From March 2nd – 6th 2020, the University of Groningen hosted a training workshop in framework of the Erasmus+ TIGRIS Project.
The training workshop conducted by the Tuning Academy provided comprehensive trainings on the Bologna Process and ECTS for a total of 10 Bologna Practitioners from all TIGRIS Partner Institutions from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq including the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The workshop started with an introduction by Prof. Dr. Robert Wagenaar, Director International Tuning Academy Groningen, and Dr. Maria Yarosh, Researcher International Tuning Academy Groningen.
Following this, opportunities were provided to each Kurdish partner to present the current status, achievements, and challenges of their institution in regard to the Bologna Process and the implementation of ECTS and to jointly discuss common and institution-particular challenges.
The final activity of the first day was a site visit to the Academy Building, University Library, Faculties of Arts and Law and Tuning Office.
The second day of the workshop was divided into two sections. While in the first section, Dr. Mohammed Hussein Ahmed, General Director and Head of the Apparatus of Supervision and Quality Assurance from at the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, presented on the Bologna Process in Kurdistan Region universities from the governmental perspective, the second session of the day kicked-off the training programme, which in the remaining days provided the participants with comprehensive insights into everything related to the Bologna Process: from key principles of Bologna and ECTS to Learning Outcomes and ECTS-based programmes to student workload and assessment and grading scales – every aspect was touched upon.
As part of the training, participants also conducted an institutional self-assessment exercise to establish the current level of compliance with ECTS implementation indicators and were provided with ample opportunities to discuss open questions and issues with the Tuning Experts in extensive Q&A sessions.
The final day of the training workshop was dedicated to working on an institutional and joint action plan for implementing the Bologna Process and ECTS in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which was presented to and discussed with the Tuning Experts with the expected outcome to further facilitate the ongoing reform processes in Higher Education in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Agenda of the Workshop for Kurdish Bologna practitioners by the TUNING ACADEMY