Department of Geological Engineering

Hello. I'm Associate Professor Ömer Ündül. I am the Vice President of Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa, Department of Geological Engineering. After completing my doctoral studies in 2007, I completed my one-year military service and represented my country as a visiting lecturer for about 2.5 years in Zurich, Switzerland. Then, in 2018, I received the title of Associate Professor and was appointed as the head of the department in Geological Engineering. Geological Engineering Department basically studies the phases that the world has gone through until today. It tries to benefit from or protect these things, and make predictions for the future. While doing this, we do not forget that the Earth is a part of the universe, and especially the Solar System. We investigate the effects of X-Rays, Gamma Rays, Solar Radiation, and Meteors on our Earth from their interactions. We are trying to understand the evolution that has occurred since the formation of the Earth until today. Then as, Geological Engineers, by using this knowledge, we take part in the process of finding and using underground and aboveground riches for the benefit of humanity. To give a few example of these: Boron Mines are very popular today. As we know, they have a wide range of uses, and the investigation of their formation environments and the finding of regions where they are located are realized through the work of Geological Engineers. Of course, our activities are not only limited to these. For example, Geological Engineers conduct important studies in the energy sector, oil and natural gas exploration, geothermal studies. Similarly, geologists contribute to projects so they can be more economical and longer-lasting by correctly revealing the geological elements, for tunnels, dams, bridges, high-rise buildings and various engineering projects, with the understanding of geological processes, what many of us see today. In addition, while Geological Engineers discuss the evolutionary process by studying the formation of the Earth until the present, they continue to study it in micro and macro scales. Our courses in the Department of Geological Engineering consist primarily of basic courses that will help them understand the evolutionary process from the formation of the Earth to the present, and then applied courses where we explore how we can benefit from them today.
Let me talk about our workshops and laboratories. We have many laboratories in our department. We especially try to get to know the rocks and the surface, we do mineralogical and petrographic research, that is, we try to understand the internal structure of the elements that make up the Earth, we try to understand the language that nature has presented to us. We are not only trying to understand, we have many research and student laboratories where we research how to benefit from them. The laboratories in the Geological Engineering Department are above the standards of our country. Let me talk about our internships and on graduation. There are two compulsory internships in our department. One of them is the institutional internship at the end of the second grade. Our students have the opportunity to apply the theoretical and practical knowledge they have learned in an institution. This internship is limited to 20 workdays. Our other internship is held in the summer at the end of the third grade and enables our students to apply the theoretical knowledge they have learned until the end of the third grade in the field. Camp internship is the most popular undergraduate study undertaken by our students. The Department of Geological Engineering is involved in many national and international collaborations. Our students can benefit from these opportunities during their internship and undergraduate studies. With its 105-year history, many national and international organizations have taken place in Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa, Department of Geological Engineering. Our faculty members participate in many events at the national and international level. They increase their knowledge and gain experience and share their knowledge in different academic and sectoral environments. Our students also take part in these organizations. They can increase their own knowledge and practical experience. Our students who graduated from the Department of Geological Engineering can find many areas of employment in the sector, official institutions, academia, nationally and internationally. If the students in our department want to progress in this field, and thus do their best to develop their skills, they will not have a problem finding a job. Students from the Department of Geological Engineering may have difficulty in some basic courses, after they come here completing their high school education. Differentiation of terminology and sometimes the concepts can be difficult to grasp for our students. We always support our students with our competent staff by dealing with our students personally, both as faculty members and as research assistants. Students who will choose Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa, Department of Geological Engineering must love nature. We hope that they will like field work. At this point, both our female students and our male students do not have any problems during their education and when finding a job. Our friends who are coming or planning to come to Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa, Geological Engineering Department will benefit from the advantages of living in a big metropolis like Istanbul. They will be able to benefit from the wide dormitory facilities provided by our university and the wide living spaces and facilities in and around our campuses. Students who will choose Istanbul University - Cerrahpaşa, Department of Geological Engineering, know this. With a strong academic staff in a well-established institution, they will enjoy a profession which is involved with nature. We are waiting for all our friends.