculty of Medicine, founded in 1972 by Atatürk University. Initially comprising these two faculties, the university expanded to five faculties with the establishment of the Faculties of Basic Sciences, Administrative Sciences, and Engineering. In 1982, the Faculty of Basic Sciences was reorganized as the Faculty of Sciences and Letters, while the Faculty of Administrative Sciences merged with the Department of Economics and Administrative Sciences to form the Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics. The Faculty of Engineering and Architecture was created by combining the Faculty of Engineering with the Engineering Department of the Adana Academy of Administrative and Commercial Sciences. The Faculty of Education was also established through the unification of two-year Foreign Language Colleges from Adana, Mersin, and Hatay.

By 1992, the university played a key role in the establishment of three new universities in Turkey. Two colleges, equipped with modern facilities and laboratories, were transferred to Mersin University, three colleges to Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, and the Research and Application Center in Kahramanmaraş to Sütçü İmam University.

The university's growth continued with the establishment of additional faculties, including Fisheries, Theology, Dentistry, and Fine Arts, bringing the total number of faculties to ten. New vocational colleges, such as the Adana Vocational College of Health and Kozan Vocational College, were opened. By incorporating three postgraduate institutes and the State Conservatory of Çukurova University, the number of academic bodies increased to 21.

Further expansions included the creation of the Karataş College of Tourism and Hotel Management in 1994, the Karaisalı Vocational College in 1995, and the Vocational College of Kadirli in 1997, which offered programs in Computer Programming and Industrial Electronics. The Department of Physical Education was reorganized as the College of Physical Education and Sports, and the Vocational College of Health Services became the College of Health Sciences in 1996.

Education

The primary language of instruction at the university is Turkish. However, the Electric-Electronics and Mechanical Engineering Departments within the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture offer programs taught in English.

All programs within the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences include compulsory English preparatory classes. Optional English preparatory classes are available for students enrolled in the Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics Departments of the Faculty of Science and Letters, as well as the Civil Engineering, Geology, Architecture, Industrial Engineering, and Textile Engineering Departments of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.

Foreign language preparatory classes are provided in English, French, and German for students in the English, French, and German Language Teaching Departments of the Faculty of Education.The university is composed of 10 faculties offering 80 undergraduate programs, three graduate schools with 64 postgraduate programs, three colleges with four undergraduate programs, seven vocational colleges providing 23 vocational programs, and a state conservatory. Additionally, the Foreign Languages Research and Application Center (YADIM) offers English instruction for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Evening classes are offered in various departments across the university, including the Department of Teacher Training in the Faculty of Education, the Departments of Economics and Business in the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, the Departments of Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Turkish Language and Literature in the Faculty of Science and Letters, and the Departments of Civil, Mechanical, Geological, Industrial, and Mining Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. Evening classes are also available in the Faculty of Fisheries and all departments of the Ceyhan and Osmaniye Vocational Colleges.Çukurova University hosts numerous student societies, including the Çukurova University Equestrian Sports Club (ÇUASK). Founded in 2000, ÇUASK provides students and staff with opportunities to take horse riding lessons. The club maintains four Thoroughbred stallions for schooling purposes, and experienced members can explore campus trails on horseback. The club is managed by student volunteers who give lessons, care for the horses and stables, and oversee operations.

Çukurova University employs 1,903 academic staff members, including 24 from abroad. These include teaching faculty, research assistants, specialists, and lecturers, ensuring a comprehensive educational and research environment.