Kurdistan Technical Institute Launches Beekeeping Department
Mergasor Technical Institute will open a beekeeping department for 40 students while expanding its herbal medicine program and private-sector cooperation.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Mergasor Technical Institute will open a beekeeping department in the new academic year, expanding its vocational programs while linking technical education more closely with local production and the area's natural resources.
Dr. Talib Sherwan, Dean of Mergasor Technical Institute, told Kurdistan24 that the new department will admit 40 students and provide scientific training in beekeeping and the raising of bees.
The addition will increase the number of departments at the institute from three to four.
Sherwan said the program is intended to support local production while making use of the natural environment and plant life found in the area.
The institute is also expanding its herbal medicine department, which Sherwan said was first opened there as the first department of its kind in Iraq.
Students in the program conduct research on different plants, examining their benefits as well as potential risks. Sherwan noted that some plants can be poisonous, making scientific study and proper identification an important part of the curriculum.
Graduates of the department receive the professional title of "Herbal Medicine Assistant."
The institute is also seeking to connect its academic programs with employment and production opportunities outside the classroom.
Sherwan said Mergasor Technical Institute has reached an agreement with a production company to manufacture medical products and treatments derived from natural plants.
The planned products include items such as tea and pills made from plant-based materials.
Under the agreement, the company is also expected to open three clinics for graduates of the herbal medicine department, creating a potential pathway from study into professional work.
"A broad conference focusing on plants is also planned for next April," Sherwan said.
The development of the herbal medicine program and the launch of the beekeeping department reflect the institute's focus on fields that are closely connected to the local environment and productive economy.
Beekeeping, in particular, will introduce students to a specialized field in which scientific methods can be applied to an activity traditionally associated with agriculture, rural livelihoods and natural ecosystems.
Mergasor Technical Institute was established in 2021 during the tenure of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ninth Cabinet.
Before the addition of the beekeeping department, the institute consisted of three main departments: Nursing, Herbal Medicine and Business Administration.
Around 150 students are currently enrolled at the institute.
With the opening of the new department, students will have access to a fourth field of study, while the institute continues expanding the scope of its herbal medicine program and its cooperation with the private sector.
Sherwan's remarks indicate that the institute is seeking to combine academic instruction with practical skills, research and possible employment opportunities.
The new beekeeping program will begin with 40 students, while the herbal medicine department continues to develop research, production partnerships and clinical opportunities for graduates.
Together, the programs broaden Mergasor Technical Institute's role in vocational education and create additional links between technical study, natural resources and local economic activity.