Senior government officials and the university leaders from Iraq with Dr Shaun Curtis and Dr John Withrington (University of Exeter) meet in Exeter. Photo: John Ffoulkes.

Exeter showcases UK excellence to Iraqi higher education leaders

A delegation of Iraq’s most senior education leaders has learned about UK higher education from the University of Exeter.

The University was chosen by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education to host a visit, as part of a leadership development course funded by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

The delegation included senior government officials and the Presidents of some of Iraq’s top universities.

The group visited the University on Friday 19 March, where they heard about how Exeter manages its research, knowledge transfer and teaching activities. The day focused on the theme of strategic leadership and included a talk from the University’s Registrar and Deputy Chief Executive, David Allen.

The visit also incorporated an introduction to the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, including the unique Centre for Kurdish Studies, and a tour of the Advanced Layer Manufacturing laboratory in the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences.

Dr Shaun Curtis, Director of International Exeter said: “It was a great privilege to be invited to host this visit. We were delighted to be asked to share our expertise in all aspects of higher education and to have been selected as an example of excellence in the UK. Through our programme of international visits, research collaborations and the increase in international students, we are constantly growing our global reach. This event was a particularly good opportunity for us to further develop our links with Iraq, already strong given that we are a founder member of the British Universities Iraq Consortium.”

Date: 22 March 2010