Ardahan University (ARÜ)

Ardahan University (ARÜ) is a public university established on 22 May 2008 by Law No. 5765. The university is located in the city center of Ardahan in Northeastern Anatolia, Türkiye. The institution operates in the fields of education, research and community service.

The origins of Ardahan University trace back to the Ardahan Vocational School, which began operations in 1992 under Kafkas University. This vocational school formed the first academic unit of the future university. Following the decision in 2008 to establish an independent university, existing academic units were consolidated under the newly founded Ardahan University, granting the institution legal personality. Since its establishment, the university has expanded its physical infrastructure and academic organization by adding new faculties, institutes and vocational schools.

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The university conducts its core academic and administrative activities at the Yenisey Campus. This central campus includes classrooms, laboratories, a library, administrative offices and social facilities. The university also has separate campuses for its vocational schools located in district centers. These units are equipped with technical workshops and practical training areas suited for applied vocational education.

• Faculty of Humanities and Literature
• Faculty of Fine Arts
• Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences
• Faculty of Theology
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Sport Sciences
• Faculty of Health Sciences

• School of Health Services
• School of Social Sciences
• School of Technical Sciences
• Çıldır Vocational School
• Nihat Delibalta Göle Vocational School
• Posof Vocational School

• Institute of Graduate Education
• Institute of Agricultural and Animal Sciences

• College of Physical Education and Sports
• College of Tourism Management and Hotel Management

• Rectorate Common Courses Department
• Foreign Languages Department

The university currently has a student population of 7,631 and offers academic programs at the associate, undergraduate and graduate levels.^【1】

Admission to Undergraduate and Associate Degree Programs: Students are admitted based on results from the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS), Türkiye’s centralized university entrance examination.

Admission to Graduate Programs: Admission to programs under the Institute of Graduate Education is determined by evaluating candidates’ Academic Personnel and Postgraduate Education Entrance Examination (ALES) scores, undergraduate or graduate grade point averages, and subject-specific exams.

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Ardahan University offers various academic programs at the undergraduate and associate degree levels within its faculties and colleges.

The Faculty of Humanities and Literature includes departments in Archaeology, Geography, Contemporary Turkic Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, English Language and Literature (in English), Russian Language and Literature, Art History, Sociology, History and Turkish Language and Literature.

The Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences offers programs in Economics, Business Administration, Political Science and Public Administration, and International Relations.

The Faculty of Health Sciences includes programs in Emergency Aid and Disaster Management, Nursing and Health Administration.

The Faculty of Theology offers programs in Theology and Theology (M.T.O.K.). Other undergraduate programs include Computer Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, Sports Management at the Faculty of Sport Sciences, and Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at the College of Tourism Management and Hotel Management.

The School of Technical Sciences offers programs in Culinary Arts, Computer Programming, Electrical Engineering, Food Quality Control and Analysis, Construction Technology, Occupational Health and Safety, Opticianry, Hair Care and Beauty Services, and Health Information Systems Technology.

The School of Health Services offers programs in Child Development, Medical Documentation and Secretarial Services, Medical Imaging Techniques, Medical Laboratory Techniques, and Elderly Care.

The School of Social Sciences offers programs in Office Management and Executive Assistance, Stage Lighting and Sound Technologies, and Applied English Translation (in English).

The Nihat Delibalta Göle Vocational School offers programs in Pharmacy Services, Laboratory and Veterinary Health, Postal Services and Civil Defense and Firefighting.

The Posof Vocational School offers programs in Home Patient Care, First Aid and Emergency Care, and Court Office Services.

Finally, the Çıldır Vocational School provides associate degree education in Court Office Services and Social Services.

Ardahan University supports student and academic staff exchange as part of its internationalization strategy. The university engages in student and faculty mobility through the Erasmus+ program with higher education institutions in European Union countries, the Mevlana Exchange Program with institutions worldwide, and the Farabi Exchange Program with institutions within Türkiye. Additionally, under international cooperation agreements, academic protocols have been signed with universities in Poland, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

The university has achieved success in academic and scientific research as well as regional development projects:

• Academic Incentive Awards: The Ardahan University Development Foundation annually awards academic staff for their scientific publications and research productivity.^【2】
• Scientific Ranking Achievements: Associate Professor Dr. Yeliz Demir achieved second place worldwide in chemistry, and Associate Professor Dr. Hülya Durur achieved twentieth place worldwide in mathematics.^【3】
• Project Support: Student scientific research projects are supported by national institutions such as TÜBİTAK 2209-A (University Student Research Projects Support Program) and ÜNİDES (University Student Project Support Program).^【4】

The university organizes social, cultural and sporting activities to encourage student participation beyond academic coursework. Each academic term, student clubs host initiatives such as social responsibility projects and events in photography and theater.

Artistic and Cultural Activities: The student theater group performs plays prepared throughout the year both on campus and at national and international festivals; it has returned with awards from the Cüneyt Gökçer II. International Theater Festival.

Sporting Achievements: The university hosts sporting activities in disciplines such as boxing, football, volleyball and skiing. The ARÜ FUTSAL team placed third in Turkey in a tournament organized by the University Sports Federation. In the Turkey University Boxing Championship, the university achieved fourth place.^【5】