New Catholic university for Iraq
Bashar Warda the Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil
The foundation stone of a new Catholic university has been laid in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Construction work on the university is due to finish in 2015 on land made available by the Chaldean Church. The Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil, Bashar Warda, launched the project as part of a strategy to encourage young Christians to stay in Iraq and in the Middle East.
The 20 October ceremony was attended by the governor of Erbil, Nawzad Hadi Mawlood, whose speech welcomed the initiative for its academic potential and important social impact. Erbil is the fourth largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, Basra and Mosul. Many young Christians consider their temporary residence there as a step on the path of emigration