Çankırı Karatekin University (ÇAKÜ)

Çankırı Karatekin University (ÇAKÜ), is a public university located in Çankırı. The institution’s historical roots trace back to the Darüşşifa, built in 1235 by Atabey Cemaleddin Ferruh, the Seljuk governor of Anatolia, and recognized as the region’s first higher education institution. Today, the university operates with educational campuses and research centers, and derives its name from Emir Karatekin Bey, the conqueror of Çankırı.

The university’s historical background extends to the 13th century. In 1243, the first Darülhadis in Anatolia was added to the Darüşşifa established by Atabey Cemaleddin Ferruh. By the 1400s, these structures, which also included a Mevlevihane, were restored during the Republican era and allocated to the university.

Modern higher education activities began in 1975 with the establishment of the Institute of Education. This was followed in 1976 by the founding of the Vocational School, which operated under Ankara University. In 1995, a foundation was established with the aim of creating a university in Çankırı, and in 2006, the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences and the Faculty of Fine Arts were opened under Gazi University.

Çankırı Karatekin University was officially established in 2007 and acquired legal personality. In 2014, the majority of its units were relocated to the Uluyazı Campus. Since its founding, the university has completed its academic structure through the establishment of faculties, institutes, and vocational schools. In 2018, the historic Darüşşifa was restored and allocated to the university.

The main campus of the university is the Uluyazı Campus, located outside the center of Çankırı. The rectorate building, most faculties, the library, and social facilities are situated here. In addition, the historic Darüşşifa campus is located in the city center, and vocational schools operate in districts including Ilgaz, Çerkeş, Eldivan, Kurşunlu, and Şabanözü.

^{Çankırı Karatekin University (}Çankırı Karatekin University⁾

Academic and educational activities at Çankırı Karatekin University are conducted through the following units:

• Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences
• Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture
• Faculty of Forestry
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Islamic Sciences
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Tourism

• Vocational Schools
• Şabanözü Vocational School
• Vocational School
• Food and Agriculture Vocational School
• Social Sciences Vocational School
• Eldivan Health Services Vocational School
• Çerkeş Vocational School
• Kurşunlu Vocational School

• Graduate School of Education
• Turkiyat Institute

According to current data, a total of 15,699 students are enrolled at Çankırı Karatekin University. ^【1】 Student placements into undergraduate and associate degree programs are determined based on results of the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS), organized by the Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM). Additionally, international students pursue their studies at the university under its internationalization policies.

In the field of health sciences, Dentistry is offered at the Faculty of Dentistry, while the Faculty of Health Sciences includes departments in Nutrition and Dietetics, Child Development, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Nursing, Health Administration and Social Work.

In the fields of science and engineering, the Faculty of Engineering offers departments in Computer, Electrical-Electronics, Food, Civil, Chemical and Mechanical Engineering. The Faculty of Science includes departments in Biology, Physics, Statistics, Chemistry and Mathematics (in Turkish and English).

Forestry Engineering and Landscape Architecture are taught at the Faculty of Forestry. In the field of social and administrative sciences, the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences includes departments in Labor Economics, Finance and Banking, Economics, Business Administration, Political Science and Public Administration, International Relations and International Trade and Finance. The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences includes departments in Information and Document Management, Geography, Philosophy, English Language and Literature, Psychology, Sociology, History and Turkish Language and Literature. Additionally, the Faculty of Law offers a Law program, and the Faculty of Islamic Sciences offers a program in Islamic Sciences.

In the fields of art and tourism, the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture includes departments in Cinema and Television and Textile and Fashion Design. Tourism education is delivered through the Ilgaz Tourism and Hospitality Vocational School and the Faculty of Tourism, offering programs in Tourism Management and Tourism Guiding.

Vocational schools provide education in technical, health and social fields. The Vocational School offers technical and administrative programs including Banking, Computer Programming, Office Management, Electricity, Electronics, Mechatronics, Construction and Machinery.

In the field of health services, programs such as Child Development, First Aid and Emergency Care, Opticianry, Medical Laboratory Techniques and Environmental Health are offered at the Eldivan and Şabanözü campuses.

At Çerkeş Vocational School, programs include Industrial Glass, Home Patient Care and Elderly Care. At the Food and Agriculture Vocational School, programs include Hunting and Wildlife Management and Field Crops. At the Social Sciences Vocational School, programs include Occupational Health and Safety, Private Security and Civil Defense.

Çankırı Karatekin University actively participates in student and staff mobility under the Erasmus+ program. In this context, in 2022 the university became the top-ranked higher education institution in Türkiye in terms of Erasmus+ KA171 grants (Mobility with Non-Program Countries). These programs, which facilitate exchanges with a total of 32 countries, support student and staff mobility. ^【2】

^{Çankırı Karatekin University (}Çankırı Karatekin University⁾

Çankırı Karatekin University has received various awards in the areas of academic projects, student work and institutional accessibility.

• AD Scientific Index 2025 Ranking: According to the AD Scientific Index 2025 data measuring academic productivity and scientific performance, the university ranks 66th in Türkiye, 755th in Europe and 2021st globally in the H-Index ranking. In field-specific rankings, it is 29th in Türkiye in Agriculture and Forestry and 30th in Economics and Econometrics.^【3】

• TÜBİTAK 2209-A Project Success (2025): In the first period of 2024, 129 student projects were supported by TÜBİTAK. With this number, the university ranked among the top 50 universities in Türkiye.^【4】

• 3rd Bozok Film Festival Awards (2024): Students from the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture’s Cinema and Television Department returned from the festival with two awards: first place in the Experimental Film category and second place in the Fiction Film category.^【5】

• YTB International Student Awards (2024): The university was represented at the ceremony organized by the Presidency of Turks Abroad and Related Communities.^【6】

• RATEM Communication Ideas Competition (2023): At the 13th Aklıma Bir Fikir Geldi competition organized by the Radio and Television Broadcasters Professional Association (RATEM), students from the Cinema and Television Department won first place in the Television category, second place in the Radio category, and both first and second place in the Cartoon/Animation category.^【7】

• Accessible University Awards (2020): Under awards granted by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences and the Faculty of Engineering received the “Orange Flag” for spatial accessibility improvements. The Uluyazı Campus was nominated for the “Blue Flag” in the area of socio-cultural accessibility.^【8】