Izmir University of Economics (IEU), the first foundation university of Izmir and the Aegean region, was established in 2001 by “Izmir Chamber of Commerce Education and Health Foundation”. The University currently has 8 faculties, 2 schools, 3 vocational schools, 3 graduate schools, and 9 research centres.
The Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, appropriates a wide perspective in design that encourages and embraces interdisciplinary discourse, is composed of different design disciplines (management, marketing, production, and consumption) that work in unity and harmony with each other. In this context, the programs respond to the needs of the local and global markets, developing students’ design vision and guiding them into creating their own designer identities. The faculty brings together five design departments: Fashion & Textile Design, Industrial Design, Visual Communication Design, Interior Architecture and Environmental Design and Architecture. Our approach brings together design disciplines in a dynamic environment that supports creativity and collaboration with industry and foresights the implementations of chains of partnering programs, which forms a communications network with each other.
Several academic activities such as conferences, seminars, workshops, technical trips, exhibitions are carried out by the faculty. Through EKOTAM (Center for Design Research and Practices) both academic staff and students have the chance to undertake professional projects and gain hands-on experience in design practice.