The Kurdish Chair in Kurdistan
Dr. Zibari and Dr. Tezcür with Barzan, Iraqi Kurdistan in the background
Güneş Murat Tezcür, the Jalal Talabani Endowed Chair of Kurdish Political Studies, traveled to Kurdistan Region of Iraq between February 6 and 13. During his trip, Dr. Tezcür met with the Presidents and administrators of the three largest public universities of Kurdistan, Salahaddin University-Erbil, the University of Duhok, and the University of Sulaimani, as well as visiting American University of Iraq, Sulaimani and the University of Halabja.
On February 7-8, Dr. Tezcür met with the President of the University of Duhok, Professor Mosleh Duhoky and had a round table discussion on contemporary politics of the Middle East and the US policies with the University’s Board Members. He also gave a seminar to political science students about Middle Eastern politics. On February 9, Dr. Tezcür met with Professor Salahalddin Saeed Ali, President of the University of Sulaimani, and presented a seminar titled “The US Foreign Policy in the Middle East and towards Kurdistan” to administrators, faculty members, and students at the university. He also had a tour of the university’s new campus and its facilities. A day later, he had a road trip to the city of Halabja where he paid his respects to the victims of the chemical attack of March 16, 1988 and visited the Halabja Monument and cemeteries. He also met with the President of the University of Halabja, Professor Khasraw Abdulla Ali and university administrators. On the same day, Dr. Tezcür had a tour of the campus of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, before leaving for Erbil. On February 11, he visited Professor Ahmed Anwar Dezaye, President of Salahaddin University, in his office in the presence of Vice-Presidents and Director of International Relations.
In his visits, Dr. Tezcür explored and discussed avenues of cooperation between UCF and Kurdish universities including joint conferences, exchange and training programs, and enrollment of students from Kurdistan in UCF’s graduate programs. During his stay in Kurdistan, he also had meetings regarding the current political and socioeconomic situation of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the US-Kurdish relations.
During Dr. Tezcür’s time in Kurdistan, Dr. Gazi Zibari, the director of WK John C. McDonald Regional Transplantation Center and a member of the Kurdish Political Studies Program (KPSP) Advisory Board, led a team of American doctors to Duhok in a medical outreach mission. Dr. Zibari and Dr. Tezcür also had an opportunity to meet with Dr. Najmaldin Karim, the Governor of Kirkuk and a member of the KPSP Advisory Board, in his residence in Kirkuk. You can find more information about the KPSP at UCF on our website.
