Middle East Technical University (METU) was founded in 1956 with the mission of creating a skilled workforce in science, engineering and humanities fields in Turkey and surrounding countries. On average, METU is home to approximately 28000 students and has more than 120,000 alumni worldwide. Today, METU employs nearly 2000 academic personnel, who successfully participate in a large number of national and international projects every year. The campus houses the most developed campus-based Technopark in Turkey, with project support and technology transfer offices. These offices work closely with the faculty members on the financial and administrative issues related to EU projects.