International Training Course on Islamic Architecture and Digital Documentation Held at Koya University’s Faculty of Engineering

The Department of Architectural Engineering at Koya University’s Faculty of Engineering, in partnership with Palacký University in the Czech Republic and the University of Karbala, organized an international training course titled "Bridging Tradition and Technology: Digital Documentation in Contemporary Restoration of Islamic Architecture." This program was specifically designed for fourth-year architectural engineering students to enhance their technical skills in historical heritage preservation.

On Monday, February 9, 2026, the final day of the training course took place at the Faculty of Engineering's Workshop Hall. The event commenced with a welcoming speech by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Asst. Prof. Dr. Galawezh Bakir Baper, who highlighted the academic and professional significance of the course. Following the opening, four scientific lectures were delivered by international and local experts: Dr. Lenka Starkova and Dr. Karel Novacek from Palacký University, Asst. Prof. Manar Nazar from Koya University, and Dr. Haider Naji from the University of Karbala.

Notably, the course included an extensive practical component, with the first two days conducted in the Old City of Mosul. This fieldwork provided students with a unique opportunity to explore historical Islamic architecture firsthand, visiting sites such as the Al-Nuri Mosque and other archaeological landmarks. This experience enabled students to bridge the gap between theoretical engineering knowledge and the practical realities of digital documentation and restoration in heritage sites.

Koya University organized this joint course as part of its efforts to support the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan pillars, including "Student Success and Employability," "Research and Innovation," "Community Outreach," and "Internationalization and Global Visibility." Through these international partnerships, the university aims to equip its students with global expertise and modern technological tools necessary to keep pace with international advancements in architecture and restoration.

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Koya University (KOU) is located in the city of Koya (Koy Sanjaq) which is 1.0 hr drive to the East of the Kurdistan Region capital Erbil (Arbil, Hewlér) in Kurdistan Region of F.R. Iraq. It is on the foothills of a beautiful high mountain. Its campus has been carefully laid out to embrace the beautiful mountainous nature.

There are 4 Faculties and 2 Schools in KOU; Faculty of Engineering (FENG), Faculty of Science and Health (FSCH), Faculty of Education (FEDU), Faculty of Humanities and Social Silences (FHSS), Shcool of Physical Education (SPHE) and School of Medicine (SMED).

Also, there are two research centers; Genome Center and Malai Gawra Center. Moreover, at KOU there is an English Language Center (BELC) at KOU has been opened with the sponsorship of IREX and American embassy in Baghdad as well as with the support of Spring International Language Center of The University of Arkansas. KOU has two Scientific Journals; ARO-The Scientific Journal of Koya University, which is indexed by Clarivate Analytics (ESCI), and Koya University Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (KUJHSS). KOU is a proactive member of Erasmus/ Marhaba Project and Erasmus+.

KOU signed many Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with many International Universities, e.g., The University of Arkansas (June 2015). The Lulea University in Sweden (April 2014), The University of Nottingham in the UK, The University of Buckingham in the UK (Oct 2008), Belkin University in Turkey (Sep 2009) The University of Greenwich in the UK, Cihan University-Erbil (2021) and Tishk International University (2021).

Koya University is a memebr of The Association of Arab Universities and the International Association of Universities.

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