Mission and Vision
The Department of Chemistry within the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at Süleyman Demirel University was established in 1993. It admitted its first students in the 1993–1994 academic year and has continued its educational and instructional activities ever since.
The primary aim of the Department is to educate well-equipped and creative undergraduate and graduate students who possess nationally and internationally competitive professional knowledge and skills across all areas of chemistry, adhere to the principles of scientific research, and can respond to the country’s interests and the needs of society.
Vision
To cultivate knowledgeable and experienced individuals through a staff that continually advances itself in education, instruction, and research, and to rank among respected, well-recognized departments at the national and international levels.
Mission
To educate, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, successful students who possess the knowledge to engage in international work, keep pace with technological developments, think critically, have interdisciplinary practical skills, are conscious of ethical principles, are environmentally responsible, entrepreneurial, and respectful; and to contribute to our country’s development by conducting high-quality scientific studies and research.
As of 2024, the Department of Chemistry carries out its educational activities with 16 faculty members (Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors), 3 Research Assistants, and 1 Lecturer. With its dynamic academic staff, the Department offers an innovative undergraduate education and high-quality graduate programs, awarding bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees across all major fields, including analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry, and organic chemistry.
Click to watch the Department’s introductory video.
Undergraduate Education in the Department of Chemistry
In addition to compulsory theoretical, practical, and laboratory courses, the Chemistry Undergraduate Program offers elective courses on technological and scientific research methods in the 3rd and 4th years. The program delivers core chemistry courses over four years, integrating theory with practice. Students are also required to complete an internship in chemistry-related sectors. In the final year, under the supervision of a faculty advisor, students prepare a capstone project through which they learn how to conduct independent research. By acquiring fundamental chemistry knowledge and skills, students develop the ability to evaluate and solve scientific problems in their prospective professional fields. Supported by the necessary facilities, materials, and instruments available in the department, the Department of Chemistry also provides graduate education at a contemporary scientific and technological level.
Career Paths for Graduates of the Department of Chemistry
Chemists, who study the structures of substances and develop new compounds for human benefit, also produce many materials used across diverse sectors such as pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, synthetic fibers, plastics, paints, and cement. Graduates of the Department of Chemistry can work in the research, development, and/or quality control units of private or public institutions in fields including environment, food, pharmaceuticals, textiles, paints, glass, soap, oils, detergents, beverages, and iron and steel. They may also find employment in scientific research centers and hospital laboratories. In addition, students who complete the four-year undergraduate program may obtain a Pedagogical Formation Certificate (with or without thesis) and work as teachers in the education sector.
Scientific Research Opportunities in the Department of Chemistry
In the Department of Chemistry, scientific studies conducted across the divisions of Analytical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physical Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry are supported by the Süleyman Demirel University Scientific Research Projects Unit, TÜSEB, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK), European Union research programs, and rapid support schemes. The principal research topics actively pursued in our department include adsorption, ion exchange, membrane-based separations, chromatographic separation methods, oxime syntheses, reaction kinetics and kinetics in non-aqueous media, fuel cells, electrochemistry, polymers, conducting polymers, the electrorheology of polymers, organic compound syntheses, the chemistry of plant extractives, cellulose and paper chemistry, DNA and enzyme genetics, protein chemistry, and supramolecular chemistry.
Goals
1. To update the curriculum in line with national and international standards to enhance student success in undergraduate and graduate courses.
2. To introduce chemistry-related sectors in which graduates can work and to organize events—such as seminars—that contribute to students’ academic development.
3. To ensure the continuity of an academic staff capable of sustaining the relevance and continuity of education, instruction, research, and development activities.
4. To take the necessary steps to improve student laboratory conditions and upgrade instrument infrastructure.
5. To train chemists who are proficient in current knowledge and technologies in their field and able to operate all types of modern instruments commonly found in chemistry laboratories.
6. To increase the number of graduate-level scientific studies, publications, and projects at both national and international scales.
7. To expand internship opportunities by increasing collaboration among the public sector, universities, and industry.
8. To educate chemists who uphold ethical values and possess strong environmental awareness in all professional activities.
Values
-Scientific rigor
-Respect for human values
-Commitment to research
-Critical inquiry
-Discipline
-Productivity
-Universality
-Innovation
-Sense of duty and responsibility
-Quality and efficiency
-Transparency
-Environmental responsibility
-Academic freedom
-Tolerance