PILLAR III: COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Successful universities have a strong relationship with their communities. They understand that apart from being a center of knowledge in education, learning, and research; a university should enlighten and guide community members from all levels in society. This requires universities to play a significant role in developing the community to which they belong. The more a university contributes to local and regional and national community development, the more impactful and prestigious it becomes.

Koya University understands that no academic institution exists independently from the local, regional, and national communities, It further understands that the success of any university greatly depends on how well it serves the needs of society. It also believes a community is a living institution that never stops developing. Thus, Koya University strives to maintain a strong connection with our community by using our academic resources to build mutually beneficial university-community partnerships to meet the evolving needs of our communities and to promote civic and community engagement among our students, staff, and other shareholders. The community outreach strategic plan embodies our value of social responsibility and commitment to improving the lives and the prospects of people in our society through community services programs and other university-led outreach initiatives.

OBJECTIVE 1: Focus on Social Excellence

STRATEGIES:

1. Create and promote a university family concept

• Promote family and neighborhood joint projects.
• Create opportunities to offer comprehensive family support for children.
• Provide needs-oriented services.
• Promote exchanges, knowledge, and project experience.

2. Redevelop university faculty and staff housing

• Overcome the obstacles that prevent the staff housing project from progressing.
• Build the staff housing projects on or close to campus.
• Create an on-campus neighborhood for a stronger university community.

3. Strengthen Koya University community relations.

• Establish a Koya University Community Day to strengthen the relationship with the local community
• Offer annual open-door campus-wide activities and festivals to bring students, staff, and community members together.
• Create a Koya University Community Council to address and find solutions to the issues the local communities are facing.
• Design programs that promote local history, heritage, culture, food, and businesses.
• Invite distinguished alumni and influential public figures to the university-community events including University Day.     
• Incentivize faculty to give public lectures aimed at sharing research with the wider community.

4. Start Koya high school and middle school bridging projects.

• Arrange regular tours to the university campus to promote students’ college aspirations for the Koya District high school students.
• Schedule university student and faculty member professional visits to schools in Koya and its surrounding communities to provide academic and social support to school students and their families.  
• Create Koya University and school partnership programs through training courses, workshops, seminars, and resource sharing to empower teachers and administrators in partnering with schools.

5. Build strong partnerships with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) & international non-governmental organizations (INGOs)

• Seek and deepen relationships with local, regional, and international organizations.
• Ensure university research is shared with relevant NGO and INGO communities.
• Offer various programs to different age groups from local communities with the support of NGOs and INGOs.
• Connect university students with relevant NGOs and INGOs.
• Encourage and emphasize the role of NGOs and INGOs in raising the quality of education and decreasing the rate of unemployment.
• Seek NGO and INGOs funds to support university projects related to educational reforms, curricula, teaching, training, professional development, and civic engagement.

OBJECTIVE 2: Enhance Community Capacity Building

STRATEGIES:

1. Launch Koya Visiting Professionals Project

• Invite professionals and experts from different fields to seminars, workshops, meetings, training courses, and council sessions designed to enhance the capacity of Koya University administrative staff and local government officials.
• Partner with other KRG ministries through the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHE) to train university staff to better engage and work with local communities.

2. Establish University-Community Disaster Response Program

• Set up a university and community emergency preparedness project for times of disaster.
• Train Koya University students and staff to support the local authorities to reduce the impact of any disaster.
• Arrange meetings, seminars, and workshops to raise awareness of the impact of the disaster on the physical, psychological, and mental health of people.
• Koya University and Koya region community will work together for any type of disaster.

OBJECTIVE 3: Address Societal Issues Facing Local Communities and Improve Their Quality of Life

STRATEGIES:

1. Implement Koya University Research for Community Project

• Develop Koya University research projects to address the problems and challenges facing the local community in the public and private sectors.
• Find solutions and suggest recommendations for societal issues in the community through research, seminars, workshops, and conferences in collaboration with key stakeholders.

2. Promote and encourage Ethical and Sustainable Cities and Communities  

• Launch a sustainable cities project to study and address the sustainability issues in Koya and other neighboring cities and towns.
• Support and enable the local policymakers and community leaders to develop master plans and practices that transform the cities, both in their commercial and residential areas, into prosperous and safe places to live and work.

3. Develop programs and initiatives to combat drug addiction, violence, and youth defeatism in the local communities

• Create joint university and community projects to diagnose and solve serious problems such as drug addiction, violence, and youth defeatism in our communities.
• Encourage Koya University academic departments to work with international organizations such as the UN and WHO to hold scientific events and awareness campaigns to tackle the above-mentioned social issues.
• Support the university scientific community to study the root causes of the growing substance abuse issues and defeatism among local youth.