Speakers 2019

Adnan Karim

Singer

 

Adnan Karim was born in 1963 in Kirkuk, He graduated from Sulaimania’s institute of art. The beginning of his career in art goes back to 1979. He recorded many songs during those years. In 1992, he reached Sweden. After that, he released many songs and albums including (birt akam, Raz, shawi yalda, shnai ba, Tavgeyek le isq, Amshaw..). He studied sounds and music recording technique in Sweden. He had many concerts in Europe, Canada, and Middle east. His last music album is “Shaw ba” which is still under progress.

Barikan Ismaeeli Solecki

Lecturer, Keynote speaker and consultant

 

Barikan Ismaeeli Solecki is an external lecturer at department of Business and Management at Aalborg University. She helps public organizations, private companies, educational institutions and individuals to overcome challenges regarding the integration of refugees into the work force and the everyday life through motivational speeches and consultancy. Barikan uses social media as a platform inspiring people to overcome personal challenges. Barikan has held keynotes regarding these issues for e.g. UNCHR, Save the Children International, Rotary, Inner Wheel, Rotaract and others.

Barikan was born in Soran and raised in a refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, where her family lived as Kurdish refugees for more than 15 years. In 1998 Denmark has provided protection to 11- year-old Barikan and her family, through the UNHCR quota system.

Barikan Ismaeeli Solecki holds a BSc in Sociology, a BSc in Business Administration, a MSc. in Organization & Strategy and she was chosen as a future leader in the Lead the Talent program in 2015. In 2017 she has attended a course on Adaptive Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Dr. Heja Sindi

Lecturer, Entrepreneur

Dr. Heja Sindi, born in Baghdad in 1969, is originally from Zakho, Kurdistan. He holds a PhD in Business Administration with a major in Knowledge Management from the University of Salahaddin in Erbil. In 2009, he became a fellow of Civic Education and Leadership at Syracuse University, New York. Dr. Sindi started his career in academia in 1998 and continues today to be a faculty member of the Kurdistan Business School at the University of Kurdistan Hewler. He has held several academic positions, worked as a consultant for the United Nations and a director of a career development center at Duhok University. In addition, he is one of the authors of the Iraq Human Development Report 2014-Iraqi Youth Challenges and Opportunities. Dr. Heja Sindi is also a professional trainer and advocator in areas of leadership, human resource, strategic thinking, career path, entrepreneurship and Kurdish diaspora studies.

Sazan Ameen

Makeup Artist

 

Sazan Amin is a makeup artist, entrepreneur, and influencer. She is from Erbil, Iraq, she lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. She overcame all the obstacles and successfully launched her own makeup brand, “Lashes”. Sazan is the ambassador of both Green Kids, And the Lotus Flower organization, And a teacher at a makeup academy. She was a refugee, and now she is continuously working to help refugees. She uses her job as an influencer for empowering women and children.

Prof. Dr. Jan Ilhan Kizilhan

Psychologist

 

Prof. Dr. Jan Ilhan Kizilhan, psychologist, psychotherapist, trauma expert, orientalist, Director of the Institute for Transcultural Health Science at the State University in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and is chief psychologist of the Special-Quota Project, a programme funded by the State Government of Baden-Württemberg. The project aims was to bring 1100 women and children who have been held hostage by Islamic State to Germany for medical treatment. He is also the Founding Dean of the Institute for Psychotherapy and Psychotraumatology at the University of Duhok/Northern Iraq. He is working for 20 years with traumatized persons in war and crisis region like Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Angola, Bosnia, Kurdistan, Iraq, Syria etc. He is Author of 25 books and more then 160 publication in international journals. He is awarded for many times for his work and is working as expert for international Organizations and States.

Dr. Zana Ahmed

Psychiatrist

 

Born in Sulaimani, he holds a bachelor degree in general surgery and internal medicine (MBChB) – University of Sulaimani, Iraq.
He’s a doctoral student in psychiatry. Dr. Zana is the executive manager of (Al Rawad) project for building leadership academies in the Middle-East. Co-owner and head-staff official of Training academy for consulting and training. A member of (Omran) project founders staff for leadership. He is the founder of more than 8 charity and investment projects.
He is a trainer in the fields of: leadership skills, ingenuity, expression, studying and getting high scores in High-school’s 12th grade exams.
He is the president and co-founder of IFMSA – Sulaimani.

Manar Shubber Hais

Fashion Designer

 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic language and literature, She’s also a fashion designer and director of a fashion house. She’s the head of Manar Runway Fashion Agency and a writer of fashion and short stories. She’s writing a fashion book. Manar has experience in fashion design, corporate management and media office management.
She took part in the Expo Milano in Italy to see the latest findings from the world’s leading manufacturers of fashion accessories and also participated in textile fashion fairs in Turkey. Conducted tailoring and decoration courses to support segments of society And carried out sports activities such as the shift drift competition sponsored by a racetrack for sports and attend the first international arbitration (referee Red Bull) Drift as the first sporting event of its kind in Iraq. She also works to prepare costumes that include the features of Iraq in a 3D.

Mohammed Jesus

Producer and Journalist

 

He was born in Mosul in 1993. He fled to Duhok for safety. His music helped spark rap’s popularity in Duhok. He graduated with a BSc. Degree in Water Resources Engineering and Environmental Management in UKH – Erbil, then graduated with a M.A. degree in Business Management. In 2015, with a group of fresh graduates, they established an online media organization called “Yalla”. They maintained Yalla as the only neutral source of information and online content in Iraq. Yalla quickly became the voice of the youth. In his social media platforms, he focuses on topics of human rights, women equality, social reform and psychology. He published his book “Hamqa’a” in 2017.

Suzan Abdullhadi Navroz

Poet and Artist

 

She’s born in 1989 and she lives in Deraluk, Duhok. Her specialties are poetry and art. She has organized more than 5 fairs and festivals in Duhok and also in Erbil. She has earned many certificates of appreciation from both the Ministry of Culture and Youth and also several organizations. She has more than 90 art paintings and lots of poems still haven’t published. She’s the author of ( خەون و خوزی ) a poetry book, And she’s in the process of writing another.

Berivan Hatam Saeed

Taekwondo trainer

 

She’s a high school graduate. She has worked as a Taekwondo trainer in Iraq national team and she has a black belt in Taekwondo. She also has worked as a fitness trainer and a physical education teacher in many sport centers and schools. Berivan is very passionate about helping others achieve their fitness and weight-loss goals. She provides high-energy programs, combining the latest techniques in nutrition and exercise science. Her fitness skills include (Zumba, Acrobatic dance, Mix step, Stretching, Trampoline..). She has earned 28 medals for first rank in Iraq, Iran, Qatar and Turkey.