SULAIMANIYAH (IRAQ), 13 August 2018 – As part of its Transnational Education (TNE) initiatives, the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) starts to offer its degree programs abroad in collaboration with Qaiwan University (QU), Kurdistan Iraq which was officially launched on 12 August 2018.
Among dignitaries present were Deputy Prime Minister of Kurdistan Regional Government, Mr.Qubad Talabani and Deputy Minister, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Iraq, Prof.Dr. Salam Khoshnaw.
Among UTM delegates were Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Internationalization), Prof.Ir.Dr.Zainuddin Abdul Manan; Chairman of UTM School of Professional and Continuing Education (UTMSPACE) & UTM Board Member, Datuk Abu Bakar Mohd Nor and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UTMSPACE, Prof.Ir.Dr.Mohd Azraai Kassim.
“This University will be the centre for international students and cultural and civil exchange,” Sheikh Fakhir Tayib, Chairman of Qaiwan University Board of Trustees said during the inauguration ceremony on Sunday.
Qaiwan Group is a Sulaimani-based group of companies which is involved in education, construction, trading, retail, refinery, energy and hospitality.
Deputy Prime Minister of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Qubad Talbani stated that improving the standard of local universities to the level of international universities is not the work of one or two days, instead, it is an ongoing process.”
QU franchises four UTM programs across three faculties: the School of Computing, the Azman Hashim International Business School, and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
In his speech, Prof. Zainuddin said that UTM and Malaysia are very proud of the establishment of Qaiwan University UTM branch campus in the Kurdistan Regional Government.
“Through synergy of higher purpose, quality focused, innovation and differentiation, striving along TRIC nexus, and by immortalizing its inventions, Qaiwan University will be a globally reputable and highly ranked university,” said Prof. Zainuddin.