Jakarta, Indonesia – The President of Koya University, Prof. Dr. Mohammed H.S. Zangana, participated in the Global Sustainable Development Congress 2026, organized by Times Higher Education (THE) from 22 to 25 June 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia. This participation comes as part of the university’s continued efforts to strengthen its international presence, expand academic partnerships, and promote its “Green University” initiative on the global stage.

During the Congress, the President of Koya University held several important meetings with senior officials from international higher education institutions, sustainability assessment bodies, and representatives of universities from around the world. These meetings focused on Koya University’s experience and progress in sustainability, the expansion of international cooperation and relations, the strengthening of institutional capacity, and the development of the Green University initiative as a model at the level of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the wider region.

In this context, the University President met with Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Times Higher Education, and Charlotte Coles, Director of the Global Sustainable Development Congress. During these meetings, the President presented an overview of Koya University’s “Green University” initiative, highlighting the university’s projects in renewable energy, environmental protection, campus greening, sustainability education, and student engagement. The discussions also emphasized the importance of promoting Koya University’s experience internationally, so that it may become a more widely recognized model and a source of benefit for other universities.

As part of his participation in the Global Sustainable Development Congress 2026, and during another important meeting, the President of Koya University met with Professor Dawn Freshwater, Chief Executive of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN). The meeting discussed opportunities for academic and research cooperation between the Worldwide Universities Network and Koya University, particularly in the areas of sustainability, climate change, clean energy, the environment, and public health.

It is worth noting that the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) is one of the most important international university networks, bringing together 24 leading research universities across six continents. WUN aims to strengthen international cooperation in research, innovation, sustainable development, and addressing global challenges.

Within the framework of his attendance at the Global Sustainable Development Congress 2026 in Jakarta, the President of Koya University also met with Professor Vishnu Juwono, Chair of the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, and Dr. Abelia Anggi Wardhani, Vice Chair of UI GreenMetric. The meeting focused on Koya University’s efforts in sustainability, green campus development, environmental indicators, and the university’s plans to improve its position in international sustainability rankings.

It should be noted that since February 2025, Koya University has been appointed by UI GreenMetric as the National Coordinator for universities in Iraq. Therefore, during the meeting between the President of Koya University and the Chair and Vice Chair of UI GreenMetric, both sides agreed to organize a dedicated UI GreenMetric workshop for universities in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq at Koya University.

As part of his participation in the Congress, the President of Koya University, Prof. Dr. Mohammed H.S.Zangana, also held several other meetings with presidents and senior representatives of a number of universities from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and other regions of the world. These meetings provided an important opportunity to introduce Koya University, present the university’s future strategy, and discuss opportunities for cooperation in academic exchange, joint research, sustainability projects, student mobility, and institutional partnerships and coordination.

On the third day of the Congress, the President of Koya University received Koya University’s THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 certificate. According to the 2026 results, Koya University achieved first place among public universities in the Kurdistan Region in SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. The university also achieved second place in SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 13: Climate Action. These results confirm the level of progress made by Koya University in sustainability, clean energy, quality education, climate action, and the strengthening of international partnerships and cooperation.

Koya University’s participation in GSDC 2026 reflects the university’s strategic objectives in internationalization, sustainable development, and active engagement at the global level. Through its “Green University” initiative, the university continues to contribute actively to the development of environmental solutions and to strengthening the role of higher education in sustainable development, both in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and beyond.

The University President emphasized that Koya University will continue to advance practical sustainability initiatives. He also noted that participation in international platforms such as GSDC 2026 represents an important step toward building global partnerships and sharing Koya University’s experience with the international higher education community.

This visit and these high-level meetings represent another important milestone in Koya University’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its global visibility, develop leadership in sustainability, and build bridges of cooperation with universities and international organizations.