University of Zakho

What University of Zakho does

University of Zakho is a public higher education institution located in Zakho, Duhok Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, founded in 2010 and operating under the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. It delivers free undergraduate and postgraduate education across eight colleges — Medicine, Engineering, Science, Law, Basic Education, Administration & Economics, Humanities, and Education — supplemented by multiple specialized centers including the Language Centre (est. 2019), ICT & Statistics Center, Career Development Center, Pedagogical Training and Academic Development Center, Center of Applied Remote Sensing & GIS, Zakho Center for Kurdish Studies, Media Unit, and Dalal Unit for Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers.

The university's underlying technology stack centers on a Moodle-based e-learning platform (moodle.uoz.edu.krd) for course delivery, a web-based Kurdish Unicode Editor for local-language content creation, an ArcGIS-powered campus mapping system, and digital service portals for students, staff, and alumni. Its most technically distinctive asset is the Medical Simulation Laboratory (inaugurated October 2025), which houses 15 specialized training stations that incorporate AI for smart assessment in clinical education. Research output is published through two dedicated journals (Science Journal of University of Zakho and Humanity Journal of UOZ) and recurring international conferences hosted by the Zakho Center for Kurdish Studies.

UOZ's business model is predominantly government-funded: education is delivered tuition-free to all admitted students, with free accommodation for non-Zakho students and monthly stipends for living expenses. Admissions are routed through the centralized Zanko Line system under the KRG Ministry of Higher Education. Secondary revenue is generated through the Language Centre's Arabic course fees, TÖMER Turkish certification (via the Şırnak University partnership), summer programs, and paid Arabic-for-non-native-speakers courses. The university operates a network of over 20 international university partnerships across Bulgaria, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, Turkey, the UK, and the USA, which it uses to drive student mobility, faculty exchange, and cross-border academic credentials.

Name

University of Zakho

Legal name

University of Zakho

Website

https://uoz.edu.krd

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

University of Zakho is a public, government-funded higher education institution in Kurdistan Region-Iraq delivering free undergraduate and postgraduate programs across eight colleges, with AI-enabled medical simulation facilities and international partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Language Schools (611630), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• University degree programs
• Medical education training
• Language certification programs
• Academic research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zakho

HQ country

Iraq

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: The university operates as a public institution funded by the Kurdistan Regional Government. Education is provided free of charge to all admitted students, with free accommodation provided to students from outside Zakho city.
2. Language Center Course Fees: The Language Center offers Arabic language courses and issues official certificates upon successful completion. Pre-registration for placement tests and course fees generate revenue.
3. Summer Programs: Special learning programs offered during summer sessions for students and external participants with certification upon completion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

University of Zakho is a public higher education institution that provides tuition-free undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs across eight colleges (Medicine, Engineering, Science, Law, Basic Education, Administration & Economics, Humanities, and Education), along with supplementary paid language training, summer programs, and an AI-enabled Medical Simulation Laboratory. It operates as a state-funded university offering accommodation, monthly financial support, and international exchange opportunities through partnerships with 19+ universities.

Product overview

University of Zakho is a higher education institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs across eight colleges (Medicine, Engineering, Science, Law, Basic Education, Administration & Economics, Humanities, and Education). The university provides a portfolio of academic support services and specialized centers including a Medical Simulation Laboratory with AI technologies, a Language Centre with programs including Arabic teaching for non-native speakers, e-learning via Moodle, student and graduate portals, library services, ICT support, career development, and research centers for Kurdish studies and geographic information systems. The Medical Simulation Laboratory represents a notable AI-enabled product offering for medical training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Four-year bachelor's degree programs offered tuition-free across eight colleges (Medicine, Engineering, Science, Law, Basic Education, Administration & Economics, Humanities, and Education) for admitted students.
• Postgraduate Degree Programs (Master's and PhD) Master's and doctoral research programs offered across the university's colleges for graduate-level students seeking advanced degrees.
• Language Centre Programs (Arabic, English, Kurdish) Fee-based language training and certification courses in Arabic, English, and Kurdish delivered by the Language Centre for students and community members.
• TÖMER Turkish Language Certification Turkish language instruction and TÖMER certification delivered in partnership with Şırnak University, available to students and external learners.
• Dalal Unit Arabic Programs for Non-Native Speakers Structured Arabic language programs for non-native speakers, including refugees and international learners, delivered by the Dalal Unit within the Language Centre.
• Medical Simulation Laboratory Training AI-enabled clinical simulation training facility used by the College of Medicine to deliver hands-on clinical skills training for medical students.
• Summer Programs Short-term, fee-based summer academic and cultural programs offered by the university to enrolled students and external participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 specialized training stations in Medical Simulation Laboratory
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Şırnak University (Turkey)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Partnership for TÖMER Turkish language certification testing at University of Zakho. Şırnak University provides the certification authority and examination framework, enabling the university to offer internationally recognized Turkish language proficiency certificates.
• University of Wasit (Iraq)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2022Memorandum of understanding signed by President Dr. Nadhim S. Abdulaziz and Director of International Relations Affairs Dr. Nizar I. Ali for academic cooperation
• Al Karkh University (Iraq)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2022One of three MOUs signed for academic cooperation between universities
• Al-Mustafa International University (Iran)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2022One of three MOUs signed for academic cooperation between universities
• University of Varna (Bulgaria)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• The Carl Von Ossietzky University of OldenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Babylon (Iraq)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of DuhokminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Pavia (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Insubria (Italy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Stavanger (Norway)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University Sains MalaysiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• Yuzyil University (Turkey)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Mardin Artuklo (Turkey)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Gaziantep (Turkey)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Bradford (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Derby (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Hull (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• University of Southampton (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• Colorado School of Mines (USA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• Tennessee State University (USA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• Marywood University (USA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility
• Middle Tennessee State University (USA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership through Memorandum of Understanding for academic cooperation and student mobility

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Baghdad: The University of Baghdad is Iraq's oldest and largest public university, with colleges spanning medicine, engineering, law, science, humanities, and education. It is the benchmark legacy institution against which newer Iraqi and Kurdish universities like UOZ are typically compared.
• Koya University: Koya University is a public KRG university offering engineering, science, health, and social science programs. It competes for the same pool of secondary-school graduates and KRG funding under the centralized Zanko Line admission system.
• University of Sulaimani: The University of Sulaimani is the largest and oldest public university in the Kurdistan Region, offering similar multi-disciplinary programs. It competes with UOZ for top regional students, faculty, and KRG funding allocations.
• University of Duhok: The University of Duhok is a public university in the same Duhok Governorate as UOZ, offering comparable multi-college programs (Medicine, Engineering, Science, etc.) under the same KRG higher-education framework. It is the closest geographic and governance peer for student/faculty competition and partnership.
• University of Mosul: The University of Mosul is a major Iraqi public university with comparable multi-disciplinary colleges (Medicine, Engineering, Science, Law, Education). It serves as a peer on national scale, governance, and curricular structure.
• American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS): AUIS is an English-language, American-style liberal arts university in Kurdistan that targets the same regional student base as UOZ. It competes for higher-income and internationally-oriented students who might otherwise consider public options like UOZ.
• University of Kurdistan Hewlêr (UKH): UKH is a public KRG university offering multi-disciplinary programs and competing directly for regional students and faculty. Its portfolio of colleges and research centers mirrors UOZ's structure.
• Tishk International University: Tishk International University (formerly Ishik University Erbil) is a private Iraqi university in Kurdistan offering multi-disciplinary programs in English-medium instruction. It directly competes with UOZ for the same regional applicants seeking higher education.
• Salahaddin University-Erbil: Salahaddin University is a major public KRG university offering Medicine, Engineering, Science, Law, and Humanities programs. It is directly comparable in scope, governance, and target market to UOZ.

Broad incumbents

• Near East University: Near East University in Northern Cyprus is a large private university widely attended by Iraqi and Kurdish students, including those from Duhok. It competes for the same applicant pool and offers an English-medium, internationally recognized alternative to public Iraqi universities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/university-of-zakho

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Zakho