KurdistanObserver.com

University Of Kurdistan Close To Agreement With Bradford University

Kurdistan Regional Government

May 18, 2006

The University of Kurdistan – Hawler will be opened in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, in September 2006. Professor Abbas Vali, the Rector of the new university, explains in this interview the reasons for establishing the university, how it will be run and his hopes for reforming/modernising higher education in Kurdistan.

Abbas Vali is the Rector of the University of Kurdistan – Hawler. He is a political theorist and specialist in the politics of the modern Middle East. Professor Vali taught at the University of Wales, Swansea in the UK from 1985 to 2004 and at Bogazici University in Istanbul from 2004 to 2006. He has written and published extensively on aspects of modern Middle Eastern history and politics, especially on Iranian history and politics and the Kurdish Question in the Middle East.

Q: What are the guiding principles and mission of the University of Kurdistan?

Vali: Its mission is to provide free education in English to motivated and eligible students in key subjects that are needed for the development of the Kurdistan Region, in particular the unified Kurdish administration. The university will give Kurdish students access to world class education and research.

The guiding principle is that the students will receive an education and qualification that meets high internationally recognised standards. That is why all of the courses will be validated by Bradford University in the UK. Bradford University will monitor the curricula, the quality of teaching and the process of examination. Arrangements are also being made for Bradford University to accredit the University of Kurdistan’s degrees. We will very soon sign a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with Bradford, leading to a contract for collaboration.

Q: Why was English chosen as the language of instruction for all of the degrees?

Vali: We chose English for two reasons. First, English is the universal language of the modern social, political sciences as well as economics, management and business studies, and information technology. At present throughout the world at least 70 percent of texts in these subjects are published in English. Kurdish, and for that matter Arabic, Persian and Turkish, though highly developed literary languages, are not the language of modern social sciences. Those who teach social sciences in these languages would testify to this fact.

Secondly, the degree courses will be validated by Bradford University - a British university. There could be no grounds for academic collaboration if we do not have a common language.

Q: Who can apply to study at the University of Kurdistan? How many students will you accept in your first year, which starts in September 2006?

Vali: Students of any gender, age, religion and ethnicity can apply to study at the University of Kurdistan - Hawler. Students will be accepted on the basis of their academic ability, knowledge and personal motivation. They have to satisfy the academic criteria for entry - that is the fundamental requirement.

The university will accept applicants mainly from the Kurdistan Region. Although the university is located in Erbil, it is by no means only for Kurds from Erbil. Students from other cities in the Kurdistan Region are equally eligible to apply. Kurdish students from Suleimaniah, Koya, Kirkuk, Dahok, Rawandoz and Erbil have equal rights to study in this university. The university professes to a Kurdistani ethos in its Constitution. It is therefore opposed to and defies political or geographical regionalism in Kurdistan.

We will admit 400 students in September 2006. From the 400 places, we will accept perhaps around 80 Kurdish students from neighbouring countries. A number of non-Kurdish students from other parts of Iraq will also be admitted in accordance with the rules governing the federal administration in Iraq. All applicants have to fulfil the selection criteria for entry.

Q: What is the selection procedure?

Vali: Applicants have to fulfil three conditions to be accepted at the University of Kurdistan. First, they should have completed secondary school with a grade of at least 75% in the Baccalaureat. Then they have to sit a written English exam set by Bradford University, our validating and accrediting university. Finally, if they pass the written exam, they will attend an oral interview to assess their academic ability and motivation.

Q: What degrees do you offer and how long are the courses?

Vali: Initially the university will be small, concentrating on economics and political and social sciences. To be precise, we will offer degrees in six academic departments: politics and international relations; sociology and social work; economics and finance; management and business studies; information technology; and modern history.

If after the first two years the scheme is successful, we may expand the degrees offered to humanities and exact sciences as well. We will also offer Masters degrees in these subjects. Masters programmes are scheduled to start in September 2007. We are planning to offer doctoral programmes at the same time as the Masters programmes.

All undergraduate courses take four years: a foundation year plus the degree course for three years. The first year is a foundation course in English, information technology and a number of introductory social science courses shared by all disciplines. The aim of the foundation course is to prepare students for the rigours of a university degree programme in English. At the end of the first year, if students pass all the exams, including and specially the English test, they will be admitted to their preferred degree course for the following three years.

Q: Where is the University of Kurdistan located?

Vali: A very large plot of land in the vicinity of Erbil has been allocated for the campus, but it will take three or more years to build the facilities. For now, the university will be housed in a temporary building, which is being erected near the Erbil International Hotel and should be completed by the end of June 2006.

Q: Is there accommodation for students?

Vali: For the academic year 2006-2007, the university will rent accommodation in Erbil for staff and the students coming from outside the capital. Students who are from Erbil will live with their families. In the long run however the students will be accommodated in halls of residence on the campus.

Q: Who is on the academic staff of the University of Kurdistan?

Vali: Only native English speakers and fully qualified teachers of English as a foreign language will teach English in the foundation year. English language teaching will be managed as a distinct department. The lecturers and professors for the degree programmes are mainly from abroad; Western or Kurdish academics teaching in Western universities, some young academics but mostly established and experienced staff with a good track record in teaching, research and publication.

Q: How does the University of Kurdistan fit into the Region’s education system?

Vali: It is funded by the Kurdistan Regional Government and like the other universities in Kurdistan, it offers free education. However, the university is autonomous in terms of its administration and academic arrangements including the choice of curricula, provision of teaching, conduct of exams and method of assessment and degrees. It takes into consideration the rules and regulations of the KRG’s Ministry of Higher Education, but only with regard to the general framework for the administration of university education. It is otherwise autonomous and does not fall under its jurisdiction on the matters stated above.

Q: In your view, why is the University of Kurdistan important to the Region?

Vali: The Kurdistan Region needs a strong and cohesive modern intelligentsia that is scientific, technical and rational. It needs educated cadres, civil servants and entrepreneurs who will contribute to Kurdistan at a critical time in its development.

Description of the University of Kurdistan - Hawler
The University of Kurdistan Hawler is a new initiative in the federal region of Kurdistan in Iraq, funded by the Regional Government of Kurdistan. It is an independent public institution, and it will maintain this independence as an indispensable condition of teaching, learning and research. Initially it will offer degrees in Economics and Finance, Management and Business Studies, Politics and International Relations, Sociology and Social Work, Modern History and Information technology, but in the coming years it will expand to teach humanities and natural sciences as well. The medium of instruction and research is English.

Mission statement
The University is committed to excellence in teaching and research. It will offer a free education at undergraduate and postgraduate level to students from all over Kurdistan. It is dedicated to inclusivity, equality and the highest standards of integrity in public life. It will have a central role in the renovation and renaissance of Kurdish society and culture in Iraq.

Aims
The University’s primary aim is the furthering of knowledge in the service of the people of the region. It will do this through:

1. Encouraging excellence in teaching and research

The University will be a hub of intellectual and cultural activity in the region and beyond.

It will encourage and support research and teaching of the highest academic standard among its staff.

Through its dedicated research centres, it will generate research that will advance knowledge and inform policy and decision-making.

It will establish educational, teaching and research links with other universities in the region and internationally.

2. Contributing to social and political development

The University will play an active part in the development of a vibrant civil society and public sphere.

It will work to enhance public awareness of civic and democratic rights and principles, and to address the specific social and cultural problems of a war-torn society.

Its graduates will be equipped with an understanding of modern scholarship in the social, economic and political sciences and of the principles of democratic culture, enabling them to assist in the construction of civil society and democratic governmental institutions.

It will support the regional government in building and consolidating modern democratic institutions and processes, to enhance the federal democratic culture of the new Iraq.

3. Widening access

The University will offer free tuition and maintenance to students from all over Kurdistan, providing education for all those who qualify for entry regardless of their social and economic circumstances.

It is committed to equality of opportunity for all students irrespective of gender, ethnicity or religion.