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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi Embassy in Beijing told Rudaw on Wednesday it has been officially notified by the authorities in Qingdao regarding the tragic passing of a Kurdish PhD student, Mohammed Hadi, as investigations by Chinese police disclosed drowning as the cause of death.
Official accounts confirmed that Hadi’s body was recovered from a river in Qingdao at 05:56 am local time Tuesday, according to an official statement from the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Beijing.
Based on the preliminary investigation and initial report provided by the Chinese police, drowning was identified as the cause of death, the statement read.
Hadi was in his first year of a PhD program in computer science at the Ocean University of China and is originally from the Kurdistan Region's eastern Halabja province.
"The Embassy and the Cultural Attache are currently awaiting the final autopsy report to officially confirm the manner of death and complete all necessary legal procedures," the Embassy’s statement read.
The Iraqi diplomatic team in Beijing added that they are working in "close and continuous coordination" with the relevant Chinese security authorities and the Public Security Bureau to follow up on the details of the investigation.
According to the Kurdistan Region’s higher education ministry, Hadi was studying in China “under a full Chinese scholarship” and had previously worked as an instructor at the University of Halabja.
The Iraqi and Chinese embassies extended their deepest condolences to Hadi’s family and colleagues during this difficult time.
Hadi’s death has caused grief among the Iraqi and international student community in China, where thousands of Iraqi students are currently enrolled, many of whom are pursuing high-level research and postgraduate degrees under bilateral scholarship programs.
Qingdao, where the body was found, is a major port city in Shandong province, known for its large international student population and prestigious academic institutions.
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