Moorhead Mayor Hails Zakho Students  as Source of City Pride

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Two University of Zakho students have spent the months since August living and learning in Moorhead, Minnesota, where academic cooperation between their university and Minnesota State University Moorhead is turning an institutional relationship into a shared experience of education, culture, and community life.

The partnership has opened a window onto a new environment for the visiting students. It has also given their hosts a chance to learn more about Kurdistan, its history, and its traditions.

Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson expressed pride to Kurdistan24, on the relationship between the two universities and described the presence of the Zakho students as a source of pride for the city.

According to Carlson, the students, Ibrahim and Cindy, have been in Moorhead since August and have become involved in the local community. They are enjoying the opportunities and experiences available to them in their new surroundings.

Carlson explained that both students have had opportunities to shadow local professionals and observe their daily responsibilities.

The experience gives them a more practical understanding of how services operate and how professional duties are carried out.

Their learning, in other words, extends beyond the university, with direct observation of the workplace becoming part of their education.

Minnesota State University Moorhead President Tim Downs described to Kurdistan24, that hosting the two students is a step toward taking the partnership with the University of Zakho to the next level.

He spoke positively about their presence and said he frequently encounters them on campus. According to Downs, the students appear to be enjoying meeting new people and experiencing university life in America.

Learning within the partnership flows in both directions, Downs said. He highlighted the Zakho students’ role in introducing Kurdistan, its traditions, and its history to the campus community, and he considers this cultural exchange one of the most valuable aspects of their presence.

Through conversations with their guests, students at the host university can learn about a part of the world they may previously have known little about.

In his view, these direct encounters broaden students’ global perspectives and enrich their educational experience.

Ibrahim Khalil, one of the two students from the University of Zakho, said to Kurdistan24, that he is very happy to have come to Moorhead and that he has benefited greatly from the experience.

City leadership emphasizes community connections and exposure to professional activities. The university focuses on education and cultural exchange.

The student describes the benefits he has gained. Together, they show how academic development can go hand in hand with social experience.

The partnership’s significance lies not only in student mobility but also in the quality of the relationships formed during the students’ stay, on campus and throughout the city.

This article was edited and prepared for publication by Ahora Qadi