Cihan University-Erbil Concludes Intensive Training Course for Career Development Skills Instructors
Cihan University-Erbil today concluded its intensive training course “Teaching Career Development Skills”, held over three days from 18 to 20 October 2026 for the instructors assigned to teach the course across the university’s departments.
The training was based on the Instructor Manual issued by the KRG Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the first unified career development curriculum adopted across Kurdistan Region universities and disciplines, developed with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Rwanga Foundation. The curriculum equips students with skills in communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and career planning, enabling them to enter the job market with confidence and contribute to the development of the region.
Assistant Lecturer Azwar Mehdi Qasim Agha, Head of the Department of Media, delivered the first day. He opened with an introduction to the manual, its purpose and how to use it, and the instructor’s role in running interactive activities and giving feedback, followed by an overview of the practical assessment system and its six components. He then covered the concept and types of employability skills, the five stages of career development, the impact of the four Industrial Revolutions on the job market, and 21st-century skills, closing with a hands-on personal SWOT analysis exercise and how to assess it.
Assistant Lecturer Omar Adel, Head of the Department of Radiological Imaging Technologies, delivered the second day, covering effective communication, its components and barriers, verbal and non-verbal communication, active listening, and public speaking and managing nervousness. He also addressed professional networking and building a strong LinkedIn profile, the elevator pitch, the types and components of a resume, and writing a cover letter tailored to a specific job.
Lecturer Dashne Abdullah Saeed delivered the third and final day, covering job search strategies and the job market in the Kurdistan Region, types of job interviews and the STAR method for answering interview questions, problem-solving and critical thinking, and teamwork, leadership styles and conflict resolution, along with the assessment criteria for the mock interview and the final professional presentation.
The course was distinctly practical, built on hands-on activities, role-play, case studies and group work. Participants experienced each activity as their students will, then discussed how to run it in the classroom, adapt it to their students’ fields, and agree on shared assessment criteria to ensure fairness and consistency across class sections.
At the close of the course, the trainers emphasised that Career Development Skills serves as a bridge between the university and the job market, and that its success depends on the instructor moving from transmitter of information to facilitator and career mentor. Certificates of participation were then presented to the attendees.
