University of Baghdad represented by its President Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdul Hussein Abdul Rasul has participated in the first annual conference of the national specialized centers in Iraq which came under the slogan (upgrade in performance is a responsibility in bestowal) in the presence of the dean of the college of medicine Prof. Dr. Ali al-Shalji and dean of the institute of laser for postgraduate studies Prof. Dr. Abdul Hadi Mutasher. This conference addressed the importance of the role of health specialized centers in Iraq, the challenges they encounter and the growing interest in it for its important role in health institutions. This first annual conference represents a link between decision makers in the field of medicine, those who work in medical centers and those interested in this regard.

An instructor from the department of performing arts at the college of fine arts, University of Baghdad Prof. Dr. Haitham Abdul Razzak has performed and directed the trilogy of Oresteia at the national theatre in Besançon, France. After his return, he stated that this project has addressed the conflict of the collisionary mind versus the dialogue mind in a theatrical display in cooperation with French and Iraqi performers in the city of Limon and it is hoped to be displayed also in in Belgium and Iraq. The show was attended by elite of French festivals directors, journalists and intellectuals as well as Le Monde newspaper wrote an article about this event. Then Dr. Haitham Abdul Razzak returned to Tunisia and held a theatrical workshop with Tunisians and Iraqi performers and a show entitled “democracy is East disease”.

University of Baghdad signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japanese University of Chiba after the visit of the President of the University of Baghdad Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdul Hussein Abdul Rasul and his entourage to Japan according to the invitation of the President of the University of Chiba Prof. Dr. Takeshi Tokohisa for the purpose of opening prospects for scientific and cultural cooperation between the two countries since it is the first memorandum of understanding between an Iraqi and a Japanese universities. This visit stressed the need for providing training opportunities for graduates and scholars through research projects supported by the Japanese side. The Iraqi delegation visited the college of Pharmacy at University of Chiba and discussed with its professors the scientific projects, academic achievements and their applicability in labor market as well as the admission mechanism at the faculty of pharmacy and the possibility of granting academic degrees for Iraqi postgraduate students who wish to study there. Rector of University of Baghdad also met the minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Kentaro Senora who expressed his joy for the signing of this memorandum between the two universities, stressing his support for the implementation of it as an important step towards consolidating the Iraqi-Japanese relations in the field of higher education. Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdul Hussein Abdul Rasul delivered a lecture at University of Tokyo entitled “Our vision for building Iraq after ISIS” which dealt with the level of education at University of Baghdad, along with the damage that swept the cultural, social and economic areas and emphasizing the importance of the Japanese position and its support for Iraq to overcome the consequences of war through cooperation between the two countries which will benefit both sides. Dr. Iyad Kazim Zaghir, director of the department of cultural relations and missions delivered a lecture on Baghdad University’s relationship with global universities through shedding light on all memorandums of understanding and scientific activities organized by our university with discreet global universities. It is worth mentioned that the two sides reached at a series of recommendations that focused on the importance of the approval of the terms of the memorandum of understanding to provide opportunities for Iraqi researchers in Japan for more future cooperation with the two countries as well as the importance of taking advantage of the Japanese desire to cooperate with Iraqi institutions in this regard.

Dean of the faculty of media, Prof. Dr. Hashim Hassan al-Tamimi met the first vice speaker of the Parliament Nizar al-Abadi who submitted a message of honor from Sheikh Dr. Humam Hamoudi to the dean of the faculty of media where the Media Adviser Nizar al-Abadi said: “We thank Dr. Hashim Hassan for his sincere efforts during follow-up of preparation, implementation and management of the conference entitled “Baghdad dialogue” that launched from 14th to 15th of January” and added that a certificate, shield, written documents and video proceedings of this conference for being one of the poles of this dialogue in order to create a new atmosphere of mutual understanding as well as to build a future strategic vision for the sake of a secure, stable and prosperous Iraq.

The special committee of the national ranking of Iraqi universities quality visited the presidency of University of Baghdad and they were received by the director of quality assurance department, Assistant Prof. Dr. Marwan Abdul Hamid Ashour and this visit came with the purpose of keeping abreast with what was achieved during the previous stage of pursuing scientific research and publishing them in Arabic, local and international journals as well as these. The attendants also discussed how to document files, forming scientific committees and solving all problems and obstacles that may affect on the success of the teaching process at our university.

University of Baghdad organized in cooperation with UN educational, scientific and cultural Organization a workshop within the framework of administrative reform plan within the modernization program of the Iraqi public sector under the title (academic behavior and university values). The workshop addressed during its first day the academic ethics and conduct frameworks in universities as well as the academic misconduct and the visions or ideas that deal with founding a board of the academic behavior. This workshop aims to train and qualify a work team from University of Baghdad to do its part in spreading the culture of academic behavior and values between professors and students. UNESCO expert Tony Feghali delivered a lecture that overestimated the ethical frameworks in universities and he pointed to the need to develop a charter of academic behavior for the advancement and development of Iraq’s educational reality so that to keep pace with the world. This workshop was attended by president of University of Baghdad Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdul Hussein Abdul Rasul, Rector Associate for scientific affairs, several deans of faculties, professors and students of preliminary studies, as well as Senior Advisor to the United Nations in Iraq, Dr. Munir Abu Asali.

Rector Associate for scientific affairs Assistant Prof. Dr. Osama Fadhil Abdul Latif inspected Centre for women’s studies so that to assess the work of the center and the activities, research and teaching and administrative staff. Assistant Prof. Dr. Siham Mutasher Al-Kaabi gave a brief overview on the goals and aspirations of this center in general and on women’s issues in particular, as well as the research done by researchers at the center and the constraints that face their work, notably the need to accelerate the concerned authorities at the ministry of higher education and research to complete certification requirements of the center which took a long time to enable it to play its appropriate role in community. Dr. Osama Fadhil Abdul Latif called for promoting women’s reality, aspirations and position in addition to holding a festival for celebrating Iraqi and International Women’s Day.

Department of archaeology at the faculty of arts, University of Baghdad organized a lecture delivered by Dr. Eleanor Robson from the British Archaeology Institute, department of ancient Near East – cuneiform studies entitled (new excavations and discoveries at khyber Hill, Nasiriyah) in the presence of a number of professors and researchers. The lecture was conducted by head of the department of archaeology, Prof. Dr. Nawala Ahmed al-Mutawali and she dealt with important excavations near the city of Ur in Dhi Qar As well as discover an ancient and unknown city returning where the cuneiform tablets announced the name of one old King and provided information to researchers in this regard which could be translated to foreign languages.

University of Baghdad concluded the workshop organized by the educational, scientific and cultural organization of the United Nations entitled (academic behavior and university values) in the framework of the administrative reform plan within a program for modernization if the Iraqi public sector. The workshop addressed in its concluding events forming two committees for behavior Council and charter Council and then it reached at a set of recommendations under the supervision of the chief advisers of the United Nations which emphasized the need for attention to academic behavior and ethical frameworks in university, especially those concerning ethics of scientific research in order to keep the reputation of higher education at University of Baghdad and to focus on its academic role in creating awareness of national identity towards the international identity since the professor has to move from his scientific domain to the humanitarian domain to contribute in implanting the human spirit among students. Rector of University of Baghdad, Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdul Hussein Abdul Rasul stated that this workshop will be a stepping stone towards creating a fruitful academic behavior at our university which would serve in the development of higher education through enhancing the student and the educational process in Iraq also he praised the team that represented University of Baghdad which will adopt the output of this workshop in reality.

Rector of University of Baghdad, Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdul Hussein received the manager of the German project (JaR) Dr. Sameh al-Mikdadi where they exchanged an expanded dialogue expanded on how to activate mechanisms for academic work and protocols signed between University of Baghdad and the German Academic Exchange Organizations. This visit id intended to complement actions and final preparations for the opening of a new laboratory at the faculty of science/earth sciences department which was constructed and equipped with the sponsorship and support of the German government that has chosen our university as the first stage in the Middle East for the implementation of its project to contribute in helping Iraqi researchers in their quest to increase the number of their research as well as to improve the quality of these researches.

Rector Associate for scientific affairs at University of Baghdad Assistant Prof. Dr. Osama Fadhil Abdul Latif met Web administrators of all university formations and discussed many topics concerned such as ways to improve the practical reality of their work. This meeting was attended by the director of media and public relations department Assistant Prof. Dr. Adel Abdul Razak Mustaf and director of university official website unit Teacher Bassim Hamid. Dr. Osama asserted the importance of electronic media and the need to upgrade our website to an advanced position among global rankings as well as the need to publish research in global journals like “Thompson Rueters” that follows follow precise criteria in maintaining the rights of publishers. The meeting witnessed also a lecture delivered by the engineer Safaa Jacob on the search engine “Google Scholar” and how our professors can be registered in to increase their “H-index” and to upload their academic papers.

Rector of University of Baghdad Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdul Hussein Abdul Rasul discussed with the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad Fatih Yildiz the prospects for the development of scientific and cultural cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting, Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdul Rasul stated that the scientific cooperation between our university and its counterpart the Turkish university witnessed a development during the past period where a lot of professors and students at the department of Turkish language at the faculty of languages have a great desire to build bridges of cooperation with various Turkish universities through memorandums of understanding and exchange of experience and fellowships for Iraqi students in Turkey in various specialties. For his part, the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad expressed his willingness to develop academic and cultural cooperation with Ankara in this regard. At the conclusion on this meeting, Rector of University of Baghdad granted the shield of University of Baghdad to the Turkish ambassador wishing permanent bilateral relations in service of the two countries.