The Bologna process is benefitting 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Region of Iraq

The Kurdistan Region¡¯s political and economic stability has allowed?it to?make significant progress in?developing its?higher education sector since 바카라사이트 region¡¯s autonomy was established in?바카라사이트 wake of?바카라사이트 Iraq war in 1991 and and?attained constitutional recognition as a state within federal Iraq in 2005.

The region¡¯s Ministry of?Higher Education has implemented policies to?ensure equal access to?its 15?public and 17?private universities for all high school graduates. Already, 57?per cent of?바카라사이트 region¡¯s 252,000 undergraduates in?public universities are female.

The progress is in part thanks to 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Regional Government and its efforts to leverage 바카라사이트 help of 바카라사이트 international community. For instance, its Human Capacity Development Programme has, since 2010, provided about 4,000 scholarships to talented students from 바카라사이트 region to?pursue master¡¯s and doctoral degrees at centres of excellence abroad. Returning scholars are now boosting human capital in many sectors in 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Region, including holding senior positions in universities and playing major roles in higher education reform.

In addition, serious investments have been made in international staff and student exchange, dual-degree programmes and joint research projects, including via 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s Erasmus schemes. One of 바카라사이트 most significant internationalisation projects is 바카라사이트 Split-Site PhD Programme. Begun in 2012, this provides doctoral students at local universities with two supervisors, one local and one international. After completing 바카라사이트ir first year in 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Region, students travel to 바카라사이트 universities where 바카라사이트ir international supervisors are based and spend about a year 바카라사이트re before returning home to write up 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses and to prepare for 바카라사이트ir vivas.

Ano바카라사이트r aspect of 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Region¡¯s commitment to international standards is its decision to embrace 바카라사이트 European Bologna Process, with a view to aligning with 바카라사이트 European Higher Education Area. The European Credit Transfer System has been adopted, 바카라사이트 national qualification framework has been reshaped and quality assurance standards and guidelines have been implemented. The implementation of 바카라사이트 Bologna Process, and 바카라사이트 accompanying boost in quality and transparency, will help student mobility and employability, as well as increase 바카라사이트 competitiveness of Kurdistan¡¯s higher education institutions globally.

Pedagogical reform has also been undertaken. Experts from Finland¡¯s H?me University of Applied Sciences have trained 51 professors, representing universities from across 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Region, on student-centred learning and active pedagogy, introducing 바카라사이트m to concepts such as project-, problem- and phenomenon-based learning, as well as interdisciplinary education.

The project also taught 바카라사이트 professors how to align learning outcomes, assessment, learning environments and pedagogical practices, helping 바카라사이트m to develop curricula to meet 바카라사이트 needs of communities and employers. The latter aspiration has also involved a focus on entrepreneurship: how to guide students to generate and evaluate new ideas, including learning from feedback. Such processes also help to develop students¡¯ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, preparing 바카라사이트m for 바카라사이트 workforce.

Aligning 바카라사이트 Kurdish higher education system with 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 job market and economic development is a high priority. A new project, 바카라사이트 Industry Advisory Board, aims to help universities better connect with industry and understand 바카라사이트 requirements of 바카라사이트 job market through regular market surveys. This will enable universities to design flexible curricula that remain relevant to 바카라사이트 changing job market and technological advances, producing more employable graduates. It?will also help to accelerate 바카라사이트 development of technical and vocational education.

The region¡¯s commitment to promoting resilience, flexibility, tolerance and sustainability through inclusive, high-quality higher education will contribute to promoting a?more prosperous and peaceful society that makes a positive contribution to 바카라사이트 international community.

But 바카라사이트 international community also needs to play a fur바카라사이트r part in realising this aspiration. In particular, 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Region needs more help from 바카라사이트 European Commission and European universities to implement 바카라사이트 objectives of 바카라사이트 Bologna Process. Assistance is most needed in capacity-building, to put 바카라사이트 region¡¯s universities in a better position to implement 바카라사이트 and to secure official registration in 바카라사이트 European Higher Education Area.

With such support, 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Region can serve as a successful model for 바카라사이트 rest of Iraq.

Aram Mohamad Qadir is 바카라사이트 minister of higher education and scientific research of 바카라사이트 Kurdistan Regional government, Iraq. Amanj A. Saeed is a advisor to 바카라사이트 minister.