Today, March 18, 2024, marked an important step forward for the University of Duhok (UOD) as President Dr. Dawood Sulaiman Atrushi, accompanied by three Vice Presidents, Dr. Lokman Hadi Hassan, Dr. Dilshad Abdul Jabbar Haleem, Dr. Nabaz Ibraheem Mohammed, and some UOD staff, embarked on a tour of the university's Botanical Garden project.

This initiative underscores UOD's dedication to environmental protection, biodiversity preservation, and cultural heritage. Botanical gardens, renowned for their meticulously curated collections of living plants, serve multifaceted purposes, from scientific research to public education. The UOD's Community Botanical Gardens Projects, including Bashiqa, Krimles Hamadania, Telkef, and Mother Gardens, aim to sustain local plant species, contributing to the conservation of regional biodiversity.

The visit provided President Atrushi and his accompanying Vice Presidents with an initial overview of the progress of the Botanical Garden project. As they toured the garden plots and facilities, they witnessed the meticulous planning and dedication invested in the project. President Atrushi expressed profound optimism about the project's potential, emphasizing its significance in preserving cultural heritage and fostering environmental stewardship. He affirmed that the Botanical Garden represents a harmonious blend of nature conservation and cultural stewardship, remarking that he is truly impressed by the dedication and vision behind the project.

Leading the tour was Dr. Nashwan Shawkat Mahmood, the principal investigator of the project. With his expertise and passion for botany, Dr. Mahmood introduced each part of the botanical garden to the visitors. His insightful commentary shed light on the botanical significance and cultural relevance of each plant species, enriching the visitors' understanding of the garden's purpose and potential impact on the community.

The Botanical Garden project holds immense promise as a hub for education, research, and community engagement. With state-of-the-art facilities such as administrative offices, storage areas, herbarium rooms, and shaded greenhouses, the garden provides a conducive environment for studying plants, protecting them, and enlightening visitors. These modern amenities ensure an immersive experience for exploring nature and learning about plant diversity.

As the tour concluded, President Atrushi reiterated UOD's unwavering commitment to the Botanical Garden project, affirming its role as a beacon of environmental conservation and cultural preservation for generations to come. The visit offered valuable insights into the project's future, showcasing its potential to make a significant impact on the local community and beyond.

The UOD Botanical Garden is a part of LASER PULSE Project “Support to Traditional Cultural Practices in Northern Iraq” sponsored by USAID and implemented by University of Duhok. Our partners from USA are the University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, Indiana University as well as SIPRI from Sweden.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF DUHOK

The University of Duhok (UOD) is a public university in the city of Duhok city, which is about 150 km northwest of Erbil (Arbil, Hewlér), the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region (KRI). The city is situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by high mountains. The university campus is a large green area in the city's west side that provides an exciting view of the city and surrounding nature. UOD was founded in October 1992 with only two colleges to meet the region's growing demand for graduate professionals. Today, the UOD has a 19-college with 67 departments, nearly 24000 students, and over 4000 academic and administrative staff. Students thrive in one of the best regional academic communities, studying in programs such as Agriculture, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Architecture, Engineering, Humanities, Linguistics, Basic Education, and Economics as well as Spatial Planning. UOD has strong engagement through its International Relations with many Higher Education institutions and centres of excellence worldwide, such as Purdue University, Indiana University (IU), New York University (NYU), The University of Noter Dame (ND), The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA), BridgeWater State University in the USA, The University of Warsaw - Poland, The University of Glasgow - Scotland, The University of Twente - The Netherlands, Leipzig University, LLC University, University of Oldenburg, The University of Vechta, Europa-Universität Flensburg, TU Dortmund university, THM Giessen University in Germany, The University of Tuscia, The university of Pavia, Sapienza Università di Roma in Italy, The University of Deusto, The University of Barcelona, The University of Granada (UGR) in Spain, Lund University - Sweden, The University of Sussex in the UK, Tampere University - Finland, and so many more. The University of Duhok is an active member of the International Association of Universities (IAU), The UNIMED, the Mediterranean Universities Union, and The Association of Arab Universities (AARU).

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UOD Media; March 18, 2024

Report: Ismat M. Mohmmed

Photo Credit: Hussain Titimi