UOD – April 19, 2026 | University Press Office (UNPO) – In a significant step toward safeguarding cultural identity and advancing urban preservation, the University of Duhok (UOD) celebrated the International Day for Monuments and Sites (World Heritage Day) on April 18, 2026. Hosted by the Department of City Planning within the College of City and Regional Planning, the event highlighted the university’s deepening commitment to heritage conservation through the formalization of a landmark international partnership with the World Monuments Fund (WMF).

A major highlight was the international partnership established with the World Monuments Fund (WMF). In February 2026, the University of Duhok signed a landmark academic collaboration for the new Suzanne Deal Booth Institute for Heritage Preservation. The celebration served as a platform to showcase the university’s integration into the collaboration, an elite academic collaboration designed to bridge the gap between scholarly research and real-world conservation practice.

Going by the Theme “Emergency Response for Living Heritage in Contexts of Conflicts and Disasters”, the event emphasized the University of Duhok’s role as a core academic partner in the Suzanne Deal Booth Institute, joining a prestigious global network that includes

• University of Duhok (Kurdistan Region - Iraq)
• Columbia University (GSAPP) (New York City, USA)
• University of Pennsylvania (Stuart Weitzman School of Design) (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
• Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
• Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada)

Pillars of the WMF Collaboration

The partnership is structured around four interconnected pillars designed to address the professional needs of the heritage sector:

1. Academic Partnerships: Connecting graduate-level study with fieldwork across WMF’s global portfolio.
2. Heritage Trades Training: Strengthening practical skills in stone masonry and metalwork to expand local employment.
3. Professional Networks: Enhancing knowledge exchange through global initiatives like the WMF Watch Network.
4. Research and Evaluation: Advancing evidence-based preservation methodologies tailored for conflict-affected areas.

Expert Seminars and Student Exhibitions

The World Heritage Day featured three primary activities showcasing local and international expertise:

• Representing the international community, Alessandra Peruzzetto, Senior Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at WMF, delivered an online address highlighting the strategic value of this collaboration in preparing the next generation of preservation leaders.
• Dr. Shareen Younus Ismael presented a seminar titled “Documentation of Monuments in Conflict Areas Using Advanced Technologies,” sharing her research on digital heritage documentation.
• City Planning Students from the Planning and Design in Context course displayed gallery posters highlighting vital local sites, including Dlip Palace, Alqosh Historic City, Akre historic city, and the Jewish and Shahidan neighborhoods in Duhok.

Strategic Objectives and Vision

By collaborating in international MoUs, the Department of City Planning aims to bridge the expertise gap in specialized technical disciplines currently unavailable in the region.

The Urban Heritage and Revitalization within the 6th-semester City Planning curriculum equips the students with the specialized conservation frameworks and technical skills necessary to analyze the unique architectural and cultural layers of historic sites, by presenting these findings during World Heritage Day.

The primary objectives of this initiative include:

• Safeguarding the cultural identity of the Kurdistan Region through advanced preservation strategies.
• Enabling faculty and students to master highly specialized conservation skills alongside global experts.
• Integrating field-based learning and professional exchange into the university curriculum.

Alignment with UOD’s Strategic Vision

This international collaboration directly supports the University of Duhok’s Strategic Plan (2023–2038), particularly the pillars of:

• International academic cooperation and global engagement.
• Strategic partnerships to address local challenges with global solutions.

University Press Office – April 19, 2026

Reported by: Fatima Mahmood Ali, Aland Kamal Othman

Photography: Omar Sabah Nori

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MEDIA COVERAGE FOR THIS EVENT

The News Keywords:

• World Monuments Fund (WMF)
• Heritage Conservation
• Suzanne Deal Booth Institute
• Urban Planning Kurdistan
• World Heritage Day