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KurdistanObserver.com
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government to
Receive Honorary Degree at W&J Commencement Ceremony
WASHINGTON, PA (April 25, 2008) - Nechirvan Barzani, Prime
Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government since March 2006, will receive an
honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Washington & Jefferson College at
its annual Commencement ceremony on May 17.
Grandson of Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) founder Mustafa Barzani, Nechirvan
Barzani was born in 1966 in the Barzan region of Iraqi Kurdistan. In 1974, his
family was forced into exile in Iran. Barzani often accompanied his late father,
Idris Barzani, on official visits to Middle Eastern and European countries, a
foreshadowing of his future political career. In 1984, he enrolled at the
University of Tehran to study political science, but withdrew three years later
following the sudden death of his father, taking an active role in Kurdish
politics.
"Prime Minister Barzani projects a progressive vision for the Kurdistan Region
and the rest of Iraq, with an emphasis on education, the rights of women and
minorities, and economic development," said Jess Baily, state department
representative in Arbil.
W&J President Tori Haring-Smith said, "Prime Minister Barzani has been a strong
and outspoken ally of the United States throughout his time in public service,
and Washington & Jefferson College is taking the initiative to recognize his
contributions in the region and his efforts to make a difference through
democracy there," W&J President Tori Haring-Smith said.
Barzani was elected to the KDP central committee at its 10th Congress in 1989
and re-elected at the 11th Congress in 1993, when he assumed a position in the
political bureau. After the 1991 Gulf War, he participated in the negotiations
with the Iraqi government. In 1996, he was appointed deputy prime minister of
the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil, and three years later, he became
prime minister. He has played an important role in developing the Kurdish
region. His cabinet has been nicknamed the "development cabinet" by the Kurdish
people as the result of his contributions to the development of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on the lawn in front of the Olin Fine Arts
Center.
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a national
liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its
students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers
a traditional liberal arts curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and
independent student work.
For more information about W&J, visit www.washjeff.edu or call 888-926-3529. |
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