The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Naeem Al-Aboudi, presided over the fifth regular meeting of the Opinion Commission, in the presence of members of the advanced staff and heads of public universities.

At the beginning of the meeting held at the University of Anbar, the Minister of Education directed the follow-up and intensification of the training course plan for the implementation of the Bologna track in Iraqi universities for the targeted groups, making this track a success for the academic year 2023/24, strengthening the university’s productive environment, and enabling graduates to entrepreneurship, program industry, and innovation similar to (the Ecosystem project). ) which was launched at the University of Technology as it represents a qualitative balance of human capital and an important pillar towards development, program industry and project innovation.

He urged to continue to follow up and pay attention to the introduction of Iraqi journals into global comprehensions and to focus on discreet scientific research and publishing in order to improve the index of Iraqi scientific research and Iraqi scientific academic journals in an environment of international competition, stressing at the same time on providing safety and security requirements in laboratories and supporting accreditation boards and the affiliated national resident team. They have and facilitate their tasks that aim to develop and improve the fields of higher education and scientific research.

The meeting discussed the items on the agenda and voted in favor of the following decisions:

▪️ Reducing tuition fees by 50% for evening studies students who are covered by the Social Welfare Guarantee, starting from the academic year 2023/2024.

▪️ Granting the universities of Baghdad, Babylon, Technology, Al-Mustansiriya, Anbar and Mosul the necessary independence and legal powers that enable them to manage their scientific and administrative affairs.

▪️ Starting from 6/1/2023 to contract with companies accredited to the Central Bank of Iraq regarding the use and approval of point-of-sale devices for electronic payment POS, according to the directives of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.

▪️ Approving the addition of some foreign universities that have met the conditions of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research through the criteria form prepared for this purpose to the directory of universities recommended for private study outside Iraq.

▪️ Postponing the exams for the first round for university students who are covered by performing Hajj for this year, and starting to amend the exam instructions so that universities can deal with emergency cases for students.

▪️ Adoption of the Bologna track for engineering, science and engineering disciplines for public and private universities, starting from the year 2023/2024.

▪️ Approval of the mechanism for organizing and establishing the work of scientific societies.

▪️ Returning postgraduate students who failed in the second round with three subjects or more to study seats at private expense for the following year, and demand the subjects in which they failed and the subjects in which they obtained an average grade.

▪️ Studying future proposals for postgraduate studies submitted by the University of Karbala, provided that they are presented to university councils to be decided upon in the opinion committee.

▪️ Approving the treatment of some cases of students who are on scholarships outside Iraq, including fellowships and private alimony, who receive financial assistance from the Ministry and were recently appointed among the recent appointments, in accordance with the law and regulations.

▪️ Approval of the draft first amendment to the instructions of the experienced professor.

At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Naeem Al-Aboudi, directed the approval of the legal and administrative contexts related to granting scientific titles to new recruits in higher education institutions, and to support the administrative and logistical procedures supporting the Study in Iraq project to attract international students.

Department of Media and Government Communication

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

May 31, 2023