Education
Partnership for a brighter future
By Spc. Shantelle Campbell, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - North PAO
Oct 4, 2009 - 7:19:21 PM

Blackanthem Military News

Dr. Scott Koerwer, the deputy dean of the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina and Dr. Kendall Roth, the chair and professor of International Business at the Moore School of Business at USC accept a small token of appreciation from Dr. Sabah F. Mahmood, Tikrit University dean of business administration and economics, and other faculty members following the first group of meetings between the two schools for them to discuss building a partnership between the two schools. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Shantelle Campbell, 4IBCT PAO)

TIKRIT, Iraq - Leaders of University of South Carolina's Moore School of Business met with the Tikrit University's acting president, its dean of business administration and economics and other faculty members to reveal their drafts for the advancement of education and opportunity for the school, Sept. 27.

The collaborative educational effort between Tikrit University and the University of South Carolina started with a simple email sent by a member of the Provincial Reconstruction Team asking the university to share its "capitalist business model." 

"We really believed that the advantage of an institution like ours, with an international business history, would be best to partner with the Department of Business Administration and Economics at Tikrit University in a manner that would enable them to develop their own business curriculum," said Dr. Scott Koerwer, the deputy dean of the Moore School of Business at USC.

During the meeting, Dr. Sabah F. Mahmood, TU's dean of business administration and economics talked about his expectations and needs for the school to be successful such as establishing ways to communicate and having access to important resources like libraries, books and certain international economic and business administration magazines.

"We could use real time communication," he said. "Using it for meetings and lectures, and so we can watch how the professors teach at the Moore School of Business."

Mahmood also talked about developing a language school and an exchange program that would enable three to six students to take up business studies at each other's universities each year.

Before the close of the meeting, Koerwer gave a presentation describing the Moore School of Business' history and success rate.

It's our mission to "strive to be exceptional in teaching, research and service to our community," said Koerwer.

"If we can have a role in helping [Tikrit University] transform into a vibrant university for the people of Iraq, that's a really critical mission," said Dr. Kendall Roth, the chair and professor of International Business at the Moore School of Business at USC. "It's especially critical when you think about the challenges and who is going to win the minds of the youth? It needs to be the Iraqi higher education system, if not, they'll find an alternative. And, if we can be a part of the process of helping enable their higher education system to be effective amongst its own people, I would say that's critically important."

"This is a foundational step in positive collaboration," said Koerwer "Collaborative efforts are what's happening, what's to come and what's hoped for."

As early as 2007, Tikrit University has been the forerunner in the rebuilding of Iraq as far as taking steps to further advance its higher education having established relationships with six other American universities concerning different areas of studies.