Duhok,
Iraq
Duhok (also spelled Dahuk or Dohuk) is a city in northern Iraq and is the capital of the Dahuk Governorate. It has about 500,000 inhabitants, mostly consisting of Kurds and Assyrians. According to some sources, the name “Dohuk” comes from Kurmanji Kurdish meaning “small village”.
It’s also the heart of the Badinan population of the Kurds. Circled by mountains along the Tigris river, Dahuk is a very attractive site to tourists throughout Iraq. Dahuk’s population grew extremely since the 1990s as the rural population moved to the cities. The University of Dohuk, founded in 1992, is a renowned center for teaching and research in Dohuk.
Gainesville/Duhok Sister City Program Director Bahar Armaghani’s trip to Duhok: meeting the Governor and visiting some places including the new American University in Kurdistan which is based in Duhok.
Mission:
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Stimulate environments for cultural understanding, sharing experiences and addressing challenges through reciprocal visits of citizens, business leaders, and officials from both cities.
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Create an atmosphere in which economic and community development can be implemented and strengthened with special emphasis on sustainable environment and basic and fundamental societal needs.
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Initiate areas of collaboration between the cities of Gainesville and Duhok.
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Promote the opportunity for collaboration among businesses and educational and health institutions in Gainesville and Duhok.
Advisory Board: Bahar Armaghani, Steve Kalishman, Chris Machen, Martha Kohen, Steve Nadeau, M.D., Bjorn Birgisson, Ph.D., P.E., Selcuk Erenguc, Ph.D., Lynn Frazier, Jose C. Principe, Ph.D., Nur Erenguc, Eileen Roy, Abdol R. Chini, Ph.D., P.E., Sue Nadeau, Natercia Principe, Carol Walker, Russel Roy, Linda Dixon, J. Armaghani, Ph.D, P.E., Avan Armaghani.