The HfK Bremen in the spotlight
As a guest at the TNB conference in Berlin
This year’s TNB conference, on the theme of “Responsibility and Perspective – Transnational Education Programmes in an International Comparison”, took place in Berlin from 13 to 15 April 2026. Through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German government supports transnational education programmes worldwide with a strong connection to Germany. As the only “humanities and cultural studies” project receiving funding and the only university of the arts and music, the HfK Bremen was invited to present its project “Design Department Sulaimania: The Future of Design in Iraq” in Berlin.
Together with Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär, experts discussed the role of transnational education in the context of skills shortages, geopolitical change and global university cooperation at the Berlin conference. Representatives from seven binational universities that form part of the DAAD-funded network took part. The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) currently supports seven binational universities and one university centre worldwide through the DAAD, as well as over 300 degree programmes with German participation. The range of disciplines and courses on offer extends from engineering and economics to artificial intelligence and media literacy.
Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär made the following remarks at the TNB conference: “In addition to geopolitical changes, we are currently witnessing intense competition for talent from all over the world. At the same time, the global demand for high-quality higher education is growing. Transnational education is an important tool for Germany. It enhances the international visibility of our excellent universities, creates local educational opportunities and opens up new pathways for skilled professionals. This fosters sustainable cooperation from which both Germany and our partner countries benefit in the long term.”
The HfK Bremen was represented at the conference by Prof. Samuel Nyholm, Te I Um, and Dr. phil. Kathrin Gollwitzer-Oh, who, together with project partner Dr. Shirwan Can, presented the “Design Department Sulaimania”.
“It is a great honour for the HfK Bremen that we were able to present our project – as the only ‘humanities and cultural studies’ project receiving funding and as the only university of the arts and music – separately ‘in the spotlight’ at the TNB conference in Berlin. This not only provided national and international experts in transnational education and ministries with an insight into the project, but also demonstrated the relevance and timeliness of art colleges for and within a diverse, innovative higher education and academic landscape,” says Dr Kathrin Gollwitzer-Oh.
About the project
The university city of Sulaimania is not only one of the largest cities in the Kurdistan Region, but is also regarded as the region’s cultural and educational hub. Due to the massive rural exodus following the Iraq War, Sulaimania’s population has risen dramatically in recent years. 65 % of Iraq’s population is under 30 years of age. According to two surveys conducted in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut, the initial focus in 2020 was on assessing the demand for design in Iraq. A further survey of the creative sector in Sulaimania in 2021 revealed that, despite courses in painting, sculpture and ceramics, there are still no departments for graphic and media design. Initiated by Dr Shirwan Can and the Goethe-Institut, three summer schools under the title ‘Design Academy Iraq (DAI)’ have been successfully held in Sulaimania since September 2021 in cooperation with the HfK Bremen. In 2023, the DAI-network for international teaching between Iraq and Bremen was expanded to include Jordan and Lebanon.
In 2024, the four-year Bachelor’s degree programme in “Visual Communication” was launched in collaboration with the HfK Bremen. This is based on the Bauhaus principles of a craft-oriented curriculum combined with an integrated, practice-oriented theoretical component.
