The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Dr. Nabil Kazem Abdul-Sahib, received the Director of the British Council in Iraq, Mr. Jim Petrie, and they discussed the prospects for cultural and academic cooperation
He called for the establishment of rules for cooperation and the formulation of joint academic programs, including the proposal of the Iraqi British University project, pointing out that this approach would provide a scientific environment that would achieve a number of goals, including the employment of Iraqi competencies, investment in the fields of education with rare specializations, the joint ideas between the Iraqi and British peoples, and the provision of a joint opportunity for scientific research in heritage excavation and modern specializations in the medical and engineering fields
He added during the meeting, which was attended by the Ministry's advisor, Dr. Alaa Abdul-Hassan, and a number of representatives of missions and cultural relations, that the determinants of this path between the two sides require prioritizing programs and fellowships, stressing that twinning universities and specializations and holding memoranda of understanding in light of the orientation and privacy of Iraqi universities represent a necessity, importance, priority and primacy of the joint cooperation programmes
He explained that moving towards strengthening relations, opening prospects for future opportunities and strengthening cooperation at the educational and investment level requires a special agreement to provide quality scholarships to Iraqis and focus on benefiting from British expertise in modernizing academic programs and curricula in line with the needs of the labor market in light of the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, noting that Iraqi graduates from international universities, especially British ones, are distinguished by their ingenuity
For his turn, the Director of the British Council praised the arrangement of the priority map of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, expressing his hope to develop relations with university institutions in Iraq, overcome the accelerating economic and health challenges, and adapt academic cooperation programs that can be a gateway to the transfer of knowledge and expertise
He stressed the importance of enhancing cultural exchange and providing a sustainable environment for cooperation, proposing the selection of a number of Iraqi university leaders to meet with their counterparts in British universities to achieve the required communication according to the agreement signed between the two countries
In the context of reviewing the challenges that faced education in the world, the Director of the British Council praised the decision of the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education to adopt the mechanisms of blended education in universities and to employ the presence aspect and digital services in completing and providing educational requirements and overcoming the impact of exceptional circumstances
Department of Public Relations and Media
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
22August2021
