Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University has a history that dates back to 1976 when Rize Vocational School was established. The school was part of Karadeniz Technical University but it gained university status in 2006 and became Rize University. In 2012 the university was renamed Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University.
The university is divided into 14 academic faculties, which include dentistry, education, law, pharmacy and theology. There are three institutes: Institute of Science, Health Sciences Institute and Social Sciences Institute. The university also offers five schools and six vocational schools.
The student body is comprised of approximately 460 international students representing 46 countries between them. The university has developed partnerships with higher education institutions around the world to facilitate academic and scientific exchanges, as well as study abroad programs for students.
There are 16 research centres at the university and one training research hospital, which has a capacity of 530 beds. The hospital is used by students to gain practical experience but also by staff to carry out innovative research projects.
The university is located in Rize, a city in the eastern part of Turkey’s Black Sea region. The city is known for its surrounding tropical vegetation, boasting tea gardens and heavily forested mountainsides. Today Rize is considered the leading producer of tea, since it was introduced to the region in the 1940s. The city’s second largest produce is kiwi fruit ,which can be found in almost every public and private garden. Rize’s main square is home to an Atatürk monument and the Şeyh Camii (Sheik Mosque).
