The Kurdistan Region continues to expand its academic network on the global stage through collaborations with Polish universities.

A recent high-level visit by officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to Poland underscored the growing importance of academic cooperation between Kurdish and Polish universities. Building on more than two decades of collaboration, the visit focused on expanding research partnerships, student exchanges, and institutional cooperation.

The delegation, which included university presidents, academics, researchers, and senior ministry officials, visited Poland at the invitation of several universities. KRG Representative in Poland Ziyad Raoof told Kurdistan Chronicle that discussions focused on expanding student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, scientific conferences, and broader institutional cooperation. 

Strengthening Academic Partnerships

During the visit, the delegation held a series of meetings coordinated by the KRG Representation in Poland to explore priorities for future cooperation. The discussions reaffirmed both sides’ commitment to expanding long-term academic partnerships.

The delegation also visited Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland’s oldest university, where it met with representatives from the departments of biochemistry, biophysics, biotechnology, management, and social communication. Discussions focused on scientific research, the development of joint research projects, student exchanges, and PhD and faculty exchange programs.

Several Kurdish universities, including Salahaddin University, the University of Duhok, Tishk International University, and the University of Kurdistan-Hewlêr, signed scientific cooperation agreements with Polish institutions during the visit.

Jagiellonian University has played a leading role in Polish-Kurdish academic cooperation since 2004, welcoming students from the Kurdistan Region, including scholarship recipients.

Expanding Horizons

Academic ties established in 2004 laid the foundation for today’s broader partnership. Many Kurdish graduates of Polish universities have since returned home, contributing to higher education and research in the Kurdistan Region and beyond.

The long-standing partnership has encouraged a steady exchange of knowledge and expertise, strengthening the academic capacity of universities in both Poland and the Kurdistan Region.

Collaboration has also expanded beyond the humanities into applied sciences, agriculture, and technology. Reflecting this broader scope, the delegation also visited AGH University and the University of Agriculture in Kraków.

Academic collaboration between Kurdish and Polish institutions is also an extension of broader political and institutional cooperation. In 2011, an agreement was signed between the KRG and Poland’s southern Małopolska Region, an important step toward widening mutual ties.

The agreement covered multiple sectors, including commerce, education, health, agriculture, and tourism, as well as opportunities for investment projects. It reflected the growing maturity of relations between Poland and the Kurdistan Region, with higher education becoming one of the partnership’s most enduring pillars. As universities deepen their links through research, exchanges, and joint projects, opportunities for further collaboration are likely to continue expanding.