In 2000 I arrived in the Netherlands to join my husband as he obtained the documents to stay in the Netherlands. He fled Iraq in 1997 because of his involvement in political activities. My husband and I met during our study at the University of Salahaddin in Erbil, at Chemistry Department.
The Netherland gave us peace and a safe haven, and the country accepted my small family. My husband and I started to build a new life and to integrate into the community.
Currently, I am a senior scientist working at a pharmaceutical company. I realized that now is the time to share my knowledge and what I learned from my study and from the Dutch culture with my Kurdish folk in Iraq. When IOM contacted me to join CD4D programme I did not hesitate for a minute to say yes. I was very glad that CD4D offered me the opportunity to go back and to share my knowledge with the universities in the Kurdish Region.
IOM’s CD4D project was a very good opportunity to get in touch with the universities in my fatherland.
Although it was at the start of Ramadan, they were very enthusiastic.
Pharmaceutical research remains a challenge
They explained the struggles they have in the research area and were very interested in an opportunity for an internship programme for Ph.D. students linked to Dutch universities. The Kurdistan Regional Government acknowledges the importance of knowledge transfer, I am sure this could be arranged.
Photos taken by Mr. Fadi Trkjya, IOM Iraq
Credits:
Fadi Trkjya, IOM Iraq