Ministry confirms the Day 1 conference programme

The Day 1 programme of Next Step Fair 2026 is confirmed. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research will deliver the opening remarks on 28 September and chair the afternoon roundtable on the recognition of Kurdistan Region qualifications outside Iraq.

Nine directorates and four diplomatic missions have confirmed delegations. The conference runs in Hall B of the Cultural Factory from 09:00 to 18:00, with simultaneous Kurdish, Arabic and English interpretation in every session.

The morning session, Admission at scale, examines how the Zankoline placement system works in practice: where transparency has improved since 2024, where students still lose places to missing paperwork, and how many appeals are never filed because nobody explains that they can be.

Registration for the conference is separate from the fair. Delegates RSVP with their institution and title, and receive a badge carrying their name and institution by email. Fair registration for students and parents remains free and open on WhatsApp.

The afternoon roundtable is closed to invited delegations. Its output is a short recommendations note, published with the edition impact report in December.