During his visit to Germany, Dr. Yusuf Goran, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the accompany of Dr. Pola Azad Khanaqa, head of Kurdistan Mission for Strategic scientific research, and Dr. Amanj Abdullah Saeed, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s advisor, they visited some academic and scientific institutes.
In this regard, Dr. Yusuf Goran, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research at the HQ of the Rectors’ Conference were welcomed by Dr. Jenni Peter Gall, the general head of the institute.
In the meeting, Dr. Yusuf Goran mentioned the higher education reforms in Kurdistan especially in the aspect of improving scientific research, lecturers’ capacities, paying attention to English as the second language and the language of reaching information sources. He also pointed to the ranking process of Kurdistan and its impact upon education system in Kurdistan. Dr. Yusuf Goran pointed to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s steps on the way tying education programs to the needs of market and human capacity- especially paying attention to the vocational education.
In another part of the meeting, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research skimmed the process of reform of application process of universities in Kurdistan Region. In doing this, he said, “This year the process of applying to universities will be University based system in which students directly apply for the department they want and the universities also can have a great role in this regard.”
In another part of the meeting, Dr. Yusuf Goran mentioned that Kurdistan Region is a sample of safe and secure place in the Middle East. He also said that Kurdish community is opened-minded community in which they believe in democracy and tolerance. He also uncovered the number of population of Kurdistan and said, “Population of Kurdistan is around five million, but because of the instability of Syria and Iraq around two million people have come to Kurdistan as refugees and fled the war. Kurdistan is also providing a good life for Iraqi and Syrian refugees, and also preserves its security at the same time.”
In this regard, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research pointed to the harmony between his ministry and the Ministry of Culture to have a conference in which is supposed to be held in October; it will be about living in peace and tolerance in Kurdistan. In doing this, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research invited the Rector’s Conference management team and the president of the organization to participate in the conference. He also demanded to take part some German researchers and academics to the conference.
In the end of his speech, Dr. Yusuf Goran, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research mentioned that there were always opportunities between Kurdistan Region universities and German universities. In doing this, he suggested to establish a counterpart board to work together in terms of scientific works.
In reverse, Dr. Jenni Peter thanked the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of KRG and hailed the reform steps of higher education and showed his total readiness to work with Kurdistan Region and focused on the Rector’ Conference main tasks and duties and said, “This organization is the umbrella of collection of all German Universities in which numbers are 268 universities and higher institutes. Their main task is having enough harmony between universities and higher education in the aspects of research, study, teaching, and enhancing the capacity of lecturers and exchanging scientific, technological, and administrational exchange.”
Rector’ Conference is working on the way of having a common policy between the German Universities and provides enough information to all of universities and gives the German Government enough advice in terms of higher education and strives to improve the quality of other universities of Germany.
At the end of his speech, Dr. Jenni Peter Gall showed his enough support to Kurdistan Region Ministry of Higher Education and he said that for the sake of improving the sector of higher education of Kurdistan Region, they both via the board will participate. He said, “In the next meeting in which all Germany universities will participate, the mechanisms of harmony with Kurdistan Region and Germany Universities will be determined.” He also said that with their coordinators, they will start establishing their collaboration committee between both sides till they start their works.
At the end, Dr. Jenni Peter Gall accepted the invitation of the Minister of Higher education to take part in the special conference on Enhancing the Tolerance, Living Together and Respecting Differences. He also said that considering this purpose, they will coordinate with German university researchers and experts of the topic to participate in the conference.