Letter from the Dean of the College
The College through our new strategic plan of development for (2014-2020) has a clear strategic imperative to increase the Higher Education graduates provision within Kerbala, local sub region, national and international community to ensure competitive advantage is achieved in supporting economic development and job creation. The College in keeping with this new philosophy needs to be active in supporting its innovative Continuous Personnel Learning and Development programmes for its; staff, technicians and students and local farmers in the context of science, technology and skills development, while recognising the needs to ensure socio-economic and environmental inclusion and cohesion in its curriculum and service planning. Working within the frame work of the policy of the Government of Iraq and the Ministry of Higher Education, MHE, and other relevant national policy drivers, the AC College at University of Kerbala, UoK, ensures that the College is focused on delivering an economic curriculum required to regenerate the Kerbala and surrounding provinces economy. The identification of Priority Sciences, Farmer Practical Skill Areas, Technical Essential Skills in Higher Education, Economic Engagement and Quality Improvement Planning as reflected in the MHE Policy and Public Sector Agreements, is set at all undergraduate and the future postgraduate levels within the 2014-2020 development planning process of the Agriculture College (AC) of UoK. In the context of this substantial refocusing of the policy and the global economic instability, the College will be working closely with the evolving Kerbala Council of Agriculture Workforce Development Forum and relevant sector skills councils. This challenging work is also being delivered in the context of a complex internal restructuring process within the object area of the curriculum to achieve best fit for implementing and delivering of College services around the new policy based on – a staff departmental and student shared culture- together with nurturing the culture of development at all college services.
One of the key challenges in this very difficult economic climate is for a local farmers and agriculture companies to train their staff on the use of the up-to-date knowledge, skills/technology, management and machineries skills for maintaining competitive advantage over its regional and international competitors. One significant area where this can be achieved is through an innovative college-farmers collaborative approach to achieve continuous development for local agriculture engineering.
Agriculture College currently offers BSc Degree in Agriculture sciences namely in; Plant Protections, Horticultural and Land Escaping, Field Crops and Animal Resources and MSc degree in Plant Protection. Both degrees are specifically tailored to provide the local, regional and international agriculture industry with the required farming knowledge and farming development skills.
We educate, train, innovate, provide consultancy and invent new sciences and technologies.
Dean of the college of Agriculture
Professor
Prof. Hassan Kadhim Al-Najam
