Education and Academic Career:
Secondary and High School: Kadıköy Maarif College (1960-1967)
University: Istanbul Technical University, Mining and Architecture Faculty, Mining Department. (1968 - 1972)
MS Degree: Columbia University, New York, USA. (Certificate in May 1973)
Ph Degree: On “Coal Chemistry” at Istanbul Technical University, Mining Faculty. (Certificate in September 1983)
Associated Professor Degree: Department of Mining Engineering of Istanbul Technical University. (Certificate in October 1983)
Professor Degree: Istanbul Technical University, Mining Faculty. (Certificate in May 1989)
Fields of Interest: Coal Technology, Statistics, Briquetting of Coal, Air Pollution and Ecology.
Languages:
English, German, Italian.

Hobbies:
Travel, Travel Writer, Photography, Anthropology, Foreign Languages, Reading, Cinema, Theater.

Academic Activities an Research Programs Abroad:
· He has been working as a lecturer at the Mining Faculty of Istanbul Technical University since May 1973.
· He went to Germany in 1981 with a scholarship of German Government for fourteen months to carry out researches on Coal Bripuetting Technologies at Aachen Technical High School. He also consulted 15 graduating projects, joined several seminars and conducted a couple of technical trips in Germany.
· In November 1982 he took part in a Coal Technology seminar as the guest of the Venezuelan Government. He acted both as speaker and consultant.
· He has been to many different countries for different objectives relating to research and exploration voyages and conferences.
“The book COAL is the most important written work by Mr. Kural on his primary profession. It was prepared over a period of six years with the contributions of 52 authors and 157 scientists (all experts on their fields) from 61 countries. Mr. Kural has edited the book and also acted as author. The leaders of 22 countries also expressed their views in the preface of the book. The book is currently being studied at mining faculties in the universities of 20 different countries.

Nonprofessional Activities

· He has been to almost 190 countries traveling 900 000 kilometers and currently holds the Turkish record for the most countries visited.
· He has written eight travel books and one of the very few figures who has contributed most to Turkish Travel Literature.
“He has participated in a approximately 400 television programs in Turkey and many others in several countries he has visited. Many articles have been written about Orhan Kural in different newspaper of 42 countries. He has written lots of articles, which have been published in domestic and foreign journals and magazines.”

“He has directed television programmes about the protection of environment and ecology at four different channels ((KMP, Channel 9, Istanbul TV,  HBB, E TV, Kanal 6, Kanaltürk, Expochannel.  )  He has also directed radio programmes about "traveling" on 7 different stations. He has still two radio programmes.”

“He has opened 36 personal photo exhibitions at which he exhibited the photos he has taken all around the world. The money collected from the sales of his photos has been granted to different charity establishment.”

“Early in 1998 he established “Gezginler Kulübü” (Travelers Club) in Istanbul, which is the first ever, travelers club in Turkey. The club has his own three – storey building in the historical centre of Istanbul. The club has now about 270 members among whom there are famous authors, photographers, scientists and various other people who come together with a common love of travel.”

“Mr. Kural who has always believed in the close relationship between tourism and environment, has participated in over 3800 conferences and slide shows in various places ranging from primary schools to police academies to emphasize to earn Turkish people competent view of environment. He has processed the theme that the more a country loses its values of environmental sources the more it loses its touristic potential. He also mentioned his philosophy that the travel will enable people to get to know each other and hence remove prejudices and stop wars in the long term.

- He was the Deputy to Head of Mining Engineering Department of ITU between 2005 – 2006 and he is currently Head of Division of Underground Mining at the same department

Awards

Over 360 awards presented Prof. Dr. Orhan Kural by different associations (a photo is presented.) most important ones:

· The Environment Award presented by Ministry of Environment, Türkiye
· The Environment Awards of Press presented by INEPO – Türkiye
· The Environment Award presented by Rectorate of Uludağ University
· The Contribution Award presented by World Energy Council
· The Environment Award presented by Rectorade of Işık University
· The Environment Award presented by Rectorade of Maltepe University
· The Environment Award presented by INEPO – Türkiye
· The most succesfull man of the year of 1998 in the environmental field.
· The Environment Award presented by INEPO – Türkiye, 2001

  . The Environmet Award presented by INEPO – Türkiye, 2004

“He is an active member of the Chamber of the Turkish Mining Engineers, the Turkish National Committee of World Mining Congress, the International Peat Society, Istanbul Technical University Alumni Society and the Society of the Protection of Natural Life.”

"He has been appointed as an Honorary  Consul of Benin in Istanbul"

Contact Adress:
İTÜ Maden Fakültesi, 80626, Ayazağa, İstanbul – Turkey
Tel: (+90-212) 285 63 22 (work)
(+90-212) 274 03 96 (home)
(+90-532) 252 30 87 (mobile phone)
(+90-212) 285 66 88 (Travelers Club)

Fax: (+90-212) 285 65 31 (work)
(+90-212) 267 37 83 (home)