Cultural cooperation between Italy and Iraq, the teaching of the Italian language and inter-university collaboration were just some of the topics of the friendly dialogue between Ambassador Maurizio Greganti and the Iraqi Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Nabil Kadim. Abdel-Sahib, with a view to fully realizing the enormous potential of cultural cooperation between Italy and Iraq.
Ambassador Greganti stressed the need for close collaboration between Rome and Baghdad, cradles of civilization that have traced the history of the ancient world. In outlining the priority lines of his mandate in Iraq, the Ambassador emphasized the desire to strengthen the presence of Iraqi students in Italian universities, to relaunch teacher training programs and to make the most of the potential of cooperation between universities, starting from the approximately 40 agreements currently active. Furthermore, the Ambassador underlined the desire to relaunch the teaching of the Italian language as the main tool to promote intercultural dialogue, both through the Department of Italian Studies of the University of Baghdad and through the opening of new Italian classes in some Iraqi universities that have expressed their interest. There will also be Italian support in developing programs that favor the employment of young Iraqi graduates, particularly in the fields of archeology, the development of cultural tourism and the management and preservation of cultural heritage. Finally, recalling Minister Abdel-Sahib’s mission to Italy and his meeting with Minister Maria Cristina Messa, Ambassador Greganti confirmed Italy’s willingness to facilitate the alignment of Iraq’s university system to the framework of the Bologna Process.
Minister Abdel-Sahib recalled the results of his mission in Italy, underlining his utmost attention to the possibilities offered by the Iraqi university system’s alignment to the Bologna Process and the expansion of the mobility of teachers and students to Italy. The Minister then highlighted how the opportunity for Iraqi students and researchers to train in Italy is of strategic importance in creating a national scientific community capable of responding to the many challenges that the country is facing.
