Many greetings of “Aasalaamu Aleikum” were exchanged Monday when representatives of the University of Wisconsin and Tikrit University in Iraq met by teleconference to sign an agreement of partnership between the universities.
The historic agreement, called a memorandum of understanding, was signed by UW Chancellor Biddy Martin and Tikrit University President Maher Saleh Allawi to signify their intent to explore academic opportunities for cooperation.
Roughly 10 representatives of UW’s departments and the greater community met at Bascom Hall for the meeting. Division of International Studies Dean Gilles Bousquet performed the bulk of the diplomatic communication.
In Tikrit, which is located about 100 miles north of Baghdad, about 20 administrators and diplomats gathered. In the half-hour before the chancellor and president arrived to sign the memorandum, the two groups exchanged questions and expressed their intent to aid each other’s universities.
“Wisconsin has a long and strong tradition of cooperation and service beyond the boundaries of our campus, and this is known to us as the Wisconsin Idea,” Bousquet said. “Practicing the Wisconsin Idea requires understanding the boundaries of our campus touch places all over the world, and today, Iraq.”
Brett Bruen, a foreign service officer with the United States embassy in Iraq, helped facilitate the teleconference from Iraq. Bruen, who originally approached the UW in January about a possible collaboration, said the embassy is fully backing the relationship as well.
Additionally, the embassy will be providing some funding to aid the relationship.
Both groups explored potential facets of the relationship to be forged, including what subjects will be exchanged. In the past, Tikrit has identified agriculture, public health, law and engineering as the areas most needing aid.
Once the chancellor and president arrived and exchanged introductions, both signed the agreement and expressed their interest in the partnership.
“We could not be more excited about this cooperation, and I’m glad you could be here to sign the agreement,” Martin said. “The University of Wisconsin-Madison is well-known, as you know, for its international programs and its partnerships with institutions all over the world, and this opportunity is particularly exciting to us for all kinds of reasons.”
Allawi said he is grateful for the partnership and that he is pleased Tikrit chose the right university to form a partnership with.
He continued to say he hoped the chancellor could visit Tikrit sometime in the near future. Martin agreed, saying it would be ideal for both to visit the other university at some point.
Though concerns have been raised in the past about whether the relationship will be truly reciprocal, Bousquet emphasized both universities will benefit.
“We look forward to getting to know our Iraqi partners, building cooperation and working with you on the challenges you face in an interdependent world, [and] to carrying the agreement on paper to a set of productive relationships that are mutually beneficial for you and for us, so we are very much in the same spirit on this cooperation,” Bousquet said.
