The Koya University was selected as one of the four universities from Kurdistan Region of Iraq to join the European Union Erasmus Program, Marhaba Project. This academic year Koya University managed to have 6 fully funded awardees in Marhaba Project. This includes 4 undergraduate 2nd years students for a full academic year from Faculty of Engineering (FENG), Department of Manufacturing and Industerial Engineering (DMIE) and one Postdoctoral exchange for 6 months, and one Academic staff exchange for one month. Koya University proudly embraced this opportunity and managed become a leading institute in the region.
The first awardee Mr “Peshawa J. Muhammad Ali” has already departed for his one month exchange program as a visiting staff to the Bielsko-Biala School of Finance and Law in Poland. He is a lecturer (M.Sc.) in the department of Software Engineering (DSWE) at the Koya University. Peshawa says that “I was very delighted to get the chance to learn more about know how of research in a European university. It was great opening that our university was selected in the program and quickly and actively made effort in knowledge transforming about the project. I decided to apply for the Marhaba project because I am sure it would strongly enrich my future work and help me in conducting joint academic research. Moreover, I consider this program as a great opportunity to create bridge between European culture of education with Kurdistan academic communities. I am very curious about different approaches for managing academic research in Europe. I have now started my visit to the Bielsko-Biala School of Finance and Law in Poland.”
The Erasmus program is initiated and funded by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) which is responsible for the management of certain parts of the EU's funding programmes in the fields of education, culture, audiovisual, sport, citizenship and volunteering. The EACEA have many specialised programs for cultural and educational exchange between European countries. The Erasmus Mundus Marhaba Lot 3 is specialized project for exchanging students and staff between European countries from a side and three Middle East countries from another side which are Iran, Iraq, and Yemen (http://www.usc.es/marhaba/). This project is led by the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). Koya University is a member of the consortium of the Marhaba project. You will find further information on Koya University Marhaba Project (erasmus.koyauniversity.org)
The application for 1st cohort of the Marhaba project was open till January 31st, 2015. Peshawa says that he applied through the website of the project provided by Koya University, and added "the checking and selection process took about four months till I got an email from Program coordinator in May, 13th 2015 saying that my application was successful for the scholar which is one month academic staff exchange, and the exchange will be in Bielsko-Biala School of Finance and Law, Bielsko-Biala, Poland."
The republic of Poland or “Polska” is a democratic free country in central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) and Lithuania to the north. The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometers. The currency of Poland is called zloty where 1 USD = 3.7 zloty.
Bielsko-Biała is a city in Southern Poland with the population of approx. 175,000, neighbouring Beskid Mountains to the South. Bielsko-Biała is composed of two former cities on opposite banks of the Biała River, Bielsko and Biała, merged in 1951.
Bielsko-Biała School of Finances and Law was founded in 1995 with different title, in 2011 the School was given its present name, currently it offers courses in two departments in four different majors which are Accounting and Finance, Law, Information Technology and Internal Security (http://www.wsfip.edu.pl/en).
Peshawa states "by employing all my skills and competences, I will support my university in the field of the development and implementation of the academic research. Spending a short period of time at a European university is interesting, it may give a chance to deepen my academic management knowledge in the inspiring, creative, and cosmopolitan environment. Furthermore I could improve my language, increase my confidence in myself, and developing my communication skills. Moreover, I am confident that my experience in Eastern Europe would be extremely exciting, fun, and valuable for the rest of my life."
