In May, higher education leaders from six regions came together to promote dialogue and reform.
A series of workshops held in Erbil through the Iraq University Linkages Program [4] welcomed nearly 40 administrators from seven universities and several government institutions to discuss university administration. The workshops focused on topics including quality assurance, institutional relations and advancement, and strategic planning. These topics were chosen because they are common barriers, identified by the administrators, that hinder Iraq’s once world-class universities from resuming their role as engines of growth in the region.
“Many workshops have been done here in Iraq since 2003,” stated Wasfi Taher, Dean of Economic Administration at Salahidin University, “but this was one of the best. The speakers and topics were exactly what we need. The workshop was realistic - this information is so important to develop our universities.”
The Iraq University Linkages Program [4] is funded by the US Embassy in Baghdad [5] and administered by IREX.