Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani attended the education conference of the American University in Dohuk on Sunday. Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister, Mr. Masrour Barzani, a number of ministers, officials and representatives of relevant institutions concerned with school system and higher education, UNISEF, Council Generals and representatives of countries also attended the conference.

The President delivered the following speech on the problems of education in the Kurdistan Region and ways to address them:

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning,

Mr. Prime Minister, President of the University, dear attendees: welcome all. I think more than a year ago, I had a discussion about the issue of education with the University President on what is important to do and the reforms and the work, which are needed to be done, and to conduct research and investigations. I am pleased to see some of the attendees here who have done serious work on this subject and will enrich this conference with their contributions.

I also would like to say something on a personal level. This conference was so important to me that I did my utmost to return from the trip and be here at the conference on time. I spare you the details, but I truly intended to take part in this conference. And I am very happy that I attended this conference today, and welcome all.

This conference is a very important and necessary subject, which concerns the present and future generations, and brings us together here today. Education is the cornerstone of every society. A sound and proper education system ensures a bright future for generations to come.

School and education system in the Kurdistan Region, from kindergarten to the elementary, high school, collage and higher education, needs serious reevaluation. It needs correction and reform, in a way that it corresponds to scientific norms and contemporary global standards of education and schooling, in-line with the rapid progress which take place in all aspects of life.

Science and technology develop so quickly that if we do not keep pace, we are doomed to remain in the same place. The technological and scientific progress, bring with them new concepts, values and understanding and bring about new economic, social and political realities.

Progress and developments are so rapid, that we simply no longer afford to continue adhering to the old forms of education and learning. The sooner we pull ourselves together and start addressing shortcomings and reform education system, the faster we catch up with the progress of the developed societies of the world and ensure better position for our country in the future.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The initiative of this conference today in Dohuk, can be an important and vital step, if we together have the courage to employ our thought and imagination to identify our issues in this field. Identifying the problems of education and higher education, need to be within the framework of new social, economic, security and technological changes.

The profession and skills of twenty or thirty years ago may not play the same role in the lives of many of us. This is indeed a natural social process of change. The process of reevaluation, revision and identification of shortages demonstrate our self-confidence. In other words, as government and relevant ministries, as people and individuals in this country, we are being honest with ourselves.

We see that developed countries, that possess cutting edge technology and vast capital, bring skilled experts and specialists from other countries, or the specialists themselves leave for these developed countries.

Why?…

Why the people of India, China, South Korea for instance, in all aspects of life, are pioneers of technology, science, commerce, capitalism, both in their own countries and in Europe and the US?

A country like India, despite a violent history of colonization, partition, low incomes, poverty and large population, following many years of continuing experiment, research and assessment have taken very large steps forward. Today, there are few global companies with no Indian experts and specialists.

The main reason behind this achievement was the radical and modern changes in the education system in all aspects and levels. The government of India with the international support, domestic humanpower and coordination with relevant institutions, managed to turn reform process into a hallmark for the resurgence of India’s power.

The same thing has taken place in South Korea, Singapore, China, Finland, Kingdom of Jordan, Rwanda and other countries. Learning from one another, exchange of experiences, program and thought are much easier processes nowadays. Many aspects of life and cooperation among nations and countries are much easier today because of new technology.

And what can we learn from these experiences?

Important and main steps can be taken with the help from such gatherings and conferences like this one, today.

We need to evaluate our old and new decisions with courage and without fear. We need to place our decisions under the light of scientific and academic research so that they help us understand where we failed, and where we succeeded.

This form of thought calls for new education. Therefore, reform in education at all levels will provide us with productive and correct outcomes.

We need to exert all our efforts to build the infrastructure and our homeland’s future. Undoubtedly, as any advanced society of our age, we need to emphasize on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As you know, these four fields together find solutions to most problems facing individuals, communities and governments.

Today, science has passed all boundaries. Whether trying to understand a drop of blood or a journey to the moon, science is not led by one person or one country. Any person or nation or government, which allocates time and intellectual and financial sources, can take part in developing and employing science in the service of humanity.

The form and way to employ these four fields will offer job opportunities for skilled people and supports the development of our country. And strengthens our commercial, financial and scientific relation with the outside world. Industrialization will not consolidate easily without these four fields. Profession is not necessarily academic work. Industry, agriculture and commerce need apprentices and experts in all areas.

We need to think long term and produce twenty and thirty years long plans. We must relinquish our past stories with courage and support and take new steps towards the future of the people and homeland in the new education project. Lets make Kurdistan a strong participant in the fields of education, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

We need an education system that prepare students well for higher education, and in which the entire education process, from the kindergarten to graduation from the collage, complete each other. The education system must produce a graduate who is self-confident, thinks, criticizes, and is a leader, a decision maker, creative and takes initiatives; believes in exchange of ideas, dialogue and use these skills everyday in life.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The need and willingness for evaluating the education sector and enhancing it in the Kurdistan Region is by no means new. For now and the future, there must be genuine efforts in this direction and be given priority by the Kurdistan Regional Government, as far as the resources allow it.

For this purpose, many steps have been taken in the past, such as the 2007 conference, which brought about radical changes in the education system in all aspects at the time. There were also a law proposition put forward by the Kurdistan Regional Government for education, which included the education philosophy and all the areas in the process of teaching and learning, but unfortunately it was not embraced by the parliament. The proposition has been updated now by the Kurdistan Regional Government and is to be sent to parliament again which is necessary, and an important step and deserves respect and praise.

Further importance must be attached to the infrastructure of education, such as building and allocating facilities and laboratories in order to admit students whose number exceeds 100,000.

It is correct that the curriculum in the Kurdistan Region have been designed according to international standards. But even so, they need annual update. Further importance must be attached to English language and other foreign languages as a modern life necessity. While at the same time continued importance must be attached to the great language and literature of Kurdish and the language and literature of other communities in Kurdistan.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Teachers are the most important pillars to the success of the education process. Therefore, we must support the livelihood of teachers; and at the same time, they must undergo constant training and develop their specialties and abilities. For this purpose, we must benefit from international institutions and the experiences of advanced nations. Special importance must be given to education supervision, which is one of the main pillars of educational administration, science and schooling.

Another very important point is to link the job market and economy to education. Unfortunately, in the Kurdistan Region vocational education does not meet expectations and is below 5 percent. Which is why foreign labor is employed in most places such as hotels, restaurants, factories, construction and in most blue-collar professions. While in most advanced countries with strong economies, vocational education has very high standards.

To prepare professional humanpower, we need to attach further importance and larger numbers of schools and high schools and vocational institutes in all fields. It is a necessity for the present and future of the Kurdistan Region and the education and schooling system must be directed in a way that it meets the needs of the country in reconstruction, building, in job market and in both private and public sectors.

The sole purpose of education should not be to obtain a collage degree or higher education certificate. Education and degrees must be for building, reconstructing and developing the country. It must support the job market, so that we do not import manpower from abroad to do the labor in all fields. This fashion has failed completely and we in the Kurdistan Region should do everything to end it.

In this context, we need to assess and revise higher education, collages and education and private collages in a scientific way and attach greater importance to scientific research.

Ladies and gentlemen,

When we refer to the advanced education system and keeping pace with the progressive nations, it does not only include science, technology, medicine and engineering. Together with these fields, one of the important education pillars should be to build humanity, humanism.

It is true that a person equipped with science is needed, but at the same time we need a person who is full, aware and mature in terms of intellectuality, spirituality, thought and philosophy. He or she must be friend of reading and books, thinking about and understanding the meaning of values and principles of humanity.

The East generally and the Kurdistan Region especially have rich and diverse sources and treasures of such concepts, spirituality and poetry, great literature, stories and new and old adventures of us and the people of the region. We should benefit from such treasures in the process of spiritual education and humanism.

Their Majesties Xani and Jiziri, Nali and Mehwi, Mewlana, Xeiyam and Shams-e Tabrizi and many other great names have left us great treasures from the world of spirituality, literature, philosophy and holiness which can feed our soul and mind.

I wish your conference success, and look forward to constructive and practical recommendations to advance the education system in the Kurdistan Region. I am pleased that I attended this conference and I think this a very important initiative, which the American University in Dohuk is taking. And of course, His Excellency the Prime Minister, I should tell you, was one of the brightest students in school at the time. His views and vision can indeed help. With all of your support and with God’s help we can mange this process. It is the key to the success of Kurdistan. Everything else is important, but to work on this subject is essential, which most gladly His Excellency the Prime Minister and the new cabinet of the Kurdistan Regional Government plan to give it first priority. With all of your support and God’s help, you will have success in this mission.

Thank you.