We are pleased to announce that the “Report on the existing curricula assessment in cultural heritage and minority in KRI and Yemen” developed under WP2 of the TRANSITION project is now available!
Developed by UNIMED – Mediterranean Universities Union and Soran University, the report examines how cultural heritage—especially that of minority communities—is currently taught across partner Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and Yemen, and sets the foundations for upcoming curriculum updates, training, and awareness activities.
How the study was conducted
The assessment maps existing programmes, identifies strengths and gaps, and benchmarks local practice with EU partners (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; University of Évora, Portugal). It focuses on how current curricula balance tangible and intangible cultural heritage, how the heritage of minority communities is represented, and how teaching links to community engagement, preservation practice, and social cohesion.
The research activity combined four complementary strands: a structured literature review; an online institutional survey across partner HEIs; close analysis of course books and syllabi; and six focus-group discussions with teaching staff.
Findings were consolidated through an online validation workshop on 17 June and 3 July 2025 to refine priorities for the next phase as well as to share and discuss the key results with the aim of validating the report.
What the report found
Across Kurdistan region of Iraq partners (University of Duhok, University of Sulaimani, University of Zakho, Soran University), curricula still lean heavily toward tangible heritage (sites, monuments, artefacts), with intangible cultural heritage and minority cultures receiving comparatively little systematic attention—often as isolated topics rather than embedded themes. This limits students’ exposure and weakens the link between classroom learning, communities, and practical preservation.
In Yemeni partners (University of Aden, Taiz University), heritage is frequently framed in terms of national identity and its contribution to tourism and economic development. While this underscores public value, a theory–practice gap persists: applied training, fieldwork, and project-based learning are limited, reducing opportunities to connect heritage with livelihoods and local development.
Across both contexts, the study highlights structural barriers to hands-on learning (time, resources, mobility), alongside institutional reluctance to embrace multi-perspective, critical approaches in conflict-affected settings—underscoring the need to expand minority and intangible cultural heritage content and create community-linked learning pathways.
To tackle these challenges, a list of recommendations has been listed:
- integrating the intangible cultural heritage of minority groups explicitly across modules and case studies;
- strengthening documentation and protection capacities (including digital tools and field practice);
- embedding heritage within sustainable development and tourism policies;
- promoting gender-inclusive practices;
- prioritising curriculum updates, targeted training and awareness campaigns with local communities.
If you want to discover more, read the report, available in English, Kurdish and Arabic.
The executive summary of the report is available in English here.