The key aim for an NCFU’s delegation to Iraq was designing newer ways for cooperation – in humanities, oil & gas research, engineering and the Russian Language.

The most promising types of cooperation here may be double degree programs, launching joint labs, holding summer schools, conferences, field placements and academic exchange for both students and the staff.

– NCFU is expanding its academic network with Middle Eastern countries, and we have already agreed on joint projects with universities of Iraq in areas like the Russian Language studies, Mathematical Modeling, AI, and Engineering. The similarity between the academic and research areas of oil and gas means huge potential in cooperation, – Dmitry Bespalov (Rector, NCFU) was quoted as saying.

Prof. Bespalov held an official meeting with Dr. Aram Mohammad Qadir (Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research), with numerous ideas on cooperation discussed, whereas Dr. Aram Mohammad Qadir noted once again that there is great interest in cooperating with Russia.

Another meeting held was in the cities of Erbil and Soran, inviting Iraqi researchers to attend the DMAI-2023: International Workshop on Data Mining and AI – a seminar focusing on AI, as well as the INNOVATION TECHNOLOGIES IN OIL AND GAS – an international conference to be held in Stavropol fall this year.

At a meeting with Dr. Kamaran Younis Mohammadamin (President, Salahaddin University-Erbil,) various strategic areas for cooperation in humanities and agriculture were discussed, including the Arabic Language studies for NCFU students, and vice versa.

Besides, the NCFU delegation visited Erbil to meet Dr. Kawa Abdulkarim Sherwani (President, Erbil Polytechnic University), which can boast of expertise in automotive industry and construction engineering, to discuss joint research and holding refresher training projects for the teaching staff.

In the City of Tishk, Prof. Bespalov held a meeting with Dr. Abdul Samad Salahuddin (President, Tishk International University), where the two parties outlined both research and international cooperation projects, expanding the traditional engineering area with Economics and Pedagogy.

While meeting Dr. Sherwan Sharif Qurtas (President, Soran University), Dmitry Bespalov noted that Russian experts’ research interests are close to those of their Iraqi colleagues, with Environmental studies, Mathematical Modeling and Geoinformation Systems could be in the forefront.

Another institution the NCFU experts visited was the Media School in Erbil, and the plans are now to launch the Russian Week of Engineering Sciences – first in Iraq – as soon as this year already. Such events – Russian weeks of Mathematics, Computer Sciences, Physics and the Russian Language – have been held more than a few times in different countries, inevitably stirring lots of interest.

Finally, Prof. Bespalov met Maksim Rubin (Council General of Russia in Erbil), who pointed at high importance of academic cooperation expansion as a way to enhance overall relationships between the two countries, and offered every support to the projects.