Director of the Institute of Public Health

The University of Kurdistan Hewlêr (UKH) is the first and only public, English-medium, and independent University in Iraq.  The University was founded in 2006 by the current President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, His Excellency Nechirvan Barzani.  It is dedicated to being the region’s leading centre of excellence in research and teaching and is committed to the dissemination and application of knowledge to further the industrial, economic, cultural, environmental and social development of the region.

Over the past fifteen years it has grown to over 2,200 students and around 180 staff.   UKH currently offers degrees across Business and Management Sciences, Political Sciences and International Relations, Pharmacy, Computer Science and Engineering, Natural Resource Engineering and Management, and Medicine.

Alongside these current offerings, the UKH is making exciting leaps in the field of public health in Kurdistan, Iraq and the wider Middle East through its founding of the Institute of Public Health (IPH).  The founding Director will have a fantastic opportunity to lead the new Institute in a brave new direction, in a region where Public Health expertise and infrastructure is lacking.  This bold new Institute aims to lead the region in both research and the teaching and learning of Public Health.  This, as well as the policy agenda generated by the Institute in areas such as epidemiology, disease prevention, health economics, health policy and health management will complement the excellent tradition of clinical medical practice at the UKH and beyond.  The IPH will be physically co-located with the existing School of Medicine at UKH, and the Director will report directly to the President of the University, at least initially.  Its first course developments are likely to be a Masters in Public Health (MPH) and a doctoral programme.

The distinctive social, political and economic history of Kurdistan and Iraq as well as its current situation provides a distinct context for researching and developing this centre.  

The new Director will have extensive experience leading in a non-clinical public health academic setting. The possible disciplinary backgrounds are extensive, and UKH would consider applicants from the social sciences, economics, psychology as well as more traditional public health backgrounds.  They will have an outstanding record of academic research, publications, and income generation, with the ability to think analytically, creatively, and present cases in a cogent and clear manner. They will have demonstrated ability in building and maintaining partnerships and the ability to establish personal and professional credibility with internal and external constituencies.

Applications, which should be in the form of a CV and cover letter, should be sent to ukhdir@minervasearch.com no later than 7^th June 2024.

The interview date is to be confirmed.

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