Kurdistan and Hungary extend education exchange program

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – In a bid to develop education cooperation, to conduct joint research, exchange students and scientific staff, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Higher Education Ministry and Hungarian Human Resources Ministry signed an agreement on Thursday, extending an existing agreement.

The agreement comes as a visiting Hungarian higher education delegation headed by Bence Rétvári, deputy minister of Hungarian Human Resources, is in the Kurdistan Region.

“This agreement is extended for three more seasons. The agreement that we have revamped for three more years contains a few changes in the context in which the Kurdistan Region will send 10 students to receive master’s degrees and 20 students to receive PhDs in Hungary each year,” Dr. Yousif Goran, minister of Higher Education said, adding that the Hungarian government will cover the overall expenses of the students.

“The agreement includes many subjects associated with higher education and our students in Hungary and Hungarian students in the Kurdistan Region’s universities,” Goran said.

Goran added that “as per the agreement, the Kurdistan Region will allocate seats for Hungarian students in terms of subjects that are important like the Kurdish and Arabic languages and literatures and Islamic studies as they are of importance in the world’s academic centers.

He went on to say that “Some others are related to academic and cultural and political dimensions. Hungary has chosen the Kurdistan Region to put its students in to study in these fields because the region is a safe area and the atmosphere is compatible for students to take advantage of these fields.”

Goran added that the agreement covers other aspects as well, especially in terms of heritage.

For his part, Rétvári said the student exchange programs are important for both sides.

“I appreciate this hospitality. Students exchange is important for both sides. We are happy that there has been the exchange of students between us in the past, too."

He also thanked the Kurdish Peshmerga in their fight against ISIS and assistances to the refugees.

Hungary, as a member of the broad US-led anti-ISIS coalition, has supported the Kurdistan Region in the fight against ISIS. The country has so far sent some 275 tons of ammunition and weapons to the region and Hungarian advisors are also training Peshmerga forces.

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