Foreigners have come to Iraq’s Kurdistan Region to work in its oil fields, teach in its schools and respond to humanitarian emergencies for decades. The stereotypical expat comes from Europe or North America, but the reality is more complex. Nationals from many other countries are also helping to develop the region.
Meanwhile, India is cementing its place on the world stage as it develops as an economic and cultural power, with ambitions that match its sizable population.
These two trends have converged into a large community of Indian expats living and working in the Kurdistan Region, including in its higher education sector.
Dr. Noel Thomas is a professor and chair of the Biomedical Science Department at Komar University in Sulaymaniyah. He was raised in Anantapur in Southern India before embarking on an academic and professional career that has spanned the globe. Now, he and his Indian colleagues are part of a new bridge between Kurdistan and their homeland.
