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After visiting the Kurdistan Region President and the KRG Prime Minister, the next stop for the European Union Ambassador in Iraq, Ilkka Uusitalo, was the University of Dohuk (UoD) on November 13, 2007. His important visit came as a result of the partnership between UoD and the European Union through the Erasmus Mundus Program. Earlier this year, UoD succeeded to become a partner in the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window Program and it has gained 31 scholarships for its students and academic staff.

In his visit to the university presidency, the ambassador met with the UoD President, Dr. Asmat M. Khalid, and his assistants. In the meeting, Dr. Asmat explained to the ambassador the situation of the Kurdistan region during the establishment of the university and the progress it has achieved in the academic realm. He also talked about the obstacles facing university staff members in traveling abroad for scientific and academic purposes. The difficulty in getting visas is one of the more pertinent obstacles which function to delay the process of teachers traveling abroad. The ambassador stated that he will look into this problem and try to find the appropriate solution to enable the teachers to benefit from the academic experiences they would gain in Europe.

The ambassador accompanied by Dr. Hassan Amin, Vice President for Scientific Affairs, visited some colleges, labs and centers to get an idea of their present situation and their needs.