ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A five-year education exchange agreement between the Kurdistan Region and the Islamic Republic of Iran was signed on Tuesday, said a Kurdistan Region Government official. A high level Iranian delegation headed by Dr. Salar Amoli, the deputy minister of the higher education of Iran, met with Dr. Yousif Goran, the KRG's higher education minister on Tuesday and both sides talked about the significance of education cooperation. The agreement seeks to exchange "students and teachers between Kurdish and Iranian universities to develop high educational standards between the two," said the KRG's Higher Education Minister Yousif Goran. "Today we signed an agreement for technological and scientific developments between the Kurdistan Region and the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added. Meanwhile Dr. Salar Amoli, the deputy minister of the Iranian higher education, said that through this agreement both sides can improve educational ties. He accordingly described the agreement as 'historical'. "It is a historic day, we are two neighbors sharing several common points between each other in terms of language, religion and culture," he said. "Therefore... today we sign this agreement to exchange our teachers and students." As per the agreement, the Islamic Republic of Iran is also providing scholarship for Kurdistan region students in many of its universities. "A list for admitting a record number of Kurdish students in Iranian universities has been prepared. It has also been agreed that Kurdish and Iranian teachers share each others scientific research," said a Rudaw reporter present at the meeting. At least 17 Iranian universities are part of this exchange program by the Kurdistan Region. Consequently the region's universities can make agreements to exchange teachers and students for scientific research projects. In early January Iran’s Islamic Azad University (IAU), one of the most comprehensive networks of universities and community colleges across Iran, said it was in talks to open branches in the Kurdistan Region.
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