Second-Year Students Lead Inspiring Discussion on University Governance and Present UOD Strategy Application

UOD May 5, 2025 – University Press Office (UNPO) | As part of its mission to promote participatory governance, digital transformation, and youth empowerment, and in the presence of Dr. Dawood Sulaiman Atrushi, President of the University of Duhok; Dr. Nabaz Ibrahim Mohammed, Vice President for Student Affairs; Dr. Bassam Ahmad Abdullah, Dean of the College of Administration and Economics; Dr. Faek Sido Diko, Director of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness; Member of Parliament Mr. Vahel Sherwan; and a distinguished group of professors, students, and guests— the University of Duhok (UOD) hosted a student-led panel titled “Defining UOD Policies and Strategic Planning” at the Convention Center on May 4, 2025. The event marked a milestone in academic engagement, as second-year students from the Department of Marketing Management, College of Administration and Economics took full responsibility for organizing, moderating, and presenting the session.

The initiative aimed to foster institutional awareness among the student body and to highlight UOD’s long-term vision as outlined in its Strategic Plan 2023–2038.

🎓 Academic Excellence Through Student Engagement

The activity included two short video presentations for students explaining the purpose and impact of UOD’s strategic vision, and institutional  policies.

📱 A Smart Leap Forward: UOD Strategy Application Proposal

One of the event’s highlights was the presentation of a mobile application developed by The student participant, Araz Mahmood Moahmmed, aimed at digitizing UOD’s strategic framework. The app—designed to make university policies and strategic goals more accessible to students, staff, and the local community—offers:

• Clear definitions of strategic objectives
   
• An FAQ section for inquiries about policies
   
• Real-time updates on strategic progress
   
• Interactive feedback and contact forms
   

The developer proposed the app to UOD’s leadership, suggesting it become the official digital platform for the university’s strategic communication.

Student-led Panel

This followed by an interactive student-led discussion panel that addressed key areas of strategic importance, such as:

• Institutional governance and planning
   
• Quality assurance in higher education
   
• Performance monitoring and transparency
   
• International partnerships and innovation
   
• The role of students in shaping the university’s future
   

The event was supervised by Dr. Alvin Nadher Jajo, Head of the Department of Marketing Management, who congratulated the students and stated:

“This activity is more than a panel—it is an investment in our students’ ability to understand, question, and contribute to the long-term vision of their university. I thank the UOD leadership and the College Dean for their support in making this happen.”

The panel featured:

• Moderator: Zana Ali Abdulkhaliq
   
• Panelist: Sahand Dizhwar Tahir
   
• Panelist: Nura Tawfiq Rashid
   
• Panelist: Sidad Tariq Haji
   
• Panelist: Nasrin Zubair Badin

🎙️ UOD President Commends Vision and Initiative

Concluding the panel, Dr. Dawood Sulaiman Atrushi, President of the University of Duhok, gave an inspiring speech in which he applauded the students’ commitment to institutional development:

“Strategic planning is the backbone of sustainable university governance. For any academic institution to grow, evolve, and compete on a global scale, it must operate with a clear vision, realistic objectives, and an adaptive strategy.” “I am proud that our students have taken ownership of such a meaningful topic. Their engagement is proof that UOD is raising a generation of thoughtful, innovative, and future-oriented leaders.”

Dr. Atrushi reaffirmed that UOD has institutionalized this approach by forming two high-level governance bodies:

• The Strategic Planning Steering Committee SPSC: responsible for developing, revising, and monitoring the university’s multi-year strategic plans.
   
• The Steering Committee for Internal Quality Assurance: tasked with guaranteeing the academic integrity, relevance, and quality assurance of all new and revised study programs and curricula.
   

Dr. Atrushi emphasized that initiatives like this are vital to building transparent, inclusive, and forward-looking universities.

The event concluded with a Q&A session that allowed for dialogue among the participating students and audience. And certificates of participation presented to the contributing students for their active participation. 

🎯 Alignment with UOD’s Strategic Vision 2023–2038

This activity is directly aligned with the goals outlined in UOD’s strategic framework, particularly in the areas of:

• Digital Transformation & Smart Governance
   
• Student Empowerment & Leadership
   
• Institutional Transparency & Accountability
   
• Community Engagement & Accessibility
   
• Applied Learning through Technology
   

CLICK TO VIEW THE MEDIA COVERAGE FOR THIS EVENT

📢 University Press Office– May 5, 2025
📝 Reported by: Fatima Mahmood Ali, Bareen Mohammed Ahmed
📸 Photography by: Mohammed Abdulkareem Tahir

🔍The News Keywords:

• UOD Strategic Plan Student Engagement
• University of Duhok Digital Governance
• Student-Led Academic Events Iraq
• Higher Education Strategic Planning Kurdistan
• Smart Campus App for University Strategy