Tishk International University and Zhyar Educational Foundation are conducting a collaborative community program. This ongoing program consists of a TV show (9 episodes to date) that discusses major educational and social themes and topics relevant to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The show airs every Saturday evening on Zhyar Educational TV and our YouTube Channel. The first episode was aired on July 17th, 2023.

The show is conducted in an interview format, in which Mr. Rahbar Masud Abdulkhaleq , a Teacher Trainer from the Ministry of Education’s Directorate of Training and Preparation, converses with Dr. Abdurrahman Ahmad Wahab , a staff member in the ELT Department, and discusses the content of Dr. Wahab’s book Swimming Upstream: Education from a Critical Lens. The book is written in Kurdish and was first published in 2014, with its second edition in 2022.

The aims and objectives of the TV program are the following:

  • Creating a strong link between readers and authors.
  • Involving TIU faculty and students in academic dialogue.
  • Connecting academic discussions about the educational process in Kurdistan Region to a wider audience, particularly to teachers and educators.
  • Popularizing intellectual dialogues in educational settings.
  • Introducing the foundational principles of Critical Pedagogy to a Kurdish audience.

Many of the questions raised in the program are posed by teachers who have already read the book. Through this collaboration, TIU reaffirms its commitment to building bridges with other educational institutions and with the broader society in Kurdistan Region.

The program has so far aired 9 episodes. It has engaged the following topics in a lively discussion:

  • What is at the heart of education in the KRI? What do we need to do to overcome the educational issues in the KRI?
  • What is philosophy of education? How do we recognize it in the KRI?
  • How should we understand the discourse of student-centrism in neoliberal times?
  • What is the difference between having knowledge and having information?
  • What is the role of education in transcending the human from biological beings into ethical beings?
  • Where do we find the true educational aims and objectives in the policies?
  • How much say should parents have in their children’s education?
  • How does the school system constrain the intellect? What is needed to overcome these constrains?
  • What is common between the Iraqi and the Kurdish educational systems?
  • Why is it imperative to study the history of education and schooling in the KRI?