On Tuesday, the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Erbil organized a “Friends of the Netherlands: Alumni Gathering” at Erbil Citadel, bringing together participants of Dutch-supported programs and others who studied at universities or received training in the Netherlands.

Adriaan IJsselstein, Consul General of the Netherlands in Erbil, said the gathering was an opportunity to reconnect with alumni while emphasizing that the wider network also includes people who have not participated in Dutch alumni programs.

IJsselstein highlighted the Shiraka program, a Dutch government initiative that provides training and professional development for civil servants and public officials. He said more than 100 people in the Kurdistan Region have been trained through the program. “I’m very glad to say that this cooperation will continue,” he added.

Safeen Dizayee, Head of the Kurdistan Regional Government Department of Foreign Relations, underlined that the diplomatic mission of the Netherlands, including the embassy in Baghdad and the Consulate General in Erbil, “has been very forthcoming in accommodating some of our needs and developing programs focused largely on capacity building and cultural exchange. 

“These initiatives have allowed the Netherlands to introduce its culture and expertise to our communities, while also giving the Kurdistan Region an opportunity to introduce its own culture and capabilities to the Netherlands.

“The strength and solidity of our relationship does not only stand on what is above ground, but also extends below ground, including through cooperation in the agricultural sector, which has been yielding results over the past years.”

One of the alumni, Dr. Ali Rashid Khoshnaw, President of Erbil Provincial Council, earned a master’s degree at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands.

“I went to the Netherlands as a student, but I came back with much more than a degree. I learned that education is not limited to the classroom,” he said. 

“I was also deeply impressed by the cleanliness of the environment and the way people use bicycles, even to travel to work. I became one of them, but what impressed me most was the respect for time, that being on time is not simply about a clock, it is about respecting another person’s time.”

He added that when he returned to the Kurdistan Region, he began to see his homeland differently. He said the Kurdistan Region has precious landscapes, mountains, rivers, and water resources, but also faces serious challenges, particularly water scarcity and environmental pressures. “The lessons I learned in the Netherlands are not only memories for me; they are lessons for our future,” he said.