Trakya University

This article is about the university in Edirne, Turkey. For the university in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, see Trakia University - Stara Zagora.

Trakya University

Trakya Üniversitesi
File:Trakya University logo.jpg Emblem of Trakya University
Motto	Bridge to the Future
Type	Public
Established	July 20, 1982 (1982-07-20)
Rector	Prof. Dr. Enver Duran
Students	30.317 (2011)
Location	Edirne , Turkey
Website	www.trakya.edu.tr

Main building of the Trakya University Edirne

Trakya University (Template:Lang-tr), aka University of Thrace, established on July 20, 1982, is a state university located in Edirne, at Turkey's European part Eastern Thrace. Trakya University is a regional university with institutions and schools spread over the Thrace region. Trakya University Edirne runs scientific activities related to regional development and has international relationships especially within the Balkan Universities Network including more than 40 Universities from Balkancountries and the University Loerrach in Germany.

History

The roots of Higher Education in Thrace date back to the foundation day (1488) of the Medical School in the complex of Sultan Bayezid II. Basic medical sciences of the period were taught in this school where 18 students received theoretical and practical education of medicine each year. Its hospital was the practice place of the educational institution. The foundations of function of the educational and application hospitals of nowadays were laid in these institutions.

In the Republic Period, Trakya University was established in July 20, 1982. There were three institutes (Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Health Sciences), four faculties (Faculty of Medicine, Engineering-Architecture, Science and Letters, Tekirdağ Agriculture), two colleges (Edirne Education, Çanakkale Education), four vocational high schools (Edirne, Çanakkale, Kırklareli, Tekirdağ).

Later, four faculties (Faculties of Engineering, Çorlu; Economics and Administrative Sciences; Education, Edirne; Technical Education, Kırklareli;); two colleges (State Conservatory, Kırkpınar Physical Education and Sports College); sixteen vocational colleges (Edirne, Kırklareli ve Tekirdağ Vocational Colleges of Health Services; Vocational Colleges of Hayrabolu, Keşan, İpsala, Malkara, Lüleburgaz, Şarköy, Uzunköprü, Babaeski, Çerkezköy, Marmara Ereğlisi, Havsa, Muratlı, Saray) were established.

Afterwards, one institute (Balkan Research), six faculties (Faculties of Fine Arts, Health Sciences, Science, Letters, Pharmacy and Dentistry), three colleges (Foreign Languages, Edirne and Keşan Applied Sciences Colleges), six vocational schools (Edirne Social Sciences, Edirne, Technical Sciences, Kırklareli Social Sciences, Kırklareli Technical Sciences, Arda, Tunca), Research and Application Centers were added to Trakya University.

Among the academic units of Trakya University, the ones which are in Çanakkale were transferred to Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University in 1992, the ones which are in Tekirdağ were transferred to Namık Kemal University in 2006 and the ones which are in Kırklareli were transferred to Kırklareli University in 2007.

Now that, there exists ten faculties (Medicine, Engineering and Architecture, Economics and Administrative Sciences, Education, Fine Arts, Health Sciences, Science, Letters, Pharmacy, Dentistry), four institutes (Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Balkan Research), five colleges (State Conservatory, Kırkpınar Physical Education and Sports, Foreign Languages, Edirne Applied Sciences and Keşan Yusuf Çapraz Applied Sciences), nine vocational colleges (Edirne Social Sciences, Edirne, Technical Sciences, Edirne Health Services, Keşan, Uzunköprü, Havsa, İpsala, Arda, Tunca), Twenty Research and Application centers (Atatürk’s Principles and Revolution History, Balkan, Computer, Plant Breeding, Environmental Issues, Language Education, Cancer Registry, Health, Water Products, Continuing Education, Trakya, Kırkpınar, Women’s Issues, Organ Transplantation, International Physics and Applied Mathematics, Education for Mentally and Physically Handicapped Children, Edirne, technology researches, entrepreneurship, distance education) and one kindergarten.

Campuses

• Karaağaç Campus: Previously used as Rectorate building and related administrative units, now Faculty of Fine arts, Lozan Museum and Monument, Garden of Lozan, İlhan Koman Painting and Sculpture museum are in this campus. The total closed area of the units is 11.700 square meter.

• Balkan Campus: This campus is rapidly improving for being an ideal living space which provides service to the local community, to its personnel and to the students with education, administrative, social and cultural opportunities. Rectorate building and related administrative units, the biggest congress center of the Balkans; Balkan Congress Center, State Conservatory Arts and Education Center; Türkan Sabancı Culture Center and 75th year Indoor Sports Hall are found in this campus. Besides these, as well as Institutes of Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Balkan; State Conservatory; Faculties of Medicine, Science, Letters, Economics and Administrative Sciences, Kırkpınar Physical Education and Sports College; Vocational College Health Services and Tunca Vocational College; there exists Trakya University Hospital which is the fifth biggest reference hospital of Turkey.

• Prof. Dr. Ahmet Tarık Karadeniz Campus: Called by the name of our founder Rector. The departments of mechanical engineering, computer engineering, food engineering and electrical and electronic engineering of Engineering and Architecture faculty are in this campus.

• Ayşekadın Campus: In this campus, the Faculties of Health Sciences, College of Foreign Languages, College of Applied Sciences; Arda Vocational College, Edirne Vocational College of Social Sciences, and Trakya University Kindergarten provide service.

• Kosovo Campus: Education has started in the 2011-2012 academic year in this new building of Education Faculty.

• İsmail Hakkı Tonguç Campus: There are Fine Arts Department of Education Faculty, Dean’s Office and Administrative Departments in this campus.

• Sarayiçi Campus: Edirne Vocational College of Technical Sciences provides educational services in this campus.

• Saraçhane Campus: Edirne College of Health continued educational activities for a period (2005-2008) in this campus.

• Macedonia Campus: Architecture department of Faculty of Engineering and Architecture serves in this campus.

• Uzunköprü Vocational College Campus: Situated in Uzunköprü district of Edirne. Vocational College of Uzunköprü is included in this campus.

• Keşan Vocational College Campus: This campus is in the district of Keşan and provides education with Keşan Vocational College in this campus.

• Havsa Vocational College Campus: Situated in the district of Havsa, this campus continues education with Havsa Vocational College.

• İpsala Vocational College Campus: Found in the district of İpsala; İpsala Vocational College provides education in this campus.

Expansion to the Balkans

Projects about expansion to the Balkans are the leading studies of Trakya University in the recent years. Trakya University has developed very important projects and these studies have been promoted by the upper stages of the state. Scientific and cultural agreement protocols have been signed with the universities of the Balkan countries and much of these projects have been put into practice. In this respect, the biggest of the Balkan Conferences has been organized in Edirne with the participation of 61 universities. With the help of these activities all over the Balkans, the students tend to have education in foreign countries and they attribute a lot to the scientific and cultural dialogue between the countries.

Number of Students at Trakya University
Academic Year	Number of International Students	Number of Total Students
2002-2003	294	24.910
2003-2004	306	26.538
2004-2005	307	28.821
2005-2006	308	31.073
2006-2007	281	21.124
2007-2008	263	16.561
2008-2009	271	19.188
2009-2010	320	22.268
2010-2011	630	30.979
2011-2012	892	30.317

Research

The number of publications of Trakya University in the scope of Web of Science (SCI-Expanded+SSCI+AHCI) is gradually increasing. Forming an inspiring and motivating intellectual environment which is motivating our students, our lecturers, our personnel, graduates and sharers for the development in an international status, is among the basic aims of Trakya University. Besides, realizing undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate educations by taking Europe dimension in higher education in accordance with 1999 Bologna Declaration, increasingly giving importance to publications by creating a synergy among, doctorate education, Europe Higher Education Field and Europe Research Field and increasing the number of patents for each publication are among our basic aims. According to the data gathered by Thomson Reuters Web of Science (WOS) (SCI-Expanded+SSCI+AHCI), while the number of publication addressed by Trakya University, in the scope of these indexes between the years 1982-2009 was 13 (full article); this number reached 843 (692 full article) between the years 2001-2005; and 1206 (973 full article) between the years 2005-2009. According to Thomson Reuters WOS data, the numbers of citations of the publications addressed by Trakya University in the scope of these indexes between the years 2005-2009 are as follows: In 2005: 716 citations, in 2009: 1750 citations (the number of citation referred for each publication is 5.29) When the data on the internet site (www.yok.gov.tr) of Council of Higher Education is analyzed, the place of Trakya University among other universities in Turkey in terms of the publications published in the journals in the scope of WOS is as follows: in 2005, 27th among 77 universities, in 2008, 30th among 114 universities (in terms of WOS full article), in 2009, 37th among 125 universities and in 2010, 45th among 131 universities.

• Research Centers at Trakya University
  • Health Research and application center
  • Ataturk’s principles and history of Turkish revolution research and application center
  • Research and application center for mentally and movement handicapped children
  • Environmental Problems application and research
  • Computer research and application center
  • Balkan research and application center
  • International physics and applied mathematics research
  • Cancer record application and research
  • Language teaching and learning research and application center
  • Edirne research and application center
  • Plant breeding application and research
  • Water Products research and application center
  • Trakya research and application center
  • Continuing education research and application center
  • Distance Education research and application center
  • Kırkpınar and Its Values research and application center
  • Women’s Issues research and application center
  • Organ Transplantation research and application center
  • Technology researches and development applications and research center
  • Entrepreneurship applications and research center

Student clubs

These include the Theatre Club (founded by the students of the faculty of medicine), Shadow Players Club, Glass-Made Players Club, Scientific Research Club, TurkMSIC Club, Kuvay-I Milliye Club, Social Research Club, Poetry and Visual Acts Club, Humour Club, Cinema Club, Chess Club and Music Club functions.

There is a Festival of Medicine and the Yearbook Committee's graduation ceremonies. There are two performance halls, and closed/open gymnasiums available for the students' use during all the above activities. In addition, smaller halls are assigned to clubs such as Chess Club, by the Deanery.

The presence of the Trakya University State Conservatory in the campus gives the students the opportunity to watch all the artistic performances organized by the Conservatory. Environment trips are organized under the guidance of the faculty members.

History Edirne & Beyazid II Külliye Health Museum

In history, Edirne was referred to by many different names. It was referred as Trianapolis (as a place where three rivers meet), Uskudama, the capital of Trak civilization, Odris/Odrisia in the period when the Odris, whose descendants are the Traks, were reigning; as Orestia/Orestas inthe period of Macedonians; as Hadrianopolis / Hadrianupolis / Adrianupolis/ Adrianapolis/ Adrianople/Adrianopel during the Roman Empire; as Edrinus/Edrune/ Edrinabolu/ Endriye/ Edrene at the beginning of the Ottoman Empire; and finally as Edirne in early sixteenth century.

Being the second capital of the Ottoman Empire, Edirne is the best city reflecting the quality of being a border city with its mosques, bazaars, bridges, and historical houses and especially with Magnificient Selimiye

Situated 225 km, that is 2 hours away from İstanbul which is a worldwide attraction center, Edirne’s literacy rates are higher. According to 2023 Turkey Tourism Strategy Report of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the city of Edirne, is included among 15 cities in the scope of “Brand City Project” in which every year one city will be featured with the aim of stimulating culture tourism and increasing tourism revenues.

Reflecting all qualities of the developments and cultural relations between Anatolia and Europe, Edirne is an important cultural identity carrying rich heritage until today. The meeting point of 3 rivers (Meriç, Arda, Tunca), 3 cultures (Turkish, Greek, Bulgarian) and 3 countries (Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria), Edirne serves as a bridge in terms of developing our country with European and Balkan countries. In Edirne, with a quality of simply an open-air museum with historical background; Selimiye of Architect Sinan, The Complex of Sultan Bayezid II, Health Museum within the scope of Trakya University and many works of art like these are known by world countries and they become popular destinations for native and foreign visitors.

Being held without interruption Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling, Kapıkule border gate, white cheese, almond paste, fruit soaps, Edirne fried liver and meat balls, Selimiye Mosque, Health Museum, Karaağaç (Lozan Monument), sunflowers, belief tourism, and tolerance are the brand factors that come to minds when the name of Edirne is stated.

Beyazid II Külliye Health Museum in Edirne is founded by Dr Ratip Kazancigil, as a museum site of Trakya University. A külliye is an Ottoman architectural concept that designates a complex of buildings centered around a mosque. Bayezid II Külliye was built in 1488 by the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II. It gave medical education to students and health to patients using oriental medicine.

The complex contains a darüşşifa (hospital, medical center) and it remained in operation for four hundred years as of 1488 until the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878). The hospital was especially notable for its treatment methods for mental illnesses, which included the use of music, water sound and scents.

The historic Darüşşifa was incorporated into the structure of Trakya University, also based in Edirne, in 1993 and converted into a "Health Museum", a museum dedicated to the history of medicine and health matters in general, in 1997. It is Turkey's only museum in its field and provides information to visitors on the development of medical sciences and of medical services throughout history, especially Ottoman history. The museum is the second most visited historical site in Edirne after Selimiye Mosque. The museum was awarded the European Council's "Europe Museum Award" in 2004.

• 
  Congress building at Trakya University Edirne
• 
  Auditorium of the Conventional Center at Trakya University
• 
  Healthmuseum Darüşşifa (erected 1488) part of the Medical-Faculty
• 
  Railwaystation Edirne, Rektor`s office at Trakya Üniversitesi 1998-2011

Further reading

• Enver Duran: Challenges of Higher Education Institutions in the Balkans, III Balkan Universities Network Meeting, Trakya Universität Edirne Mai 2010, ISBN 978-975-374-134-7
• Manfred G. Raupp: Lörrach Symposium - Lörrach Sempozyumu, Trakya Universität Edirne Mai 2011, ISBN 978-3-942298-02-5

External links

• trakaya.edu.tr
• Erasmuspartner Edirne-Lörrach
• Loerrach International - Partner of the Trakya Üniversitesi