The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research said, “Based on the reform steps that we already started, we have strived to scientifically harmonize between marketing need to human resources and the content of the syllabus of the universities. Now, our ministry has coordination with both the private and public sectors concerning the market needs to the human resources especially the ones which are vis-à-vis with the market demands to the specializations that are important to the economic development of Kurdistan Region.” This speech of Dr. Yusuf Goran, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research was during releasing a speech as the representatives of Prime Minister in the ceremony of the 35th round of the students’ graduations, Salahaddin University.
Preface of the Ceremony
In the ceremony and under the moto that Peshmerga is our guarantee of Independence on 35th of June at the Erbil International Stadium started its works.
The Graduates are the Future
At the beginning of the speech, Dr. Yusuf Goran, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the name of the prime minister and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research congratulated the graduates and said that he was so glad to participate in the ceremony in which about 3964 graduates are given their transcripts based on their specializations. In the ceremony 210 are given their master degree and 12 ones are given their PhDs, as well. He kept saying congratulations and said that was because the brave Peshmergas that they were celebrating the ceremony.
The Transformations Have Made the Mission of the Higher Education Difficult
The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research pointed that in nowadays, the mission of not only Kurdistan Region but the entire world has been difficult in terms of education because of the transformation in technology. Dr. Yusuf Goran also said, “The entire world’s graduates are not only have to compete in gaining jobs in both private and public sectors, but they have to innovate work opportunities as well.” He explained that these transformations have made higher education difficult in which the higher education leaders have to prepare themselves to face the challenges of the technology and 21st century. “We need to study market needs better and more accurately.”
The Syllabus are Conditioned to the Market Needs
Regarding the plans of his ministry, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research said that considering the reforms that they have already started to have harmonize between the contents of the syllabus and the Market Needs in which focused on the fields that were important to provide enough and proper human resources to the needs of the market. We also have strived to have a proper system to vocational education to reduce the needs of the market.” He also pointed to the important of learning English in which his ministry has considered it as the second and scientific language. “In doing this, we are in coordination with our international coordinators to improve the human resources and developed program of education and will try to have English Standard Tests at the Kurdistan Institutes and Universities.”
It Should Not Be Allowed To Isolate the Kurdish Academic from the Global Academic
In the continuing of his speech, Dr. Yusuf Goran hailed the importance of the linking between the Kurdistan Universities to other international academics. If we want or do not, our universities are taken part in the list of international ranking of universities and our knowledge level is estimated and shown in the international map of education. In doing this, our main task of our ministry was opening more to the international standards and the policies which own international criterion and based on that we have made the national ranking of universities and created the entire criterion which are important on the way of that.”
For The First Time the Ranking of the Universities Were Announced
Regarding the level of the education and creation of the scientific competition, he Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research pointed to the ranking of universities and said, “In the past year of graduation ceremony at your university, I announced that the ranking of universities have stepped a huge improvement. This year, I will proudly announce that in the year of 2015, we practiced the national ranking of university for the first time in the history of higher education. The process of ranking universities is the estimation and evaluation of the universities based on the international standards, evaluation and arranging competition among the universities. Doubtless, this process will create competition among the universities in terms of academic and scientific criterion. It is also good way of familiarity of our universities to the international standards of academic and leads to increase level of scientific and academic qualities, because the criterion in which we do use for the evaluation are the same ones which are practiced in the international level of ranking vis-à-vis of the local situation, as well. The ranking process system depends on an electronic smart system in which the Kurdistan Universities are evaluated based on 59 criterions and is done via methodology and algorithm system of math.” He also said that it was awesome that Salahaddin University was in the first ranked universities among other universities in the national ranking of universities. So, I congratulate them and hope to see more development.
There Have Done Too Much Works in Investing Knowledge
Regarding raising level of universities’ education and knowledge at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in last two years, Dr. Yusuf Goran explained in his speech that during the last two years they have done too much on the way of improving, investing knowledge, increasing researches and publishing them in the international and famous magazines. “From now onward, all researches have to work on solving the problems of KRG. These steps have had its on impact in the reform of studying master and PhD in which we have been able to recompose the master and PhD new system of study. Here, I will announce that the opening date for studying master and PhD will begin in August 2016 at the universities.”
Have Passion and Be Responsible To Future
At the end of the speech, Dr. Yusuf Goran, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research said, “In the end of my speech, I want to thank the graduates. I hope you be the next leader of the country and have passion and responsibility to the future and take part in the Kurdistan development. It is your turn to help back your country and try everything to develop your country’s economy.”
“It is time to thank the university’s council, and dear lecturers though the specific situation of Kurdistan Region, they still had good strife to make this day for you – Graduates. Also, thanks to the families of the students in which they supported their sons to reach this day. Again thanks to all of you and long live to you and to Kurdistan.”
The Bachelor Degree Were Granted To the Students
Also, during the ceremony of the 34th round of graduations in which was under the supervision of Nechirvan Barzani, the Presidency speech was released by Dr. Ahmad Dzayee, the President of Salahaddin University. In the speech there was thanking the families of the students and the university in which they had been able to product the graduates. Also, the speech of the committee of preparation of the ceremony and the organizer of the ceremony were released. Then, after the graduation vow, based on the demand of the college deans, the certificates were granted to students by Dr. Ahmad Anwar Dzayee, the President of Salahaddin University and the ceremony done.
Salahaddin University in Number
At the 35th round of graduation of Salahaddin University among 5723 students, 3964 students of 14 departments graduated in the first round and 240 researchers received their master degrees and 15 ones were given the PhD certificate.
The Salahaddin University has been able to give 85000 students bachelor degree in which is consisted of 83 scientific departments and 14 different colleges in which now owns more than 25000 students of bachelors in which 11543 of them are male and 13520 of them are females. At the same time, there are about 255 researchers of master and high education and more than 150 PhD researchers are available and the numbers of its lecturers are more than 2000.