A delegation from the University of Halabja participated in APPRAIS’s 4th Partnership Meeting at the University of Duhok in Duhok in 20-21 June, 2023.
The meeting that lasted for 2 days and followed by a dissemination conference brought together representatives from 8 Kurdish universities and 3 European ones as well as the UNIMED as the coordinator and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of KRG to discuss important topics of the project.
The participants of UoH consisted of Dr. Dana Abdullah Tahir, Vice-president for Scientific and Higher Education Affair, Mr. Aram Muhammad Amin Qadir, Director of Quality Assurance, Mr. Rasti Ayub Hama Saeed, Representative from International Academic Relations as well as the Project’s local coordinator.
After the welcoming and opening speech from Dr. Luqman H. Hasan, University of Duhok Vice-President for Scientific Affairs and Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Mohammed Hussein Ahmed, Director general and Head of Apparatus of Supervision of Quality Assurance and Accreditation of MHESR, and Silvia Marchione, the APPRAIS Project coordinator, several important topics were tackled.
Among the topics included examining what has been accomplished thus far and outlining the remaining tasks to be completed within the project’s timeline, overview of WP5 by its leader and co-leader, a short presentation of the local Training of Trainee (ToT)s conducted at each Kurdish partner university, refining institutional strategic plans taking into account the shared strategic plan by the MHESR.
Each university had to present their local ToT and the UoH represented by Mr. Rasti A. Hama Saeed, briefly touched upon the local ToT plan at UoH, topics covered, participants, feedback on the overall organization, how it went, challenges faced, and other aspects.
Additionally, discussions centered around two pillars within WP4: Bologna Process Implementation and the recognition of credits and learning mobility. One of the key focuses of the work package was the Quality Assurance handbook, which has been undergoing development to align with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) and its subsequent implementation in Kurdish Higher Education System. The meeting also featured an update on the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), led and co-led by the University of Zakho and the University of Murcia, respectively.
On the second day, the project operational management and financial matters were addressed by UNIMED colleagues. More specifically, staff cost, overview of the expenses, travel and cost of stay, and sub-contracting were discussed.
Another session was dedicated to WP6 regarding Quality and Evaluation which is led and co-led by the University of Salahaddin and University of Halabja respectively. It was brought to detail, by Mr. Rasti A. Hama Saeed, the evaluation reports results of the Field Visits conducted in October, 2022, and the latter one conducted in January, 2023 as well as the Mid-term evaluation report carried out in October-November, 2022.
The last part of the 2 day meeting was dedicated to WP7 on Dissemination and Exploitation activities regarding the project website, the newsletter, and dissemination activities done by partner universities and how plans of sustainability for the project on the internet help spread the project objectives further to other Kurdish universities and Higher Education system once the project will have ended.
A short professionally-created video on APPRAIS Project was shown to the participants followed by the next steps within the remaining time of the project to be taken by the partners.
The third and last day of the project participant reunion was dedicated to a dissemination conference held at the premises of the Duhok Polytechnic University in the presence of the Italian consul, the hosting university president, guests of academic staff and students.
Apart from the welcoming speech and remarking comments from the people mentioned, UNIMED and the project and its results achieved were re-introduced to the attendees followed by two panels of discussion the first of which was The APPRAIS project at the service of the Kurdish higher education system: what has been achieved and steps forwards.
The second panel addressed the social role of the University and its internationalization towards social and economic sustainable development of the KRG region in which partner university representatives and representatives from Non-Governmental Organization and from the government touched upon the universities responsibility in creating social and economic connection within the society they thrive.
The dissemination conference provided a platform to showcase the project’s tangible results and their potential for sustainable development within Iraqi Kurdistan Region. The panels of discussion focused on the transformative role of the APPRAIS project in the Kurdish higher education system, highlighting the positive impact on the social and economic fabric of the region. By fostering collaboration between partner universities, non-governmental organizations, and government entities, the conference emphasized the collective responsibility to drive positive change and establish strong connections within society.
The 4th Partnership Meeting of the APPRAIS project, accompanied by the dissemination conference, proved to be instrumental in the way of the Project regarding reforming of higher education in Iraqi Kurdistan. The knowledge and skills shared, collaborations created, and strategic plans devised during these events lay the foundation stone for sustainable advancement of higher education within the region. The APPRAIS project has undoubtedly made significant strides towards its objectives, thanks to the collective dedication and commitment of all parties involved. As the project progresses, the positive ripple effects of these gatherings will continue to shape the landscape of higher education, research, and socio-economic development in Iraqi Kurdistan and beyond.
