The University of Halabja (UoH) has taken a significant step towards expanding its academic reach by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Murcia in Spain. This collaboration is part of UoH’s efforts to establish academic partnerships with renowned universities worldwide, with a particular focus on Europe.

UoH’s International Academic Relations Office (IRO) has actively pursued academic partnerships with universities worldwide. The MoU with the University of Murcia marks an important milestone in UoH’s journey towards becoming a prominent institution in the region. It provides valuable opportunities for UoH students and faculty members, fostering their growth and development.

Both universities are already partners in the APPRAIS Project, which is a capacity building project receiving funding from the European Union’s Erasmus+ program. The project’s objective is to improve the governance, strategic planning, and management of higher education institutions, with a specific emphasis on reforming the higher education system through the Bologna process implementation in the Kurdish universities of the region.

The MoU is signed by Prof. Dr. Mahabad Kamil Abdullah, University of Halabja President, and Jose Lujan Alcaraz, University of Murcia Rector and represented and exchanged by Prof. Dr. Dana Abdullah Tahir, UoH Vice-president for Scientific and Higher Education Affairs and Maria Jesus Periago University of Murcia Representative.

The recently signed MoU outlines various areas of potential collaboration between the two institutions. This includes jointly developing research projects, offering post-graduate and research study programs, and facilitating the exchange of professors, researchers, and students. Additionally, both universities can organize courses, seminars, share academic resources, and collaborate on Master’s and Doctoral degree projects.

This broad scope of collaboration opens up numerous opportunities for academic exchange and cooperation between UoH and the University of Murcia. It has the potential to significantly contribute to the advancement of knowledge and research in their respective fields.

UoH remains committed to furthering its partnerships with universities around the world. This collaboration presents an excellent opportunity for both institutions to enhance their academic offerings and expand their capabilities. It will enable UoH students and faculty members to exchange knowledge and expertise with their counterparts in Spain, creating a vibrant cross-cultural learning experience for all parties involved.

The University of Halabja and the President Jalal Talabani Foundation entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which was signed by the president of the UoH Prof. Dr. Mahabad Kamil Abdullah and the president of President Jalal Talabani Foundation Dr. Mohammed Sabir at the UoH on May 23, 2023. The event was attended by vice-presidents, deans, the director of International Academic Relations and director of CDC at UoH, as well as the founder and head of Administration and Relations of President Jalal Talabani Foundation.

Following the signing of the MoU and in a press conference, Dr. Mahabad Kamil Abdullah expressed the UoH pride in signing the MoU with President Jalal Talabani Foundation emphasizing that it was a historic day for the university. She further stated that the purpose of the MoU was to benefit students, administrative and academic staff in various fields including science and research.

After that, Dr. Mohammed Sabir delivered a speech highlighting the role of President Mam Jalal Talabani. He also referred to himself as a student of President Mam Jalal and expressed the aspiration to accomplish endeavors of incomparable significance. Dr. Sabir further discussed President Mam Jalal’s pivotal role and tremendous support in the establishment of universities. He elaborated on the foundation’s responsibilities particularly in the of higher education and the development of relationships with universities at both national and international levels.
It is worth to mention that this MoU is intended to establish and strengthen a collaboration between the two sides regarding the developmental collaborations, exchange knowledge, experience and filling gaps in different areas to provide excellent services and providing suitable environment for undergraduate, post graduate, youth development and community.

Halabja University participated in the First Academic and Scientific Conference of “Hawramanology”
The first Scientific and academic Conference of “Hawramanology” was held at Kurdistan University in the city of Sanandaj, which was organized jointly by the University of Kurdistan, University of Halabja and University of Sulaimani.
The conference lasted for 2days on 3rd -4th ,May,2023, in which the University of Halabja lecturers and researchers participated in with a number of researches which was conducted particularly on Hawraman Area,additionally the President of the University of Halabja ,Prof.Dr. Mahabad Kamil Abdulla ,delivered a speech via online, “she welcomed the guests and hoped that the conference would be a continuation of the joint works between the two universities and other universities of Iran, and also made an initiative and showed the University of Halabja’s wiliness for hosting the second conference of Hawramanology next year , and thanked the organizers of the conference and emphasized the importance of this conference and described it as great initiative for bringing together the leading academic researchers and research scholars.’’
A delegation from the university of Halabja participated in the conference which comprised of a number of lecturers from different departments and headed by Dr.Ahmed Rasheed Mira , Dean of College of Education of Shahrzoor
The conference was held in the framework of the joint scientific and academic cooperations between the Universities of Kurdistan , Halabja and Sulaimani, the aim of the conference was to introduce the Hawramn Area in terms of its Scientific, cultural,art and social aspects ,present 93 researches in 22 panels and also to bring together leading academic, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results.

The event started with the ceremony of the conference, in which the University presidents gave speeches as well as the Governor of Sanandaj city and Head of Research center also present speeches.
The UoH president, Prof.Dr.Mahabad Kamil Abdulla presented a speech in which she welcomed the guests and hoped that the conference would be a continuation of the joint works between the two universities and other universities of Iran, Dr. Mahabad made an initiative and showed the University of Halabja’s willness to host the second conference of Hawramanology next year , and thanked the organizers of the conference and emphasized the importance of this conference and described it as great initiative for bringing together the leading academic researchers and research scholars and holding more joint works between the two universities.
At the same time a number of scientific articles were presented on the history, culture, tradition and arts of Hawraman Area,and two volume of books about Hawraman were introduced in the conference which were printed on the conferences budget.
Later, in three different halls and in the first day of the conference in 9 panels a numerous researches were presented and the researchers briefly discussed the content of their researches.
In the second day of the conference, the remaining research papers were presented in a number of panels and the contents were displayed to the attendees.

On the 11th of April 2023, a seminar on “First Aid” held in the seminar hall of the College of Basic Education.
From the beginning, the UoH Research Center’s Director, Dr. Hersh Hama Amin Faqe, provided an explanation of the course process which is accessible to all colleges employees and lecturers. He also emphasized the significance of the course.
Later, Dr. Diler Karim discussed the role of a first aid as well as explaining the necessary steps and identifying who can be a first aid provider. Additionally, he discussed the actions needed to keep the the sick or injured people safe including contacting emergency services, performing artificial respiration, clearing airways, chest pain, bleeding, and burns. Lastly, the seminars speakers answered all queries from the participants.
The last but not least, the medical officers Mr. Saad Mahdi, Mr. Ihsan Rebwar and Mr. Zhyar explained the first aid steps to follow of different cases practically and they also answered the participants questions and comments.

The University of Halabja (UoH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Évora in Portugal, marking a significant milestone in UoH’s academic expansion efforts. The MoU is part of UoH’s initiative to establish academic partnerships with renowned universities worldwide with a particular focus on Europe.

Both universities are already partners within the APPRAIS Project, which is an EU funded project withing Erasmus+ program aiming to enhance the governance, strategic planning, and management of higher education institutions, with a specific emphasis on improving the capabilities of human resources and suggesting a reform for the local higher education system through the implementation of the Bologna process..

The MoU outlines various fields for potential collaboration between the two institutions including developing joint research projects, post-graduate or research study programmes, and the exchange of professors, researchers, and students in general. Additionally, both universities may organize courses and seminars, exchange bibliographical material and publications, and collaborate on Masters’ and Doctor’s degree projects.

The broad scope of collaboration creates numerous opportunities for academic exchange and cooperation between UoH and the University of Évora, with the potential to contribute significantly to the advancement of knowledge and research in their respective fields.

The International Academic Relations Office (IRO) at UoH has been proactively pursuing academic partnerships with universities worldwide. The signing of the MoU with the University of Évora is an important step for UoH to strengthen its position as an emerging institution in the region and provide valuable opportunities for its students and academic staff members.

UoH is committed to pursuing further partnerships with universities worldwide, and the MoU with the University of Évora is just the beginning. This collaboration is an excellent opportunity for both institutions to enhance their academic offerings and expand their academic capabilities, enabling UoH students and faculty members to exchange knowledge and expertise with their peers in Europe.

 

Under the supervision of Prof Dr. Mahabad Kamil Abdullah, the president of the UoH, and under the slogan, “The UoH Serves the Halabja Chemical Attack Case with its Projects and Innovations” held an event to commemorate the Halabja Chemical attack on the 16th of March 2023 in the Central Library of the UoH presidency.
The event was held in the presence of Mr. Azad Tofiq, governor of Halabja, members of the UoH council, families and relatives of the victims, lecturers and employees and a number of administrative officials in the city.
The event began with standing silently for a minute for the souls of Halabja chemical attack and Kurdistan martyrs. Then, the welcoming speech was delivered by the president of UoH. She stated, “Today, 35years later, the tragedy of Halabja remains a haunting reminder of the horrors of war and the devastating impact it has had and will continue to have on innocent civilians. As we gather here today, we must remember those who lost their lives and those who continue to suffer from the effects of the chemical weapons used in the attack”.
After that, the masterpiece of Gulbaran by Mr. Salaharash and Mr. Aziz Hama Karim which was composed by Mr. Bakhtiar Hama Karim and Mr. Aziz Hama Karim was presented by the children of Shawnm Kindergarten.

Another part of the commemoration was dedicated to showing a project named Halabja Genocide Digital Archive which was presented by Assist. Prof. Dr. Nariman Abdullah Ali. This project is to collect and archive all information, documents, research papers, writings, photos and videos on the chemical attack on Halabja. The following is the link of the project website:
Halabja Memorial – In Memory of a Tragedy
In another part, Prof. Dr. Hussein Mohammed Salih presented another project entitled, “Encyclopedia of Halabja” in which he discussed the importance of the project which is a joint work of Khal Organization and UoH with the financial sponsorship of Mr. Sheikh Ali Sheikh Ezadin.

Afterwards, a piece of music was performed by the musicians Mr. Jazai Saz, Mr. Salim and Mr. Alan.
Later, a panel named, “A New Vision for Reconstructing the Individuals Identity in Halabja” by Mr. Hoshmand Atta Mahmoud was organized for each of the following:
Firstly, Dr. Jaafar Omar Ahmad as a psychologist disucced extensively researched the psychological effects of chemical attacks on the victims of Halabja. He has discovered that such attacks can lead to long-lasting trauma and psychological damage, including depression, anxiety, and phobias. He wished that the UoH would conduct more research papers on this field.
Secondly, Dr. Jihad Ibrahim Ahmad discussed “Health Consequences of the Halabja Tragedy” and the types of gases that were spilled on the day of chemical attack on Halabja such as Mustard gas which blistered the skin and lungs as well as Nerve agents such as Sarin and VX which were much more deadly.
Thirdly, Dr. Lehon Qadir Abdulrahman discussed “Identity of Halabja and Halabja People from Genocide and Distortion to Hide and Be a Leader” in which he talked about the concept of the city and the co-citizenship. He mentioned that the city is a place that brings together different views. Further, a citizen is someone who lives for a place which includes different views and ideas but not himself.
The chemical attack on Halabja, which occurred on March 16, 1988, remains one of the deadliest instances of chemical warfare in modern history. More than 5000 people, mostly civilians, were killed or injured when Iraqi forces, under the command of Saddam Hussein, dropped deadly chemical bombs in Halabja. The attack was part of a larger campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Kurdish population in Iraq, which lasted for several years and resulted in the displacement and death of hundreds of thousands of people.

Adelegation from Halabja University participated in the launch of the TeachersMOD (Future Elementary School Teachers Modernization in Kurdistan) project .
The TeachersMOD Project kickoff meeting launched at Duhok University on 1-2 March 2023, the program is a two-year project of Pavia University and the Mediterranean Universities Organization (UNIMED) in collaboration with several European universities and five Kurdistan universities.
It is part of the Erasmus+, KA2 – Capacity building in the field of higher education program which is funded by the European Union. The project aims to reform Basic Education Colleges in the areas of developing Subject content, teaching methodologies, and pedagogy.
Two representatives from each Kurdistan partner universities participated in the event and UoH was represented by a delegation comprising of Prof.Dr. Mahabad Kamil Abdulla, the University’s president, Mr. Hedayat Ahmed Mohammed, Head of English Department and Mr. Hoshmand Atta Mahmood Head of Social Science Department as representatives of the College of Basic Education. The second work package of the project is scheduled to begin in April at the University of Halabja.

Under the supervision of Dr. Aram Mohammed Qadir, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and under the supervision of Professor Dr. Mahabad Kamil Abdullah, the president of the UoH in the remembrance of the 35th anniversary of the Halabja Chemical Attack, Kurdistan universities Volleyball Championships held at the 6th of March 2023 at the sport hall of College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences. The championship was under the slogan “Sports for Development and Coexistence” in which Mr. Hama Hama Saeed, Minister of Culture and Youth, Mr. Azad Tofiq, Governor of Halabja and a number of directors, political parties figures and athletes attended.

The championship activities began with the entry of the participating teams and then a few moments of silence for the souls of the Kurdish martyrs.

Later, Dr. Ako Ibrahim Faqe, dean of the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences gave a speech in which he warmly welcomed the guests and pointed out that the importance of the event and the UoH pays a lot of attention into sports.

After that, the president of UoH delivered a speech in which she warmly welcomed the guests and highlighted that the UoH organized this event with approaching the remembrance of Halabja Chemical Attack.

University of Halabja held a forum for developing the Agritourism sector in which a number of sessions were presented to touch upon the issues and solutions relating to this sectors. The forum was organized by UoH with cooperation of Deputy of Prime Minister’s Office and German organization GIZ on March 6th, 2023.
Among the attendees were her excellency Ms.Begard Talabani,Minsiter of Agriculture and Water Resources of KRG, Prof.Dr. Mahabad Kamil Abdulla, UoH President, Mr. Azad Tofiq, Governor of Halabja Governorate, Ms. Nukhsha Nasih , Mayor of Halabja ,a number of public and political figures and lecturers.
At the beginning, the representative of giz organization in a short speech highlighted the works and activities of their organization in Kurdistan Region, Later Dr. Mahabad Kamil Abdulla delivered a welcome speech and pointed out to the importance of Agriculture and Tourism sectors in Halabja as well as the potential problems facing the development of these two essential sectors.
Then, Ms.Begard Talabani, read an article in which she briefed the tasks and activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources and what the Ministry is doing specially to develop and improve these two sectors, further she discussed the importance role of Halabja city in this regard as Halabja has Shahrzoor Plain and Hawraman area which are two known places for agriculture and tourism.
A panel was organized and run by the head of Economy with numbers Institute Mr. Bilal Saeed and the participants of the panel were Mr. Azad Tofiq, Governor of Halabja Governorate, Mr. Peshawa Ahmed , Head of Commercial Chamber of Halabja and Dr. Rezheen Harun , lecturer at College of Business Administration of Slemani University in which they presented seminars on agriculture and tourism as well as discussing how to develop tourism and combine it with agriculture.
The panel was concluded with the answer- question session.
At the end, UoH president awarded the appreciation logo to the giz organization, and also special present to
Ms. Begard Talabani.

Agritourism is ‘The symbiotic relationship between tourism and agriculture.’ In a simple context, agritourism also known as agrotourism, is a form of tourism which activities are focused directly with agriculture, and utilises the unique offerings of rural and agriculture rich communities.

On the 2nd of March 2023, the University of Halabja (UoH) and University of Duhok (UoD) signed a memorandum of understanding for the purpose of strengthening and enhancing academic collaboration, at the University of Duhok. The MoU is to outline specific points of cooperation between the two universities including facilitating the collaboration of academic staff for participating in joint research projects, providing access to libraries, sport facilities and laboratories, sharing expertise in governance and management in higher education, collaborating in applying to international funding organizations.

Exchange of students is another key areas covered by the MOU. This could mean that UoH students have the opportunity to take classes as non-degree students at UoD University and vice versa for a period of time, which can be a valuable learning experience. Additionally, another key area which is mentioned in the MoU is to encourage cultural exchange and cooperation between the two universities.

Overall, the MOU between the University of Halabja and the University of Duhok is a positive step towards fostering greater academic collaboration and cooperation between these two institutions. It will create opportunities for students, staff, and researchers to learn from each other and work together towards common goals.