In a ceremony event on July 11th in the presence of Dr. Amanj Saeed, The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s advisor, Dr. Alan Faraidoon, the president of Polytechnic university of Sulaimani and some of the University’s lecturers, Dr. Yusuf Goran, The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research opened the Language Center at Sulaimani Polytechnic University.
After opening the center and in a press conference, Dr. Alan, the president of the Polytechnic University released a speech and said, “We have met to open an international language center and contract between the Polytechnic University and British Council to IELTS test.”
In another part of the press conference, Dr. Yusuf Goran released a speech and said, “I am delighted to open the center.” He also said that in the previous months, they have had tried to open an IELTS center for language exam at Sulaimani, because English Language has its huge impact over the world in terms of scientific. English Language is the language of research and interaction.” Regarding having IELTS exam, The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research said, “IELTS is an accredited certificate in which thousands of institutes and universities accredit its certificate. So, opening this center of language in the region will help the ones who are interested in learning language and will affect their English positively.” Dr. Yusuf Goran said, “British Council is an International and wide organization in which is not only in language aspect but culture also. In doing this, opening this center in Sulaimani leads students and the ones who want improve their language level for study, business, economy, and interaction purposes use this center as a good initiative to achieve their targets.” During the continuing of his speech, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research said, “Opening the center is the ministry’s agenda to improve English and make it our second language at the universities. In doing this, today is a special day for Polytechnic University. We will try to open a semi-like center in Dhouk also especially for nowadays in which demanding for master and PhD degree is increasing at the Kurdistan Universities.” In the end, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research said, “This center will be a cultural-center at Cultural Capital, Sulaimani. So, I hail the university’s staff in which had been able to have this contract.”
In another part of the press conference, Dr. Alan Faraidoon, the president of Sulaimani Polytechnic University mentioned the detail of the contract between the university and the British Council to have IELTS exam at the center of the Polytechnic University and said, “This contract started to practice on June 12th. He also had good news to the learners in which at the first week of August, there will be an English exam. Dr. Alan Faraidoon explained more about the contract and said, “According to the contract, British Council in coordination with the Center of Language use the Center’s Hall and some other Halls to have IELTS exam and the British Council will publish leaflets and posters in reverse. Dr. Alan Faraidoon mentioned the importance of the contract and said, “The Sulaimani Center of Language, Polytechnic University as an accredited institute will be published at the official page of IELTS, www.ielts.org. At the same time, the British council will provide the special facilities and tools of the program to the course of language in free to the Center of Language of Sulaimani to prepare IELST exam relevant stuffs. He also emphasized that the center will be a significant center to the region to have IELTS test.
IELST is a type of language exam for the students and normal people whom want to study or work. This test is one of the most famous tests in the world in which millions of examiners in more than 137 states of the world will take the exam. In Iraq, after Baghdad and Erbil, Center of Language of Polytechnic University, Sulaimani will be the third center in the region to have language test. It will be the first over the Iraq in which have this test based on a contract. The exam will be listening, reading, speaking and writing based test. The IELTS has been accredited by more than 9000 different institutes and universities.
It is supposed to have a preparation Language course between the Sulaimani Polytechnic and British Council in a good quality in which will be under the supervision of the British Council at the Hall of workshops and language center, laboratory. The cost of the course will be 275000 IQD. Any group reaches the enough number of its seats, the course will start. The center will provide books to the knowledge-seekers. The course will take 5 weeks.
In the response of the reporters, Dr. Yusuf Goran said, “Though the financial crises, we are still keep carrying our projects out. We are also happy that we will announce the national ranking of universities for the second year.”
At the end of the conference, Dr. Yusuf Goran, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research had a skim to the departments and the halls of the language center of English in which has been built in a high quality.