The 100 Years of Economics Science and Teaching Economics at Istanbul Technical University

Economic and social tansformations in a society usually pave the way for the establishment of new institutions, and sometimes entail the transformation of existing ones. In this respect, the evolution of Turkish high education institutions is a good example. In particular, Istanbul Technical University (ITU) -the first and the oldest engineering school in Turkey- has been considered as a model for the other technical schools, and its curriculum has been occasionally imitated by others. This is mainly because of the expectation that the qualifications of ITU graduates serve better to the needs of the country in the process of economic development. When one considers the roles of some prominent ITU graduates in the Turkish politics and economy, it becomes particularly important to understand how a higher education institution and its curriculum, which fits the needs of the economy and society, can possess a key role in the overall economic development process. Among others, what makes the curriculum at ITU makes novel has been the presence of economics courses in the curriculum for more than 100 years. The aim of this paper is then to examine what and how economic and social needs induced policy makers to include economics as a science in the curriculum of an engineering school, and to seek their motives behind it. It is also our aim to present a clear account of how teaching economics and business in a technical school have evolved into the establishment of a new degree programmes in relation to economic and social needs of the Turkish society over time