Prof. Dr. ASAF VAROL

Prof. Dr. Asaf Varol participated in intensive German language and workplace training programs in Germany between 1972 and 1973. In 1976, he completed a three-month internship at the German Railways with an IAESTE scholarship. During his undergraduate studies at Fırat University, he wrote programs using the FORTRAN II programming language (1975–76). He graduated as the top student in the Mechanical Engineering department in 1977 and subsequently began his master’s degree at the Nuclear Engineering Institute of Istanbul Technical University (ITU). His MSc thesis involved developing a prototype system for modeling three-phase flows using FORTRAN.

In 1978, he began working at the ITU Research Reactor and received his MSc degree in Nuclear Energy Engineering in 1979. That same year, he was appointed as a Research Assistant at Fırat University and commenced his doctoral studies at the Institute of Natural Sciences at Karadeniz Technical University (KTU).

Between 1981 and 1982, he continued the experimental portion of his doctoral research in Germany under a DAAD scholarship, focusing on computer simulations. Upon his return to Turkey in 1982, he introduced the SINCLAIR ZX-81 microcomputer and pioneered BASIC programming courses at Fırat University. Many of today’s faculty in the field of computing at Fırat University owe their early engagement in computing to his initiatives.

He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from KTU in 1983. In 1988, he contributed to Fırat University’s integration into the EARN (European Academic Research Network). In 1990, as part of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and World Bank project, he conducted academic research in Computer Systems at Indiana and Purdue Universities. In 1991, he earned the academic title of Associate Professor in the field of Energy.

That same year, he established Fırat University's first local university television station and delivered distance education courses in programming and database systems via this platform. He also founded the Department of Electronics and Computer Education at the Technical Education Faculty of Fırat University.

In 1992, he conducted academic studies in computer-aided education and design at the University of Salford and the University of Bradford in the UK. In 1995, he was invited to Oklahoma State University in the United States to conduct research in Vocational and Technical Education and Informatics.

He organized the first public BASIC programming courses in Elazığ in 1984 and 1985 through the Elazığ Computer Center. Between 1985 and 1987, he introduced the first computer programming courses at the secondary education level at Elazığ Anatolian High School.

At the request of the Council of Higher Education, in 1995, he served as the editor for the Turkish translation of Principles of Electricity IV by D.C. Green. This textbook, published by the YÖK Printing Office, was adopted for use in vocational high schools (ISBN 0-582-09970-6).

He authored several technical books:

• Network Systems and Novell NetWare Operating System (1995, ISBN 975-486-409-8, Beta Publishing)
• Computer-Aided Education with ESTA (Text-Animated Expert System) (1996, ISBN 975-486-254-8, Beta Publishing)
• Word 7.0 – Turkish Edition (1997, ISBN 975-486-617-7, Beta Publishing)

In 1997, he was promoted to Full Professor in the Department of Computer Systems Education. Between 1997 and 2007, he published 61 articles on automation in the monthly Otomasyon journal.

Thanks to a DAAD scholarship, he worked on a robotics project at the University of Bremen in 1998. From June 1997 to December 1999, he contributed weekly IT columns to BThaber newspaper.

Between 1999 and 2002, he served on the National Informatics Committee of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), influencing the development of distance education policies across Turkish universities. His distance education software for the course "Robotics" became one of the first six YÖK-approved remote learning courseware modules. Using this platform, he delivered remote Robotics lectures to Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam and Sakarya Universities.

From 2000 to 2009, he was a jury member in the Interuniversity Board’s (ÜAK) Associate Professorship Commission for Vocational and Technical Education, participating in the evaluation of over 100 associate professorship candidates in informatics.

He authored the textbook Robotics for Technical and Anatolian Technical High Schools, which was approved by the Turkish Ministry of National Education's Board of Education (Decision No: 75, dated 06.07.1999, ISBN 975.11.1935.9).

He served as the founding Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Fırat University between 2000 and 2004. During 2004–2005, he conducted academic work and taught mechatronics-related courses at West Virginia State University in the USA.

From 2007 to 2008, he was appointed Acting Rector to establish Siirt University and concurrently served as Dean of the Faculty of Education and founder of the Computer Engineering Department.

Between 1998 and 2000, he was the DAP (Eastern Anatolia Project) Coordinator at Fırat University, and from 2001 to 2004, he led the development of provincial development plans for Elazığ, Bingöl, Muş, Tunceli, Bitlis, and Siirt.

Between 1995 and 1998, he collaborated with YÖK and the Ministry of National Education to organize “ICT Teacher Training Projects.”

In 2011, he conducted research in the field of energy at Wilkes University, USA. Between 2008 and 2012, he served as Director of the Revolving Fund Management at Fırat University. In 2011, he was appointed as a full-time professor in the Software Engineering Department of the Faculty of Technology at Fırat University.

He taught Introduction to Digital Forensics and Information Assurance at the undergraduate level at Sam Houston State University (USA) in 2013 and later delivered several graduate-level online courses during 2018–2019.

He founded the International Dual Degree Program (UOLP) in Software Engineering between Fırat University and Sam Houston State University. Graduates receive diplomas from both institutions. Since 2018, the program has become one of the most sought-after dual degree programs in Turkey, with full enrollment and increasing entrance scores each year.

In 2011, he established the Digital Forensics Engineering Department at Fırat University—the first and only of its kind in Turkey.

Between 2015 and 2017, he completed a second master’s degree in public administration at Sam Houston State University, receiving scholarships throughout due to academic excellence.

In 2017, he founded the Turkish Software and Cybersecurity Association (www.softcybersec.org) and the ILDEK Council, which includes all Deans of Communication Faculties in Turkey. He remains the only permanent member of the Executive Committee of ILDEK since 2000 (www.ildek.org).

With support from IEEE, he has organized the International Symposium on Digital Forensics and Security (ISDFS) annually since 2013 across multiple countries, currently serving as its General Coordinator (www.isdfs.org).

Between 2019 and 2023, he also organized the IEEE-supported International Informatics and Software Engineering Conference (IISEC) (iise.org.tr). In 2019, he founded the Elazığ Chapter of the Turkish Informatics Association.

He has authored or co-authored nearly 400 national/international journal articles, conference papers, textbooks, and lecture notes, predominantly in the field of informatics.

Since 2000, he has continued to write op-ed columns for Günışığı newspaper (www.gunisigigazetesi.net).

In 2020, he was appointed as a full-time Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering (English Program), Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Maltepe University, Istanbul.

In 2021, he authored the book "Opinion Columns – Communication" published by Maltepe University (ISBN: 978-625-44495-5-0).

Over the years, he has taught various Computer Engineering courses at Maltepe University, Fırat University, Gedik University, Bilgi University, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC).

Since 2017, he has served as an evaluator for the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK), conducting institutional evaluations at several universities including:

• Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal (2017)
• Bilecik Şeyh Edebali (2018)
• Ardahan (2019)
• Ondokuz Mayıs (2020)
• Başkent (2021)
• Süleyman Demirel (2022)
• Kilis 7 Aralık (2023)

He also served as an evaluator for ECZAKDER (Pharmacy Education Accreditation Agency) in 2022 and 2023.

In 2025, he was appointed as an ABET Program Evaluator in the United States, further expanding his international contributions to accreditation and engineering education quality assurance.

In 2023, he became one of the founding members of the Academic Informatics Foundation (ABV).

From August 2022 to April 2025, he served as a faculty member at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA.

Prof. Varol is a Senior Member of IEEE and a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).

He is married and has two children. He is fluent in English and German.