Events affecting the health of livestock populations at global level have highlighted the need for closer Scientific & Technological (S&T) Cooperation in the development of:

- Vaccines and diagnostics targeting the prevention of infections and often epidemic animal diseases;

- The establishment of effective disease surveillance mechanisms in animal health services firmly anchored in sound epidemiological analysis and performing information and reporting systems;

- Animal health and development policies that take into consideration the socio-economic role of livestock production and its linkages to national, regional and international trade in live animals and products.

As national and regional trade progresses, the linkage between trade and food safety of animal products becomes determinant. Similarly, trade in these products between neighbouring countries can benefit enormously from jointly developed and agreed quality assurance standards. The challenge to regional S&T cooperation is to further develop and reinforce the scientific basis upon which both the security of livestock populations and food safety can be built upon, thus insuring national and regional development goals as well as promoting regional, bioregional and international trade.

Iraq and its neighboring countries have a common public concern for food quality. They can contribute significantly towards the development of science-based organic farming practices, and through partnership-based cooperation they can make use of the considerable experience accumulated in the industrialized countries (for example the European Union member states) over the past few decades, both in terms of successes and failures. In this context, Duhok University decided to establish a research centre to address the following S&T activities:

- New vaccine and diagnostics aimed at the control or eradication of major livestock diseases.

- Research into ways and means of preventing zoonotic diseases such as tuberculosis, brucellosis etc.

- Epidemiological and economical research targeting livestock development policy options and the efficient and effective management of veterinary services, and:

- The establishment of effective disease surveillance mechanisms in animal health services, firmly anchored in sound epidemiological analysis and efficient information and reporting systems.

- Improved diagnostics for the detection and differentiation between pathogen infected livestock. Develop molecular tools for pathogen detection and differentiation and for epidemiological studies.

 Based on the above the DRC will:

- Establish networks at national level and will link them to regional and international networks.

- Analyze and disseminate the available data on livestock diseases to its partners, the scientific community, and  veterinary services.

- Develop and introduce molecular diagnostic tools for pathogen detection and differentiation.

- Develop cost-effective attenuated live vaccines and elaborate the development of molecular vaccines taking use of genomic and proteomic data.

- Improve the contribution of veterinary services in a way that reflects partnership between public authorities, farming communities and the private sector.

- Enzootic/climatic related diseases with a highly significant impact on animal production and farmer incomes (such as ticks and tick borne diseases (TBD).

- To build sufficient capacity to ensure the implementation of integrated disease control measures.

- To distribute diagnostic, immunological and molecular tools.

- To establish a platform to evaluate actual integrated control measures for livestock diseases and to develop improved procedures

To achieve the aims of the project, the following activities are planned:

- Ph.D/MSc. degrees.

- Workshops.
- Training and courses.
- Website design and dissemination
 
 
 
Workshops
 
The following workshops will be held once a year and attended by members of different universities, diagnostic laboratories and veterinary authorities:

- The impact of endemic and epidemic diseases on national, regional and international trade.

- The distribution and harmonization of pathogen detection and differentiation tests.

- Analysis of results of integrated control measures.

Courses will be organized and each will be of two weeks duration.

Training will be organized for young scientists and laboratory staff to update their technical knowledge.

Dissemination of information will also take place by other means including via the creation of a website for platform communication.

- Establish networks at the National Level and will link them to the Regional and International networks.

- Analyse and disseminate the available data on livestock diseases to the partners Scientific community and Veterinary services.

- Develop and introduce molecular diagnostic tools for pathogen detecting and differentiation.

- Develop cost-effective attenuated live vaccines and elaborate the development of molecular vaccines and elaborate the development of molecular vaccines taking use of genomic and proteomic data.

- Improve the contribution of Veterinary services in away reflecting partnerships between public authorities, the farming communities and the private sector.

- Organize seminars, technical workshops and training. aimed at the evolution of the actual and improvement of integrated disease control measure , to improve the technical experimental level of the of the DRC staff and those of cooperating partners.