The launch program for the Photonics Department, established within the Faculty of Science at Erzurum Technical University (ETU), was held with the participation of teachers working in high schools in Erzurum.

The launch program, held in the VIP Hall of the ETU Life Center, was organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Science and the ETU Science Communication Office. ETU Rector Prof. Dr. Bulent Cakmak, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ceren Sultan Elmali, Dean of the Faculty of Science Prof. Dr. Umit Incekara, academics, and numerous teachers attended the program.

During the launch program, participants were given detailed information about the department's educational opportunities, research infrastructure, and career opportunities. Photonics is an interdisciplinary scientific field that deals with the production, control, and use of light for various purposes, forming the basis of new technologies described as the "age of light" following the electronic age. Used in many strategic sectors, from the defense industry to health technologies, from communication to space studies, photonic technologies are among the fastest developing fields today.

The Photonics Department, currently only available at universities in Izmir and Ankara in Turkiye, will be accepting students for the first time in the Eastern Anatolia Region with ETU. The department will offer its students practical training and research opportunities through its photonics laboratories, characterization, and fabrication facilities within the High Technology Infrastructure Application and Research Center (YUTAM).

Graduates of the Photonics Department will find employment in many fields, primarily in defense industry organizations, communication and satellite technology companies, semiconductor and microchip production centers, health technology companies, the energy sector, the automotive industry, and organizations developing optical systems. Institutions such as ASELSAN, HAVELSAN, TUSAS, ROKETSAN, and TUBITAK, as well as technology-focused private sector organizations, are among the main employers for graduates.

Speaking at the program, Rector Prof. Dr. Bulent Cakmak stated that Erzurum Technical University closely follows the changing global conditions and the transformation in its educational approach, and that providing education in new and strategic fields that our country will need in the future is among its priorities. Cakmak emphasized that the newly established Photonics Department is a significant indicator of the university's goal of training high-technology-focused human resources, noting that ETU continues its education and research activities in light of current developments.

The Dean of the Faculty of Science, Prof. Dr. Umit Incekara, expressed his satisfaction with the opening of such an innovative department with high employment potential as photonics within the Faculty of Science. Stating that the department will offer its students a strong educational environment with its advanced laboratory infrastructure and qualified academic staff, Incekara expressed his excitement about welcoming its first students in the new academic year.

Corporate Communications and Promotion Directorate, June 25, 2026