In a meeting of the Opinion Council, the Minister of Education emphasized the promotion of scientific research and announced a reward of three million dinars along with appreciation for publishing in reputable international journals. The meeting, chaired by the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Naeem Al-Aboudi, was attended by faculty members and heads of government universities.

The minister urged all universities to respond and interact with the requirements of the labor market and the community’s needs for developmental specialties. He emphasized the importance of developing realistic plans regarding admissions to postgraduate studies for the academic year 2025/2024. At the same time, he reiterated the need to grant non-exclusive legal powers to universities, enabling them to fulfill their mission and goals in providing educational services.

During the meeting, a project related to establishing an electronic system for managing scientific and administrative procedures for postgraduate students and their supervision was discussed. The presidents of technical universities presented proposals aimed at strengthening the technical institutes’ environment and fostering conditions for attracting students based on careful ratios.

The Council members voted on several decisions, including:

• Approval of recommendations from the Training of Trainers (TOT) course regarding the formation of psychological counseling and educational guidance units, and activating their activities in all universities.
• Setting a time limit of no more than three months for government and private universities and their colleges and departments to submit plans to complete the requirements for institutional and programmatic accreditation.
• Approval of the establishment of evening studies in the Cybersecurity Department at the College of Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of Mosul.
• Approval of granting postgraduate students transferred from outside Iraq a new study leave, considering the study duration and contractual obligations, with the student committing to serve double the study duration inside and outside Iraq to guarantee the financial amounts spent on them.
• Addressing the situation of scholarship students and students on leave who have been considered absent from their jobs for not returning after obtaining the contracted degree. They are obligated to fulfill the contractual obligation of serving double the study duration in state institutions, provided there are no judicial decisions obliging them to repay the disbursed funds.

In conclusion, the Minister of Education urged the encouragement of rigorous scientific research and announced a financial reward of three million dinars, along with certificates of appreciation, for academics who publish their research in journals affiliated with “Nature and Science Journals” and “TOP Journals in Shanghai Ranking.”

Media and Government Communication Department
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
January 25, 2024