We are ready to kick-off the year 2021 with a new cooperation project tackling Higher Education governance and strategic planning in the Northern region of Iraq.
The project APPRAIS, governAnce, quality, accountability: a Piloting Reform PRrocess in kurdistAn regIon of Iraq, funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union under the Capacity Building key action 2, has officially started on January 15th and will end after 36 months of activities in January 2024.
APPRAIS groups together 4 Universities from Europe (University of Pisa, Italy; University of Oslo, Norway; University of Murcia, Spain; University of Evora, Portugal), 8 Iraqi Universities (Salahaddin University, University of Sulaimani, University of Duhok, Halabja University, Duhok Polytechnic University, University of Garmian, University of Zakho, Charmo University), the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Reserach of the Kurdistan region and is coordinated by UNIMED, Mediterranean Universities Union.
The project Partners will gather online for the Kick-off meeting the next 2-3 February 2021.
The project is the result of years of cooperation in the region and in the Iraqi country, and is born thanks to the willingness of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR KRG) to improve and develop the higher education system in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. APPRAIS addresses governance, strategic planning and management of higher education institutions, with a particular focus on enhancing the capacities of human resources and proposing a reform for the local Higher Education system in the Kurdistan region. through the implementation of the Bologna process.
This project follows the engagement of the UNIMED network in the reform of the Governance of Higher Education Institutions in Southern Mediterranean countries and the Middle East, as it has been the case with ongoing projects such as SAGESSE in Tunisia, ESAGOV in Algeria, INsPIRE in Iraq and the recently concluded project UNIGOV in Palestine.
The specific objectives APPRAIS are:
- Enhancing good governance, by strengthening the definition and development of HEIs roadmaps
- Improving HEIs capacities on quality assurance mechanisms, strategic planning, management and accountability practices
- Supporting the implementation of Bologna Process within HEIs in Kurdistan region of Iraq by improving knowledge on recognition of credits and learning mobility
- Adopting the university reform on good governance and Bologna process at each HEIs, through the definition and validation of institutional action plans
Furthermore, through the training and support provided by the European partners to the Iraqi Universities, the project aims to empower presidents, vice-presidents, heads of international offices and quality managers to take the lead in the process of modernization of the HE system in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The kick-off meeting will be the occasion for Partners to virtually meet each other, share their expectations for the project outcomes and discuss about the key milestones foreseen by the initiative.
UNIMED will moderate the meeting and gather preliminary inputs by all Consortium members. Please find here the Agenda of the Kick-off meeting.
For further information, you can reach us at unimed@uni-med.net.
