10 November 2010

Iraqi computing delegation visit University of Dundee

Photo opportunity: 2pm on Thursday, 11th November at EduZone in the University of Dundee Library. Three visitors from Kufa University in Iraq will be taking part in World Usability Day events with students and staff.

A delegation from Iraq's Kufa University will tomorrow mark World Usability Day by taking part in a series of events with staff and students from the University of Dundee.

They are currently undertaking a two-week visit to Scotland as part of a £100,000 project to develop the relationship between Dundee and the Najaf-based University and derive mutual benefits in computing teaching and research.

World Usability Day, on Thursday, 11th November, is intended to serve as an impetus to creating greater awareness of the ways that lives can be improved through technological developments that lead to new products and services facilitating communication around the world.

Those aims fit with the ethos of the Dundee-Kufa project, funded by the British Council and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, according to Christopher Bustin, International Operations manager at Dundee.

'Education, communications, and building up the knowledge base of the country are vital to the reconstruction of Iraq and improving the lives of its people,' he said.

'This programme will help by extending access to computing facilities among groups who don’t normally have this luxury. Our visitors from Kufa University will be looking to improve computing programmes in Iraq and open up technology and enhanced communications to more people. This will bring benefits to businesses and help promote economic growth.

'We are delighted to be taking part in this project and are also learning a lot from our Iraqi visitors.'

The Iraqi delegation comprises Dr Yayha Al Mayali (Dean of Computing), Dr Nidhal Abass (Head of Informatis and Rehabilitation), and Mrs Hayfaa Hussein (Computing Lecturer) - the first of 26 members of Kufa University staff who will visit Dundee over the next 18 months. During their two-week stay in Dundee they will undertake training programmes in Learning and Teaching, Quality Assurance and Research development.

On Thursday, they will meet with staff and students at the EduZone in the University Library for a day of talks and demonstrations about making technology easier to use, with a particular focus on disabled users.

The funding of £97,230 was provided by the British Council DELPHE Iraq Fund, which aims to develop partnerships between UK and Iraqi universities. The project aims to increase higher education capacity in Iraq whilst modernising universities there, and building long-standing relationships to the benefit of both countries.

The majority of funded activity will involve curriculum development, research links and academic issues, although there is also a significant opportunity to increase the number of postgraduate and undergraduate students from Iraq studying in Dundee.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
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E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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