METU International Summer
Engineering Program 2010 (ISEP 2010)

Fuel Cell Fundamentals

For Exchange, Study Abroad, International
and METU Undergraduate Engineering Students

Middle East Technical University (METU)
Ankara, Turkey

United Nations Industrial Development Organization-
International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies
Announcements:
  • January 26:
    • Eren Ustunbas, a METU student who participated in the ISEP 2009, will be visiting both Penn State and Texas during the next 2 weeks to meet with students interested in ISEP 2010. Please email me or see you study abroad office if you would like to meet him. This is a great opportunity to get a METU student perspective on the program and get a contact before coming to METU.
    • See YouTube video of the 2009 ISEP fieldtrip to the International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies.
  • November 4 : The visits to Texas and Penn State went really well. A few key ideas:
    • Faculty and administrators at both universities strongly support the program due to the value-added educational components detailed in the ISEP 2010 brochure below. Both expect to fill their limit of 10 students each for ISEP 2010. If you are interested in this program, see your engineering study abroad coordinator as soon as possible before the program fills-up.
    • I spoke with several US students who participated in ISEP 2009 who noted that the experience really separated them from their peers during the interview process, with several interviewers specifically saying that they pulled these students resume due to this international experience and invariably much of the interview was spent talking about this experience. Administrators at Penn State and Texas also told me that industry place a premium on international experience, which is why Penn State and Texas support this program so strongly.
    • Read a students perspective on ISEP 2009: Two ME Students Spend Six Weeks in Turkey, Learn About Fuel Cells and Turkish Culture: From Penn State's Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering News Archive describing 2 of their students' experiences in ISEP 2009.
    • The students from Penn State and Texas who participated in ISEP 2009 are now back at their home campuses. All these students are more than happy to talk with students interested in ISEP 2010 to give them a student perspective. METU also has engineering exchange students at Texas and Penn State for the fall 2009 semester, and these students are also more than willing to speak with students who want more information. If you would like to speak with these students, contact your study abroad office.
  • October 15: The 2009 International Summer Engineering Program at METU went extremely well, with all 9 US and 21 METU students having a great experience. We are starting to plan for the 2010 program:
    • ISEP 2010 Brochure Now Available!
    • October 19: I will be making a presention at ISEP at the 2009 Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference in San Antonio, Texas, which is one of the premier engineering education conferences.
    • October 21-23, The University of Texas-Austin Visit: There will be an information sesion on Thursday, October 22, from 1-2 in ECJ 10th floor large conference room for interested students. If you cannot make this time, you can also email me (dbaker@metu.edu.tr) and we can meet informally.
    • October 29-30, Penn State Visit: Tentatively there is an information session scheduled for the late afternoon/early evening on Thursday, October 29. If you cannot make this time, you can also email me (dbaker@metu.edu.tr) and we can meet informally.
Calendar:
  • October 19: I will be making a presention at ISEP at the 2009 Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference in San Antonio, Texas, which is one of the premier engineering education conferences.
  • October 21-23, The University of Texas-Austin Visit: There will be an information sesion on Thursday, October 22, from 1-2 in ECJ 10th floor large conference room for interested students. If you cannot make this time, you can also email me (dbaker@metu.edu.tr) and we can meet informally.
  • October 29-30, Penn State Visit: Tentatively there is an information session scheduled for the late afternoon/early evening on Thursday, October 29. If you cannot make this time, you can also email me (dbaker@metu.edu.tr) and we can meet informally.
Program Information:
  • ISEP 2010 Brochure
  • 2009 Course Brochure (PDF): Although specifically for the 2009 program, most of the material is still valid and this brochure gives much more information about METU and Turkey than the new 2010 brochure.
  • Video of the 2009 ISEP fieldtrip to the International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies.
  • How to Apply :
    • Texas Students: See Laurie Young in the Engineering Study Abroad Office
    • Penn State Students: See Prof. Jean Pytel.
  • Dr. Derek Baker is the coordinator for this program.
Facebook:
  • Most of the US and METU students who participated in the 2009 program are now linked on Facebook. You can enter this community by joining the student run Facebook Group.
Fuel Cells:
METU:
ICHET:
Turkey:
In 2007 Turkey was the world's 9th most visited country. Although relatively unknown to many Americans, Turkey is a favorite vacation destination for Northern Europeans due to the sun, beaches, history and mountains.