Transfer of Good practices & Reinforcement of Internationalisation Strategies in Kurdistan Erasmus Project

Project Title

Transfer of Good practices & Reinforcement of Internationalisation Strategies in Kurdistan

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Capacity Building in higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics:

Project Summary

The Erasmus+ CBHE Project TIGRIS stemmed from a direct initiative of the Ministry for Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR) of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq, aiming at modernising Higher Education in the Kurdistan Region by pursuing the internationalisation of its structures and institutions. Building on contacts previously established with the University of Göttingen and to contribute to the reforms in the Higher Education sector, a joint proposal was developed and a consortium formed consisting of 15 institutions from both the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Europe. The project aimed at tackling the modernisation in a three-pronged approach: at the institutional level, by contributing to the modernisation of the universities from the Kurdistan Region by strengthening management structures and services for international relations, and building strategic policies related to internationalisation; at national level, by supporting the MHESR’s objective to modernise its Higher Education system and to align it more closely with European models of practice and the Bologna Process; at international level, by developing the universities’ capacity to promote international relations, fostering international cooperation and increasing international visibility. In Work Package (WP) 1, the consortium conducted a comprehensive analysis of the existing conditions for the internationalisation of Higher Education in the Kurdistan Region, resulting in three reports totalling 135 pages of analysis and insights. Furthermore, a list of indicators to measure and assess the quality of internationalisation was developed by the Global Impact Institute, which as part of WP3 was developed into a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess the quality of internationalisation in the Kurdistan Region. Based on the findings and continuous need analysis, the consortium devised and implemented a comprehensive training programme, implemented as part of the WP 2 and 3 and delivered in 8 training workshops, flanked by initial study visits to Europe as well as brief internships for International Relations staff at EU HEIs. Equipped by the training programme with the necessary knowledge and skill and supported by EU partners, the partners from the Partner Country engaged in developing international strategies, resulting in one ministerial and nine HEI strategies developed and officially adopted. Simultaneously, HEI partners set up or reinforced their International Relations Offices with staff trained and IT equipment purchased within the framework of the project, thereby creating and enhancing capacities to engage in internationalisation and operationalise the international strategies developed. Their capacities to manage internationalisation was later reinforced by a Management Information System developed for this purpose. To foster policy reforms, KU Leuven developed recommendations on university research project management and talent development, encapsulating much of the contemporary European thinking on how to shape research environments while promoting key EU policies. Supporting ongoing reforms and to facilitate both cooperation and alignment with the EHEA/ERA, the University of Groningen developed an action plan providing information and advice for partners from the Kurdistan Region on how to further align Kurdish and European Higher Education and foster cooperation between both. The TUNING Academy Groningen provided trainings for the partners from the Partner Country, introducing both TUNING methodology and tools to the region. The impact of the project was assessed in WP 4 in year 3 in a set of Peer Reviews, due to the Covid-19 pandemic implemented in a virtual setting, prompting EU partners to develop a suitable methodology for this.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 955844 Eur

Project Coordinator

GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITAT GOTTINGEN STIFTUNG OFFENTLICHEN RECHTS & Country: DE

Project Partners

• MASARYKOVA UNIVERZITA
• HALABJA UNIVERSITY
• UNIVERSITY OF RAPARIN
• SALAHADDIN UNIVERSITY – ERBIL
• DUHOK POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
• ERBIL POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
• KURDISTAN INSTITUTION FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH