KRG investment board seeks collaboration with university researchers to diversify economy

ERBIL – The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Board of Investment is calling on universities to conduct research on diverse economic topics aimed at stimulating regional development and attracting investment beyond the housing sector.

In a letter sent to the Ministry of Higher Education, the board outlined its goals to diversify the region’s sources of revenue and shift investor focus towards tourism, industry, and agriculture.

Halo Qazaz, General DIrector of the investment board’s research and information department, told 964media that officials want to utilize universities’ research capabilities and graduate students’ theses starting this year to address key challenges and opportunities.

Universities have reportedly welcomed the initiative, expressing their eagerness to collaborate. The ministry of higher education has shared the board’s letter with universities and is looking to begin organizing meetings to discuss plans. While the Board will not directly allocate research funds, it will act as a facilitator, providing information and coordinating efforts.

Thus far, the board has identified a wide range of specific research topics addressing the region’s investment environment and policies; specific sectors for investment; social and human factors; and stakeholders and investment instruments.

The full list of topics includes:

• The role of the private sector in development
• The role of government institutions and agencies in development and economic progress in the Kurdistan Region, with the Investment Board as an example
• The role of government policies in supporting the investment process
•  The impact of the lack of indicators and statistics on attracting investors
• Challenges and barriers in the investment process
• The role of banks and insurance companies in the investment process
• Intellectual investment and its role in the economic development of society
• Strategies, plans, and their impact on the investment process
• Future perspectives on tourism investment
• Investment and its impact on national security
• Environmental research in the region and how to activate it
• Human development and its role in the investment process
• The role of commercial litigation in the investment process
• Poverty, unemployment, and investment policy in the region
• Taxes and their impact on regional investment
• The importance of the economy in establishing free zones in the Kurdistan Region
• The importance of tourism investment and its impact on the region’s economy
• Human investment: causes, goals, and economic growth
• The role of universities in development
• Water investment
• Cultural investment and its role in attracting local and foreign investment
• The assessment of foreign investment environment in the region
• Domestic industry and how to support the industrial sector
• Water scarcity and how to deal with it
• Analytical research on “quantity, quality, and how” standards, plans, and strategies in all 31 investment sectors
• Decision-making sources and their impact on investment
• Insurance and its effects on the investment field
• How to benefit from the “Green Climate Fund” program and use it as a source for investment
• Property rights and their impacts on investment
• The impact of joint projects on the investment process

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