Programme to strengthening existing Higher Education cooperation initiatives among Machrek countries and Iraq

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Ideaborn designed a 3-stage-strategy to fulfill the requirements of the Consell Interuniversitari de Cataluña (CIC) to reach formulas to make possible the North-South cooperation in the educational system. For the first stage there was to identify exiting cooperation agreements between the University of Damascus (Syria) and the Universities of Baghdad and Al Ramady (Iraq). The agreements encouraged the academic cooperation and investigation dedicated to desertification studies. The ideaborn’s contribution was to prepare a programme to make stronger these agreements involving Spanish universities and the chance to make a proposal to get funds from the Spanish government.
The project considered: (i) The financing of Iraqi students on doctorate studies and investigation in Spain, Syria and Iraq; (ii) The New resources of two new libraries and two scientific investigation centres located in Baghdad and Al Ramady. (iii) The Development of an exchange programme between Spain, Syria and Iraq with the purpose to promote joint initiatives among the universities and the private sector and; (iv) the creation of a programme to spread new techniques of university management.
The Project´s stages 2 and 3 plan to repeat the initiative in the North and South of Iraq with the participation of Turkish, Iranian and Pakistani universities. The second and third phases will run only if the resources for the first stage have been guaranteed. The recent situation in Iraq has forced to freeze the initiative.

Type of services provided

Ideaborn provided three consultants which developed the contacts among the universities and wrote a proposal including their contributions and the strategic plans:
– International Cooperation and networking expert.
– Educational and research expert.
– Institutional development expert.