UHD President Professor Dr Mariwan Ahmed Rasheed welcomed writer, historian, and university lecturer Dr Shams to his office on November 18, 2024. The visit was friendly and cordial, with their conversation focusing on historical and cultural issues. Both Professor Dr Mariwan and Dr Shams emphasised the importance of preserving Kurdish cultural heritage and acknowledged the responsibility of academic institutions in this endeavour. They agreed that Dr Shams could collaborate with the University of Human Development to undertake joint initiatives aimed at promoting Kurdish identity and upholding its cultural values.

The UHD President's Assistant for Financial Affairs, Assistant Prof. Dr Hiwa Abubakir Ali; the UHD President's Assistant for Scientific Affairs, Professor Dr Anwar Muhammed Faraj and the head of the UHD Manuscripts and Cultural Heritage Unit, Assistant Prof. Dr Hardi Mika Mahdi, attended the meeting.

Dr Ismail Shams is a historian specialising in the Medieval Ages, Islam, and the Kurds. He has authored numerous books on the history of the Kurds and Kurdistan, as well as the broader region during medieval times. He serves as the head of the Encyclopaedia Islamica institution and is a lecturer at Allameh Tabataba'i University in Tehran.