On October16-17, 2018, Prof. Dr. Christoph Lienau and Dr. Diyar Sadiq organized a joint workshop on photonics and nanotechnology between the Department of Physics - the University of Zakho and the University of Oldenburg/Germany. The two days workshop that has been held at Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg Delmenhorst ended the two years action plan of the DAAD program between the two partners. About 25 persons of renowned professors, doctors, and Ph.D. students have participated in this event. Beside master students, Ph.D. students and post-doctorates speakers, six participants from the University of Zakho and one from the University of Duhok presented their researches and work projects. A wide range of issues relating to various aspects of the preparation, fabrication, characterization, and application of nanostructures for nano-optical technologies was presented. The summer program offered the researchers and students from the university the opportunity to perform their main part of thesis work, and make new contacts with the invited researchers from Germany.

It is worthwhile to mention that the Department of Physics, which is coordinated by Dr. Diyar Sadiq, was successful to collaborate with ‘’Ultrafast Nano-optics’’ working group at the University of Oldenburg/Germany in 2014, 2015 and 2017-2018 in subject areas of specific applied laser, nanotechnology and thin-film semiconductor with the financial support from the DAAD Programme. More than 17 academic staffs from the Department of Physics participated in this program by visiting the University of Oldenburg between the periods of three to nine months. The researchers and the students from the University of Zakho had the opportunity to carry out a research project (independent study) and applied for extending the project for 2019.