Monthly Archives: December 2019

After ten weeks of participation in the “2019 Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge” program, on Wednesday the 18th of December, 2019  Erbil Polytechnic University received the certificate of honor as it reached the top 4 in a competition among 13 university teams of America, Iraq, and Jordan. The challenge included ten weeks of standards-aligned curriculum, a virtual challenge with binational teammates, investigation of the impact of global issues on local communities, creation of a prototype, and the final submission of a video and business plan describing the final presentation.

Three universities of Iraq attended the competitions, which are Erbil Polytechnic University, Sulaymaniya Polytechnic University, and Anbar University. EPU teams consisted of three groups; among them, two teams reached the final. The team of Erbil Polytechnic University has been chosen among 13 university teams of America, Iraq, and Jordan as the best one. EPU, alongside with Florida Keys Community Challenge of the U.S.A, created one team under the name of (Team 5).  These teams have spent at least ten weeks collaborating through virtual challenge on ideas that will address pressing global challenges. These teams have already tested their business concept.

Global Solutions is funded by the Stevens Initiative, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government, which is administered by the Aspen Institute and implemented by IREX. It is also supported by the Bezos Family Foundation and the government of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

For four days, a delegation of the Erbil polytechnic University represented by The Head of International Office in EPU, the Head of Scientific Departments in the Erbil Technical Engineering College, and the Deputy Dean of Koya Technical Institute (Evening Studying), the Head of Engineering Drawing at Shaqlawa Technical Institute and the Head of Electronics and Communication at Erbil Technology Institute visited four campuses of Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences in Bielefeld city in Germany. They warmly welcomed by a delegation of Bielefeld University consisted of Vice President of Scientific Affairs, the Coordinator of Dean of Engineering and Mathematics, Dean of Engineering and Mathematics, the Head of Automation and Controlling Department, Head of Service Engineering and Management Department and the main Coordinator of the projects of both universities.

On the second day of the visit, both representatives conducted a meeting. In this meeting, they agreed upon some key points, which were:

1. Exchanging of students and instructors;
2. Implementing scientific and joint researches;
3. Opening Master degree (Double Degree and Joint Degree);
4. To exchange mutual students;
5. To exchange program for undergraduate students using mobility programs.

Also, in this meeting, Ramyar Ali Abdalla, EPU bachelor student at the University of Bielefeld has delivered his project of bachelor thesis, which is about “Modeling, Simulation and 2D Animation of Invented Pendulum”, supervised by Prof. Dr. Eng. Christian Stöcker and Moaid Othman, a Research Associate in the Department of Engineering and Mathematics and the coordinator and the Focal point of EPU at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. It is worth to be mentioned that this project is successfully gained by the International office of Erbil Polytechnic University.

These meetings were very productive and positive, especially in the process of more collaboration in the mentioned above fields.

Erbil Polytechnic University (EPU) supervised a seminar delivered by three British language specialists. They consisted of Mrs. Govind Desai (the head of the program), Dani Mundy (Trainer), and Rinku Dian (Technician) from Birmingham College in the U.K. They created an application for teachers which is used for learning English language. To more introduce this vital application, they will open training courses which will reward British college certificates that are approved by U.K academic and scientific institutions to the attendees.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Kawa Sherwani, the president of EPU, the vice president for Scientific Affairs, the director of the English language center of EPU, many academic staff and employees, and tens of the students of Erbil Technical Administration Institute, Translation Department attended the seminar.

Through some data shows, Mrs. Dani Mundy explained the way of using and learning the application of teaching the English language. To more introduce this vital application, they will open training courses which will reward British college certificates that are approved by U.K academic and scientific institutions to the attendees.

As a part of the project entitled: “Innovative Teaching Methods Based on Virtual Reality” with FH Bielefeld University of applied science funded by DAAD, EPU student Ramyar Abdalla is writing his bachelor’s thesis on Campus Gütersloh on “Modeling, Simulation and 2D Animation of an Inverted Pendulum”. This student is supported by Prof. Dr. Christian Stöcker and Moaid Othman, a Research Associate in the Department of Engineering and Mathematics. This project is successfully gained by the International office of Erbil Polytechnic University. 

In this work, a mathematical model of an inverted pendulum is created and a stabilizing controller designed. The equations of the control loop are then implemented in Unity, a software that also programs many computer games. The program can thus be started on VR glasses and shows the stabilized by the regulator inverse pendulum in a virtual laboratory. Thereby contributes to the construction of virtual laboratory experiments.

The project of “Innovative Teaching Methods Based on Virtual Reality” consists of two phases. Firstly, the research and bachelor thesis of incoming EPU students at FH Bielefeld. This phase includes three points which are:

1. Specification of the research project by project owner at FH Bielefeld;
2. Publication and subsequent recruitment of candidate;
3. Conjoint supervision of bachelor thesis project by professors of both institutions to foster academic cooperation potential and future research projects.

Secondly, initiate and cooperation via visiting a delegation from EPU. This phase consists of two points which are:

1. Invitation of EPU delegation consists of professors from the field of control and automation technology;
2. Scientific assistants and visit consisting of campus tours (Bielefeld, Gütersloh, Minden), laboratory tours, meetings, German classes in the form of a workshop and/or seminar.

In the next upcoming days of this year, a delegation of EPU consists of five academic staff will visit FH Bielefeld to tackle common interests for possible research cooperation and exchange of students and staff.