Surrounded by a mosque, historical buildings and a park, a modest campus houses one of the top educational institutions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the Middle East. The University of Kurdistan Hewlêr (UKH) is the first and only English-medium public or independent university in Iraq.
The establishment of the University of Kurdistan Hewler was inspired by the vision and initiative of H.E. President Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. As the founder of the university, President Barzani has showed tremendous support and commitment over the years to make sure it provides equal opportunities to students from all across the country. Thus, UKH has independently grounded its foundation in providing equal opportunity to all prospective students.
Since its establishment in 2006, UKH has awarded 1280 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the fields of business administration, natural resource engineering, information technology, computer engineering, sociology and political sciences, and international relations. The university currently offers a wide variety of degrees in undergraduate and postgraduate studies in medical sciences, social sciences, engineering, and business administration.
The university is renowned for its student life, with an abundance of annual events, activities, and student-centered recreation. This environment allows students to nurture their interests, share ideas, practice what they learn, and initiate projects independently. A profound emphasis is placed on leadership qualities, critical and creative thinking, as well as team-building.
The teaching staff thrives on teaching students critical, analytical thinking and provides them with practical skills that will benefit their future careers.
UKH’s academic faculty is staffed by accomplished and internationally recognized academics in their respective fields. They come from various cultural backgrounds and hold a wide range of competencies, which they see as one of the unique attributes to UKH.
The teaching staff thrives on teaching students critical, analytical thinking and provides them with practical skills that will benefit their future careers. UKH teaches its students how to think, not what to think. Students are educated to compete and lead in the local and global environments by preparing men and women for leading roles in the government, business and civil society.
Accreditation
In addition to official accreditation by KRG’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UKH has also received accreditation by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Federal Government of Iraq since early 2020.
Internationally, UKH is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC).The university has earned Premier status with ASIC for its conduct and operation. ASIC accreditation helps students and parents make more informed choices, and will also help schools, colleges, universities, and other service providers to demonstrate the quality of the institution’s education.
The University of Kurdistan Hewlêr topped the list of Kurdistan university rankings for being the best in research, job creation for its alumni, and international activities in 2018 and 2019 respectively, as well as having the best library.
Student Life
The journey of UKH students is full of exciting and challenging events. In each academic year, dozens of local and international events and extracurricular activities expand students’ experiences. Cultural and educational exchange programs, conferences, seminars, symposiums, spring festivals, national commemorations, sports tournaments and much more are now part of UKH culture.
Internationally, UKH is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC).
Alumni
UKH alumni have built bridges from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to the rest of the world and are spread across all fields and sectors of work. They contribute to the development of the country, and the university continuously produces the human capital that allows the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to compete in the international arena. According to research conducted by UKH’s Alumni Association, the employment rate among UKH’s alumni is as high as 99%.
UKH continuously produces the human capital that allows the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to compete in the international arena.
Center for Regional and International Studies
UKH’s Centre for Regional and International Studies (CRIS) aims to build human capital in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, to secure research funding to benefit the region and to raise UKH’s profile within the international academic research community. The center holds international and regional conferences every year and offers rigorous policy recommendations to different stakeholders on current and upcoming issues.
UKH’s Centre for Regional and International Studies (CRIS) aims to raise UKH’s profile within the international academic research community.
Centre on Culture, History, and Humanities for Sustainable Development (CCHH)
CCHH is established as a part of the Nahrein Network, a collaborative project between UKH, University College London (UCL), and the University of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum. Based in UKH, CCHH aims to promote the sustainable development of archaeological findings, cultural heritage, and humanities in Iraq, Kurdistan and neighboring countries.
