The Turkish minister of higher education and about 200 of scientists and academic leaders have agreed to attend the international conference on revitalizing research in Kurdistan which is planned to take place in the mid of this December.
The organizing committee also added that the positive replies upon invitations have been received to attend the conference ((Bridging The Research Gap)) which will be held in 14-16 of this month, and is aiming to build long term relations to connect higher education staff in Kurdistan region with their counterparts across the world within the new strategy of the ministry to develop the sector of education in general and the move of scientific research and higher studies in particular.
The committee is still receiving willing letters from academic leaders around the world to attend the conference. Among expected attendees are many minsters, university presidents, and supervisors of research centers, in addition Dr. Andrew Ronalds, scientific advisor to US foreign minister and Dr. Michael White, expert in education in US ministry of foreign affairs.
Also the attendees will be from many universities such as US, UK, France, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, Malaysia, Turkey, Belgium, Jordan, Egypt, and many other countries, in addition to 30 famous Iraqi scientists and tens of Kurdish scientists abroad will attend the conference.
The conference will contribute to strengthening the ministry`s efforts aimed to develop higher education and scientific research in Kurdistan and putting it on the world academic and scientific map and to revitalize its role in programs of developing the region and to ensure the need of the labor market. It has also been stated that the sessions of the conference will not be classic or traditional but it will be dynamic and will consist of many workshops to discuss field topics such as; policies in scientific research, split-site supervisions, quality assurance and accreditation, investment in higher education, human capacity building program of the region.
The Kurdistan regional government has approved in December 2009 the new strategy adopted by the ministry which include new vision ambitious plan, especially in the area of capacity building and quality of higher education and studies.