Opinion: Kurdish Universities and Bird Flu

Now, throughout the region, villagers and the urban public have launched a campaign to cull birds, and they are very much afraid of them. The fear of H5N1 has infiltrated our lives, especially when we hear the media talk daily about finding new cases. But in this regard the only surprising spectators are the ministry of higher education and universities. So far, the universities and the higher education ministry are shocked. They haven't conducted any research, seminars or scientific conferences to discuss the situation. We do not criticize them because we expect miracles such us the discovery of a drug to confront the disease. But they are expected to have an active role in making people aware. If all the universities in Kurdistan cannot hold a scientific conference, they can have representatives in committees that have been formed to terminate the disease. Or they can launch campaign to educate people how to protect themselves, and join the ministries of health and agriculture to put an end to this threatening situation. Progressive international universities compete with each other to find treatments not only for diseases that face their community, but also for those that other communities must face. But it seems that in our country the duty of universities is to graduate students and distribute certificates, without serving or offering anything to society. The time has come for the universities and the ministry of higher education to at least help people recognise the disease and teach them how to protect themselves, if they cannot make a scientific discovery.