Istanbul Technical University (ITU) is one of Türkiye’s oldest and most prestigious universities, with a distinguished history spanning more than two centuries.
Since its foundation, ITU has played a pioneering role in the development and modernisation of the country, contributing significantly to engineering, science, technology, architecture and public life. As Türkiye’s first technical university, ITU is strongly identified with engineering and architectural education, while also maintaining a broader mission: expanding the boundaries of knowledge and its applications in science, technology and art for the benefit of society.
Today, ITU is a leading university with a strong national and international profile. It offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral education across multiple fields, combining technical excellence with interdisciplinary perspectives and a commitment to innovation.
A leading technical university with a broad educational mission
ITU’s academic structure reflects the scale and diversity of its educational offer. The university operates across five campuses in Istanbul and offers undergraduate programmes through 13 faculties and one conservatory, as well as graduate and doctoral programmes through its institutes.
The university is internationally recognised for its strengths in engineering, natural sciences, architecture, maritime studies, technology and innovation. At the same time, ITU has developed a broader understanding of technical education: future engineers, architects, scientists and professionals must also be able to understand the social, cultural, political and ethical implications of the world they help to build.
This vision is particularly important in the context of CONSPIRE – CONSPIracism and RAdicalisation Risks in Europe, an Erasmus+ KA220-HED project that explores conspiracy theories, disinformation, radicalisation risks and democratic resilience.
In a world shaped by technological change, digital platforms, artificial intelligence and complex information ecosystems, technical knowledge alone is not enough. Students also need critical thinking, media literacy, civic awareness and the ability to interpret social dynamics.
Humanities and social sciences in a technical university
One of ITU’s most distinctive contributions to CONSPIRE comes from its Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Established in 1997, the department was created to teach and conduct research in the human and social sciences within a technical university environment. Its role is to enrich students’ education by developing their ability to question, analyse and reflect critically on society.
Every semester, the department offers a wide range of courses to thousands of ITU students. These courses address key issues such as social power relations, freedom, oppression, distributive justice, identity, individual benefit, public good, and the effects of science and technology on human beings and society.
This educational mission is highly relevant to CONSPIRE. The project aims to help students understand how conspiracy theories emerge, circulate and influence public life. To do so, it requires exactly this kind of interdisciplinary perspective: one that connects technological environments with social interpretation, political narratives and civic responsibility.
Preparing socially responsible professionals
Although ITU is internationally known for engineering and technological innovation, its educational model recognises the importance of forming socially responsible professionals.
Through humanities and social sciences courses, students from different technical fields are invited to engage with contemporary challenges such as migration, inequalities, climate change, radicalisation, public trust and democratic participation.
This approach is especially valuable today. The spread of conspiracy theories and disinformation is deeply connected to digital infrastructures, media systems, technological platforms and the public perception of expertise.
For students trained in science and technology, understanding these dynamics is essential. It allows them to see that technology is never neutral: it is embedded in social relations, political conflicts, cultural meanings and ethical responsibilities.
In this sense, ITU’s contribution to CONSPIRE strengthens one of the project’s core ideas: universities must prepare students not only to produce knowledge, but also to understand how knowledge circulates, how it is contested and how it can be used or misused in public debate.
ITU’s contribution to CONSPIRE
Within CONSPIRE, ITU brings valuable expertise on the political and historical dimensions of conspiracy theories.
The university’s contribution is particularly connected to the Politics module, which examines how conspiracy theories are used in political discourse, how they interact with populism and authoritarian tendencies, and how they shape public perceptions of power, identity and social conflict.
This perspective is crucial for the project. Conspiracy narratives often work by identifying hidden enemies, external threats or secret elites. They may simplify complex political realities, reinforce polarisation and provide emotionally powerful explanations for uncertainty or crisis.
Studying the political use of conspiracy theories allows students to understand how these narratives can influence public debate, democratic institutions and civic life. It also helps them recognise the risks of radicalisation and the importance of critical, evidence-based analysis.
Professor Doğan Gürpınar and conspiracy theory research
A key member of the ITU team is Professor Doğan Gürpınar, a leading scholar in the field of conspiracy theory research in Türkiye and internationally.
Professor Gürpınar’s academic work focuses on Turkish intellectual history, political thought, nationalism, populism and conspiracy theories. He is the author of influential publications on conspiracy thinking, including Conspiracy Nation: Conspiracy Theories in Turkey, published by Routledge, and has contributed to international research on the historical and political roots of conspiratorial narratives.
His research explores how conspiracy theories are embedded in political culture, collective memory and ideological conflict. Recent work also addresses themes such as anti-Westernism, Eurasianism and the historical development of conspiratorial thinking in modern Türkiye.
This expertise is directly relevant to CONSPIRE. It helps students understand conspiracy theories not only as misinformation, but as political narratives with historical depth, cultural resonance and social effects.
Political narratives, media and radicalisation risks
ITU’s role in CONSPIRE is particularly important because the project does not treat conspiracy theories as isolated false claims.
Instead, CONSPIRE investigates how conspiracy narratives are connected to broader processes: mistrust in institutions, polarisation, populist discourse, media dynamics, identity politics and radicalisation risks.
The political dimension of conspiracy thinking is central. Such narratives can be used to mobilise emotions, construct enemies, delegitimise democratic institutions and reshape public interpretations of crisis. They can also circulate through mainstream media, social media and informal communication, making them difficult to address only through fact-checking.
Through ITU’s contribution, students are encouraged to analyse conspiracy theories within their political and historical contexts. This helps them understand how narratives of hidden power, external manipulation or moral threat can become persuasive and socially influential.
A bridge between technical education and democratic resilience
ITU’s participation in CONSPIRE shows why a technical university has an important role to play in projects on misinformation, conspiracy thinking and democratic resilience.
The digital information ecosystem is deeply technological, but its effects are profoundly social. Algorithms, platforms, artificial intelligence, media systems and online communities shape the way people encounter information, evaluate trust and participate in public debate.
For this reason, the response to conspiracy theories cannot be left only to communication experts or political scientists. It also requires technical universities capable of educating students who understand both technological systems and their social consequences.
ITU brings this bridge to CONSPIRE: scientific and technical excellence combined with humanities and social science education, critical reflection and civic awareness.
A strong contribution to a European educational challenge
Through its academic tradition, interdisciplinary approach and recognised expertise in conspiracy theory research, Istanbul Technical University provides a strong contribution to the objectives of CONSPIRE.
The university strengthens the project’s capacity to analyse conspiracy theories as political, historical and social phenomena. At the same time, it reinforces the project’s educational ambition: helping students develop critical thinking, media literacy, democratic awareness and the ability to respond to disinformation in complex information environments.
In CONSPIRE, ITU demonstrates how a technical university can contribute to one of Europe’s most urgent civic challenges. By connecting science, technology, social research and democratic education, ITU helps transform higher education into a space where students learn not only to understand the world, but also to engage with it responsibly.
