This project stems directly from the initiative of the Ministry of Higher Education for Science and Research of the Autonomous Iraqui region of Kurdistan. The main objective of TIGRIS is to contribute to the modernization of the universities in the Kurdistan region through the strengthening of its management structures and services for international relations and building advanced strategic polices related to the internationalisation of education, research, mobility and student services that bring them closer to the EHEA. With the support of the MHESR, the EU project partners will transfer best practices and disseminate knowledge so as to understand how to cooperate within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and European Research Area (ERA). The project will operate at three distinctive levels: Firstly, at government and ministry level through building and advancing policies which underpin the process of internationalization of HE and research in Kurdistan facilitating the recognition of studies in Europe and the elaboration of joint diplomas and joint research activities.Secondly, at institutional level by facilitating internal bylaws and creating institutional policies (like IaH) for the internationalization of education, research, academic staff and student exchange mobility and student services. Likewise, partners will develop and implement quality indicators as part of a strategy for quality of internationalisation. The final result wil be a benchmarking tool to map the internationalisation process of Kurdish HEIs. Last but not least, at department level the project will reinforce the capacity of International Relations departments both at infrastructural and human resources level. Reinforced capacities of managers within international relation offices and administrative staff will boost their participation in international projects and strengthen the competitiveness of Kurdish (Iraqui) HEIs.
The Erasmus+ CBHE Project TIGRIS stemmed from a direct initiative of the Ministry for Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR) of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq, aiming at modernising Higher Education in the Kurdistan Region by pursuing the internationalisation of its structures and institutions. Building on contacts previously established with the University of Göttingen and to contribute to the reforms in the Higher Education sector, a joint proposal was developed and a consortium formed consisting of 15 institutions from both the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Europe. The project aimed at tackling the modernisation in a three-pronged approach: at the institutional level, by contributing to the modernisation of the universities from the Kurdistan Region by strengthening management structures and services for international relations, and building strategic policies related to internationalisation; at national level, by supporting the MHESR’s objective to modernise its Higher Education system and to align it more closely with European models of practice and the Bologna Process; at international level, by developing the universities’ capacity to promote international relations, fostering international cooperation and increasing international visibility. In Work Package (WP) 1, the consortium conducted a comprehensive analysis of the existing conditions for the internationalisation of Higher Education in the Kurdistan Region, resulting in three reports totalling 135 pages of analysis and insights. Furthermore, a list of indicators to measure and assess the quality of internationalisation was developed by the Global Impact Institute, which as part of WP3 was developed into a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess the quality of internationalisation in the Kurdistan Region. Based on the findings and continuous need analysis, the consortium devised and implemented a comprehensive training programme, implemented as part of the WP 2 and 3 and delivered in 8 training workshops, flanked by initial study visits to Europe as well as brief internships for International Relations staff at EU HEIs. Equipped by the training programme with the necessary knowledge and skill and supported by EU partners, the partners from the Partner Country engaged in developing international strategies, resulting in one ministerial and nine HEI strategies developed and officially adopted. Simultaneously, HEI partners set up or reinforced their International Relations Offices with staff trained and IT equipment purchased within the framework of the project, thereby creating and enhancing capacities to engage in internationalisation and operationalise the international strategies developed. Their capacities to manage internationalisation was later reinforced by a Management Information System developed for this purpose. To foster policy reforms, KU Leuven developed recommendations on university research project management and talent development, encapsulating much of the contemporary European thinking on how to shape research environments while promoting key EU policies. Supporting ongoing reforms and to facilitate both cooperation and alignment with the EHEA/ERA, the University of Groningen developed an action plan providing information and advice for partners from the Kurdistan Region on how to further align Kurdish and European Higher Education and foster cooperation between both. The TUNING Academy Groningen provided trainings for the partners from the Partner Country, introducing both TUNING methodology and tools to the region. The impact of the project was assessed in WP 4 in year 3 in a set of Peer Reviews, due to the Covid-19 pandemic implemented in a virtual setting, prompting EU partners to develop a suitable methodology for this.