SPARK’s 4th IGNITE Conference, 16 November, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

On 16 November 2016, SPARK’s 4th IGNITE Conference took place in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This year, it focused on tackling instability, radicalisation and forced migration in the Middle East, Africa and the EU, and gathered entrepreneurs, student refugees and practitioners from as far as Syria, Libya and Iraq. 
Staff members from Mosul University and Tikrit University in Iraq presented the stories of their universities, as with the arrival of the Islamic State (IS) both institutions were shut down. The University of Mosul was represented by its President, Dr Obay Al-Dewachi, and Tikrit University by Professor Ahmed Khalaf Hussein. Although heavily damaged, Tikrit University has re-opened and is almost a year into its post-IS experience. Students from Mosul University are following news reports, hoping to return anytime soon. More...