Establish the Center for Economic Research

in Kurdistan

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This is for better research, better policy and improves sustainable development in our world.

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Many developing countries face particular challenges that make it difficult for them to stimulate and sustain economic growth. These challenges include weak institutions, high unemployment, poor infrastructure, a lack of access to financial services and unsuitable laws and regulations.

The Niels Henrik Abel Memorial Fund and The Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights organized a conference* in Oslo in February 2008 to focus on the importance of building institutions for higher education and research in developing countries. The aim of the conference was to illustrate why the creation of academic institutions and research groups is vital for further progress and growth in developing countries.

During the conference the following problems and opportunities related to the improvement of research and higher education institutions in developing countries were thoroughly discussed:

• There is a lack of government support and academic leadership in many developing countries.
• Corruption, low security, and bad morale among the students and scientific staff are problems in some countries.
• Rich countries are eager to hire talented scientists (brain drain).
• The electronic revolution has created new possibilities for teaching and communication that can have a large positive effect.

The useful mechanisms and methods that proved as efficient ways in various regions contains:

• Regional cooperation, building cooperation between less and more developed countries with a similar culture, have clear advantages compared to a more direct support program run by the rich world.
• Cooperative planning with leaders from developing countries of the complete educational system from elementary school to university.
• For avoiding the brain drain and reinforcing morale, proper mentoring schemes, which also secure the representation of scientists from the developing world at international conferences, are vital.

Undoubtedly, timely and accurate economic research is vital for undertaking more sound economic policies for boosting a stable and non-inflationary growth and sustainable development.

*Source: Summary of the conference on Higher Education and Research in Developing Countries, Oslo, Norway, February 12-13, 2008.

 

Despite substantial resources devoted to the development process, Iranian society suffers from many socio-economic problems. At the same time, the lake of the leading research centers increases the complexity of the problems. So, I decided to establish a Center for Economic Research (CER) in Kurdistan with a qualified research team that will focus specifically on generating cutting-edge knowledge related to economic problems and disseminating it to inform policy. The CER will be the first established organization within the Kurdistan province and neighbor’s provinces that focusing on the economic problems. To this end, the CER provides facilities and supportive intellectual environment for experts and researchers pursuing research in the problems of economic development and other related areas of economics.

The CER seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and policy making in Iran by building meaningful engagements between the two that not only further scholarship but also help inform better policy design. Using established and frontier scientific research techniques to collect and analyze data we believe that decision makers can create and implement sound economic and social policies. The CER also hopes to act as a primary research networking resource for academics interested in Iran-related economics research and with idea generation, sharing research outputs, setting up new projects, and helping researchers partner with various stakeholders.

Let me hope that this center will serve as a catalyst for a more intensified exchange of experiences among our region in the field of economic research. This process is of special importance with a view to improving the standards of economic research and for enhancing our know-how in this area.

 

 

 

  

 

The mission of CER is to provide up-to-date research and reliable analysis of current economic and business developments of Iranian economy. Our goal is to maintain CER’s position as the key research centre for economic studies. On the basis of this platform, CER aims to develop into a world class research center on business and economic development in a political and social context.

Important means to reach these goals are to:

• Undertake high-quality research and policy analysis in economics and business
• Establish research projects and networks focusing on economics and business problems
• Arrange workshops, conferences and guest lectures on topics related to economic challenges
• Contribute with research and educational inputs to the internal research centers, institutions and universities
• Provide a forum for professional interaction and the advocacy of policies leading to robust, equitable and environmentally sustainable development
• Publish summaries and full outcomes of research projects and policy analysis in English and Persian

 

 

CER’s vision is to enlarge its research portfolio by attracting strong talent to undertake cutting-edge research within our particular areas of strength with main emphasis on Iran. In terms of disciplines, we will continue to attract researchers within a broad range of social science disciplines and business studies. In our progress road, we seek to:

• Become top think tank in region to promote research and analysis into domestic economic for the purpose to positively influence the public policy decision-making processes
• Establish partnerships with other leading international institutions and prestige research centers such as The World Bank, International Monetary Fund, The Islamic Development Bank, UNESCO, UNDP, The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), The Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP), …
• Conducting joint research with foreign research institutions on specific issues
• Arranging and sponsoring international conferences, seminars and workshops
• Maintain, support, and encourage dynamic research programs that will foster and increase faculties and student participation.
• Absorb external/foreign funding via partnership and conducting joint research
• Publish scientific refereed journals in the field of business and economics
• Undertake multidisciplinary research affecting the living conditions of the people

 

 

 

 

Space and facilities requirements’ for establishment the center and carrying operations during the first year of construction are as follows:

• An office with two rooms
• Office Furniture
• At least four PCs for start-up at first year
• Computer’s network
• High speed Internet service

 

Our goal to start-up is to raise $280,000. With those funds the CER can launch its first location in Sanandaj city in Fall 2015. The funds allocated to the establishment of center, charge the projects and others operation’s costs during the first year of construction. The start-up money will allow us to:

• Formed the research team of CERPrepare an office with at least two rooms
  • Recruit two researchers in Economics field for the first year
  • Recruit an expert to updating and maintaining webpage and accounting works
• Prepare an office with at least two rooms
• Prepare office furniture and other equipments
• Buy four PCs
• Establish the computer network and high speed Internet service
• Create and maintain the formal webpage of the center
• Other operation costs
  

For the following years, we try to absorb internal and external funding for projects via partnership, holding workshops and conferences, and cooperation with governmental and non-governmental institutions and companies.

 

 

 

 

 

Mohammad Rahimi was born in a beautiful village, Zakarian in Kurdistan province in Iran. Currently, he is fifth year PhD candidate of Economics at the Bu-Ali Sina University that is planning to final defense in very soon. Before joining the PhD level, he obtained M.Sc. in Economics and B.Sc. in Applied Physics. During the PhD and M.Sc. courses he had chance to work for a while in the field of Financial Economics, Economic Development and Macroeconomic Modeling which he learned a lot about yourself and about working with people in different disciplines. He had experiences as a researcher in many projects and as a lecturer in different courses at the universities such Bu-Ali Sina University, PNU and the University of Sistan and Baluchestan. He rewarded as superior researcher from the Young Researcher Club, Bu-Ali Sina University and the University of Sistan and Baluchestan. His dream is to establish an Applied Research Center to help good policy making and improve sustainable development in his society and in the world.

 

 Thank you for taking the time to look at our campaign and helping us to establish The Center for Economic Research in Kurdistan.

We hope to keep you updated with our journey in becoming a leading research center! Thanks again and happy baking!