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Salahaddin University - University Linkage Program/IREX

The University Linkage Program (ULP/IREX) was a three years USA academic project linked Iraqi Universities with US universities. The US-Iraqi Universities Linkage programme is launched in June 2010. This programme was organized and financially sponsored by US Embassy-Baghdad and implemented by the Academy for Educational Developments (AED). The aim is to link five Iraqi universities with five US universities.

The Iraq University Linkages Program (ULP) promotes higher education reform in Iraq by working with Iraqi faculty and administrators to strengthen university curricula, enhance and update teaching methods and technology, and improve career services for students.

Through the ULP, Iraqi universities engage with the global community and catalyze social, political, and economic development in Iraq. Through capacity building activities, Iraqi faculty is better equipped to conduct ongoing curriculum review and improvements to model internationally recognized accreditation standards.

The University Linkages Program (ULP) fostered long-term partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi universities. These partnerships offered opportunities for scholarly collaboration; curricular and pedagogical reform; faculty, staff, and student exchanges; online courses; team-taught courses; video conferencing; and person-to-person interactions, including U.S. study tours for Iraqi faculty and administrators. Key accomplishments of the partnerships included departmental collaboration to develop new courses, pedagogical training that emphasizes student-centered teaching skills, development of career centers to address school-to-work transition, and professional development exchange programs. Participating partner universities were the University of Basra with Oklahoma State University; the University of Kufa in Najaf with the University of Kentucky; Salahaddin University - Erbil with the University of Cincinnati; and the University of Tikrit with Ball State University. These linkages focus on fields such as petroleum sciences, English education, engineering, computer sciences and business.

The University of Cincinnati (UC) was one of only a handful of American universities to be selected for an international partnership to rebuild Iraq’s educational system and its economy. UC President Gregory H. Williams and Salahaddin University-Erbil President Ahmed Anwar Dezaye celebrated the partnership in a formal Nov. 4 partnership-agreement-signing ceremony at the UC Teachers College.

UC is among only five U.S. institutions selected for the university linkages program, an initiative sponsored by the Academy for Educational Development – a nonprofit organization that works to improve education around the world – and the American Embassy in Baghdad. The partnerships are funded by a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of State.

Representatives of Salahaddin University-Erbil in Kurdistan Region visited university of Cincinnati [UC]-Ohio-USA in the period Nov02-N0v07, 2010 after faculty and administrators representing UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) and College of Business visited Salahaddin University-Erbil in June 2010.

Gulbahar Beckett, UC professor of teacher education and director of the UC Center for International Education and Research, said that UC was matched with Salahaddin University-Erbil because of CECH’s national reputation in building excellence in teaching, as well as its strengths in distance learning programs and Teaching English-as-a-Second Language programs.

As they also looked ahead to rebuilding Iraq’s economy in the 21st century, Salahaddin University-Erbil representatives were seeking an American university that could support efforts to create a new academic department of banking and finance, as well as provide the latest research involving economics, business and finance – a match they found through UC’s nationally acclaimed College of Managements and Economics.

The UC- Salahaddin University- three-year partnership aimed to accomplish the following goals:

• Increase fluency in English
• Strengthen the expertise of Iraqi faculty
• Strengthen Iraqi faculty skills in teaching
• Increase Iraqi faculty research talent
• Strengthen online learning and teaching skills
• Build international exchange opportunities
• Establish Erbil community career center

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Holly Johnson, professor of education and head of UC’s School of Education, said a total of 23 American universities submitted proposals for the five Iraqi university partnerships in the international linkages program. Other U.S. partners involved in the international linkages program are Ball State University, Oklahoma State University, Cleveland State University and the University of Kentucky.

Members of the Salahaddin University-Erbil Delegation Visited UC:

• Dr.Ahmed Ahmed. Dezaye, Salahaddin University President
• Dr.Mohammed Azeez Saeed, Director of Grants & Academic Projects
• Dr.Ali Mahmood Jukil, Head, English Department, College of Languages
• Dlofan Saifadeen Saadi, Head, English Department, College of Education

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During the four days visit of SU delegation, the following activities were achieved.

First: A memorandum of agreement between SU and UC were re-signed (live) by the two presidents of the two universities (which

was previously signed in June 2010 in Baghdad).

Second: Plans put forwarded for activating the development of the three black board communities established for 26 SU professors specialized in English language and Literature

• Black Board community of Pedagogy of English Literature learning
• Black Board community of Pedagogy of English language teaching
• Black Board community of Pedagogy of instructional design

Developing the programme (courses) of teaching of the departments of Economics, Finance and Banking- College of Management and Economic-SU and English departments at SU.

Student/Faculties exchange between both universities are also discussed and recommended.

To strengthen the cooperation between the two universities, a delegation from University of Cincinnati were invited to Visit Erbil-Kurdistan to participate in a conference held in Erbil by the ministry of Higher Education-Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) under the title (Revitalizing Higher Education In Kurdistan).The delegation visits Erbil in the period Dec14-Dec16, 2010.The delegation visit was fully financially sponsored by Kurdistan regional Government and consisted of the following

1. Prof.Santa Jermy Ono-Provost University of Cincinnati(UC)
2. prof.Nelson C. Vincent -Associate Dean, college of Education, Criminal Justice and Humanities-UC
3. Prof. Gulbahar Beckett, Education Specialist –UC

On this occasion, Salahaddin University (www.su.edu.krd ) thanked UC authorities and professors for the warmest welcome received during the visit. Thanks and appreciation were extended warmly for AED-US Embassy/Baghdad – State Department-USA for creating, organizing and financial support of this opportunity linkage programme.

It was recommended that this type of linkage and cooperation should continue and expands to include other universities disciplines due the importance and great impact of the exchange programme in developing our higher education institutions in Kurdistan/Iraq.

Acknowledgments

On this occasion, Salahaddin university would like to thank the most respective persons mentioned their names below for their great continuous work for achieving and implementing ULP-IREX project at Salahaddin University-Erbil.

• Dr. Holly Johnson, Education Specialist - University of Cincinnati, Ohio-USA.
• Dr.Ahmed Anwar Dezaye, President, Salahaddin University, Erbil-Kurdistan.
• Dr. Gulbahar Beckett, Education Specialist - University of Cincinnati, Ohio-USA.
• Dr.Mohammed Azeez Saeed, Salahaddin University, Erbil-Kurdistan.

This appreciation is also extended to those whom worked and helped in one way or another to success the ULP-IREX academic cooperation.

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