Minutes of the University Council

Date of Meeting: September 3, 2025

Key Decisions:

 

1. Recommendation to approve the adoption of preliminary study curricula in accordance with the Bologna Process for all departments and academic levels within the College of Science.
2. Recommendation to approve the adoption of preliminary study curricula in accordance with the Bologna Process for all departments and academic levels within the College of Science for Women.
3. Recommendation to approve the inclusion of summer training for students of the College of Science as part of the undergraduate curriculum. This training is considered an essential requirement for scientific and practical skill development, granted as an exception to the directive of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research / Directorate of Studies, Planning, and Follow-up / Department of Studies and Planning, Ref. No. T.M. 497/3 dated April 28, 2025, paragraph (Third).
4. The Council reviewed the report submitted by the Dean of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences regarding the Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences. The auditing committee, formed under University Order No. 4/8/6/2126 dated September 15, 2025, was tasked with completing its work and presenting recommendations to the University Council in the next session. Emphasis was placed on journals indexed in Scopus to adhere strictly to publishing policies and standards that reflect the rigor, quality, and ethics of scientific research.
5. Approval to authorize the University President, in coordination with the Dean of the College of Languages, to negotiate and communicate with the Francophone Agency.
6. Ratification of the performance evaluation report for university staff for the academic year 2023–2024. The Quality Assurance and University Performance Department was tasked with sending the evaluation report, along with data analysis, to each university formation for review and discussion at their respective councils.

Date of Meeting: September 15, 2025

Key Decisions:

1. Recommendation to approve the adoption of preliminary study curricula in accordance with the Bologna Process for all departments and academic levels within the College of Science.
2. Recommendation to approve the adoption of preliminary study curricula in accordance with the Bologna Process for all departments and academic levels within the College of Science for Women.
3. Recommendation to approve the inclusion of summer training for students of the College of Science as part of the undergraduate curriculum. This training is considered an essential requirement for scientific and practical skill development, granted as an exception to the directive of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research / Directorate of Studies, Planning, and Follow-up / Department of Studies and Planning, Ref. No. T.M. 497/3 dated April 28, 2025, paragraph (Third).
4. The Council reviewed the report submitted by the Dean of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences regarding the Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences. The auditing committee, formed under University Order No. 4/8/6/2126 dated September 15, 2025, was tasked with completing its work and presenting recommendations to the University Council in the next session. Emphasis was placed on journals indexed in Scopus to adhere strictly to publishing policies and standards that reflect the rigor, quality, and ethics of scientific research.
5. Approval to authorize the University President, in coordination with the Dean of the College of Languages, to negotiate and communicate with the Francophone Agency.
6. Ratification of the performance evaluation report for university staff for the academic year 2023–2024. The Quality Assurance and University Performance Department was tasked with sending the evaluation report, along with data analysis, to each university formation for review and discussion at their respective councils.

Date of Meeting: September 26 – October 6, 2025

Key Decisions:

1. Emphasis on preparations for the graduation ceremony of university students for the academic year 2024–2025, ensuring all necessary requirements are met for the event scheduled on October 25, 2025, at the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences.
2. Directive to all deans to follow up on reports from the Federal Board of Supreme Audit, respond to official correspondence within the specified timeframe, and ensure accountants and auditors attend training courses.
3. Directive to all deans to visit student dormitories, monitor student conditions, identify challenges, and provide support in line with the university committee responsible for dormitory affairs.
4. Directive to all deans to support staff and students suffering from chronic illnesses, facilitating their work and considering the difficult circumstances faced by them and their families.
5. Recommendation to approve the adoption of preliminary study curricula in the College of Nursing in accordance with the Bologna Process for all academic levels for the academic year 2025–2026.
6. Recommendation to approve the establishment of a master’s program in Arabic Language / Critical and Literary Studies at the College of Islamic Sciences.
7. Recommendation to approve the establishment of a master’s program in Comparative Religions / Laws and Religions at the College of Islamic Sciences.
8. Recommendation to approve the establishment of a master’s program in Financial and Banking Sciences / Islamic Banking and Sharia Supervision at the College of Islamic Sciences.
9. Recommendation to approve the recognition of academic certificates for nine staff members at the University of Baghdad, provided compliance with laws and regulations.
10. Recommendation to approve the adoption of electronic examination systems, with all details, in the College of Artificial Intelligence and the College of Excellence, as an exception to Examination Instructions No. 134 of 2000.
11. Directive to all deans to oversee student registration on the HEPIQ platform, raise awareness of its importance, and encourage department heads, scientific branches, and course coordinators to ensure student enrollment.
12. Approval of the proposal from the Postgraduate Studies Department stipulating that no university order be issued until outstanding financial obligations are settled.
13. Approval to add the following specializations to the master’s programs under the Higher Committee for the Development of Education in Iraq, as ratified in the University Council’s 26th open session held on August 19–20, 2025: Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence, Computational Architecture, and Aerospace Engineering.
14. Approval to adopt all specializations for candidates accepted into the Higher Committee for the Development of Education in Iraq program.
15. Approval to proceed with signing the contract with the Ministry of Transport and Communications after resolving noted issues, and assignment of the University Presidency’s Administrative Affairs Department to develop a plan for rehabilitating campus buses for use by the presidency and university formations.

Date of Meeting: October 20, 2025

Key Decisions:

1. Approval of the promotion of twenty-eight faculty members to the rank of Professor.
2. Approval of the Plasma Fusion and Sustainable Energy Project as a strategic initiative in line with global needs for alternative energy. A consultative team of local and international experts will be formed to provide guidance to the scientific and technical teams working on the project. The College of Engineering is tasked with allocating a suitable site for the establishment of the first plasma laboratory, ensuring compliance with standard specifications.
3. Ratification of the postgraduate study requirements plan for doctoral programs without coursework in specializations not currently offered.
4. Approval of the memorandum from the Scientific Affairs Department regarding the review of procedures for commendation and recognition related to publications in international indexing databases.
5. Approval to strengthen academic and research cooperation between the university, the Scientific Research Authority, and the universities of Al-Mustansiriya, Al-Nahrain, Al-Iraqia, University of Technology, and Al-Nahrain (listed twice in the original text), aiming to unify capabilities and integrate resources among six leading Iraqi universities and the Scientific Research Authority.
6. Approval of the degree designation for the Department of Digital Journalism / College of Media as follows: Bachelor of Digital Journalism, to be applied for students admitted in the academic year 2025–2026.
7. Approval of the proposed activities for Anti-Narcotics Week, submitted by the Department of Media and Government Communication.
8. Approval to rename the College of Languages building in the Al-Jadriya complex to College of Excellence.
9. Approval for the continuation of operations of the Advisory Office at the Higher Institute for Accounting and Financial Studies.

Date of Meeting: November 3, 2025

Key Decisions:

1. Approval to update the master’s curriculum of the Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, by adding the course Artificial Intelligent Systems.
2. Approval to amend the postgraduate curricula (master’s and doctoral programs) of the Department of Geography, College of Education – Ibn Rushd for Human Sciences.
3. Assignment of the Quality Assurance and University Performance Department to circulate reports on enhancing research quality and monitoring research performance indicators across all university formations. These reports are to be discussed in the councils of each formation, with appropriate proposals submitted back to the department for consolidation and presentation to the University Council.
4. Recommendation to approve the adoption of preliminary study curricula in accordance with the Bologna Process for all departments and academic levels within the College of Administration and Economics.

Date of Meeting: November 24–27, 2025

Key Decisions:

1. Recommendation to approve the adoption of preliminary study curricula for the Department of Archaeology, College of Arts, in accordance with the Bologna Process for the academic year 2025–2026.
2. Approval of the promotion of eighteen faculty members to the rank of Professor.
3. Approval to process academic promotion applications in the College of Al-Kindy Medicine for faculty members holding a bachelor’s degree from the College of Science, provided that the relevant department or specialized branch exists and corresponds to the applicant’s field of expertise.
4. Assignment of the Assistant President for Administrative Affairs to form a joint committee comprising representatives from the Departments of Administration, Finance, Planning and Internal Audit, and Construction and Projects, along with specialists and experts. The committee will prepare an economic feasibility study for vehicle maintenance at the university, ensuring alignment with their service life and safeguarding public funds.
5. Continuation of the proposed plan to relocate the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences to its former site in Abu Ghraib. Classrooms will be shared between the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences at its current location in Al-Jadriya and the Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology for Postgraduate Studies, through direct coordination between the two formations. After the relocation, the distribution of buildings will be reconsidered to accommodate the establishment of a new College of Space Technology.
6. Assignment of the Higher Institute for Accounting and Financial Studies to reinstate training courses on auditing and monitoring topics, to be conducted regularly and tailored to the specializations of all university formations.

Date of Meeting: December 15, 2025

Key Decisions:

1. Recommendation to approve the adoption of preliminary study curricula for first-year students in the following departments of the College of Excellence, in accordance with the Bologna Process: Business Administration and E-Commerce, Accounting and Banking, Philosophy and Sociology, Applied Information Systems, and Data Science.
2. Recommendation to approve the establishment of a scientific journal in the College of Nursing under the title Comprehensive Nursing Journal.
3. Recommendation to approve the establishment of a scientific journal in the Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology under the title Journal of Genetic Resources and Biotechnology Sciences.
4. In view of the importance of Clinical Toxicology, its rarity, and the country’s need for this specialization, and given that no similar program exists in Iraq, the University Council recommends approval to present the proposal for establishing a master’s program in Clinical Toxicology at Al-Kindy College of Medicine to the Board of Opinion.
5. Recommendation to approve allowing graduates of the College of Excellence to pursue master’s studies directly after graduation at the University of Baghdad, exempted from competitive and other examinations, based on recommendations from two faculty members of the college, with admission outside the official plan.
6. Recommendation to approve allowing graduates of the College of Artificial Intelligence to pursue master’s studies directly after graduation at the University of Baghdad, exempted from competitive and other examinations, based on recommendations from two faculty members of the college, with admission outside the official plan.
7. Recommendation to approve the possibility of admitting graduates of the Colleges of Excellence and Artificial Intelligence directly into master’s programs at Iraqi universities.
8. Approval of the promotion of twenty-five faculty members to the rank of Professor.
9. Assignment of the Assistant President for Scientific Affairs to form a committee of specialists from university formations to follow up on the application of the principles of the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime.
10. Approval of the doctoral study curriculum for the Department of Biotechnology, College of Science.
11. Approval to continue implementing the University Council’s decision from its seventh session held on December 9, 2024, regarding additional criteria for prioritizing applicants to postgraduate studies from university employees for the academic year 2026–2027.
12. Assignment of evening-study colleges to present the matter of hosting students from evening to morning studies, and vice versa, for final-year levels exclusively, to their respective college councils. Approval to authorize the University President to review the recommendations of college councils regarding hosting students from evening to morning studies, and vice versa, for final-year levels exclusively.

Date of Meeting: December 29, 2025

Key Decisions:

1. Directive to all deans to complete reports on the Anti-Corruption Strategy and submit them to the Federal Board of Supreme Audit. Deans are also instructed to finalize year-end financial accounts and complete engineering surveys.
2. Directive to all deans to prepare the necessary requirements and ensure readiness for the first-semester examinations of the academic year 2025–2026.
3. Recommendation to approve the inclusion of the 23rd Conference titled “Baghdad in the Language of Literature and Criticism”, organized by the College of Education for Women, within the 2026 conference plan.
4. Recommendation to correspond with the Directorate of Scholarships and Cultural Relations to establish mechanisms for addressing the status of students admitted to the M-Pharm program at several foreign universities, ensuring alignment with international standards in medical education.
5. Approval of the promotion of ten faculty members to the rank of Professor.
6. Approval to amend the doctoral curriculum of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, College of Arts, by replacing the course Narratives with Rhythm in Arabic Poetry.
7. Ratification of the research titles submitted under the scientific research plan for the academic year 2025–2026, totaling 1,351 studies.
8. Approval to authorize the University President with the powers to ratify research titles within the scientific research plan for the academic year 2025–2026.

Date of Meeting: January 7, 2026

Key Decisions:

1. Recommendation to adopt the requirement that accepted research publications be included in the annual evaluation of faculty researchers in research centers and units. Faculty members will not be evaluated in the following year if previously accepted research has not been published.
2. Approval to add new specializations to the university’s postgraduate programs (master’s and doctoral levels) under the Higher Committee for the Development of Education in Iraq, in accordance with the University Council’s decision from its eighth session held on December 29, 2025.
3. Ratification of the Guide to Tasks and Duties for administrative divisions and units in colleges, postgraduate institutes, and research centers for the academic year 2025–2026.

Date of Meeting: January 19, 2026

Key Decisions:

1. Assignment of the Assistant President for Scientific Affairs to form a central committee under his chairmanship, comprising the Dean of the College of Education – Ibn Al-Haytham for Pure Sciences, Director of the Computer Center, Director of the University Website, Director of Human Resources, and Director of the Office of the Assistant President for Administrative Affairs. The committee will prepare the necessary requirements for digital transformation.
2. Directive to all deans to instruct financial division managers to remit financial dues to the University Presidency every three months, in accordance with applicable regulations.
3. Assignment of the Dean of the College of Education – Ibn Al-Haytham for Pure Sciences to prepare a study on procedures for opening a university account for electronic payment through the creation of an electronic link.
4. Assignment of the Director of the Scientific Affairs Department at the University Presidency to prepare a detailed review of University Council decisions regarding publication in international indexing databases, to be presented to the Council.
5. Directive to all deans to instruct editorial boards of university journals that research published by board members in their own journals should not exceed 10% of the board’s membership per year, and no more than two papers in total.
6. Assignment of the Director of Registration and Student Affairs at the University Presidency to monitor readiness for transferring undergraduate students in university formations into the SIS system and provide a detailed report to the University Council.
7. Recommendation to approve the inclusion of five conferences within the university’s 2026 conference plan.
8. Based on postgraduate statistics, the Council recommends granting no more than five marks to adjust results for postgraduate students (first semester, second semester, and second round) in the academic year 2025–2026, to change their status from “incomplete” to “pass.”
9. Approval of the promotion of nine faculty members to the rank of Professor.
10. Directive to all deans to work toward securing membership for university journals in the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
11. Ratification of the commitment regarding tuition fee collection for postgraduate students, in accordance with Paragraph 7 of the admission regulations for the academic year 2025–2026.
12. Approval to set a deadline for newly appointed university staff (academic year 2024–2025) who studied postgraduate programs abroad to provide proof of scientific publication before being granted clearance for certificate equivalency, with the same requirement applying to similar cases.
13. Approval of the proposal from the Internal Audit and Control Department to design a mandatory Immersion Training Program for auditors in university formations, aimed at capacity building and professional development. The program will run two days per week for two months.
14. Review of the report on improving the status of university journals to ensure their continued inclusion in international indexing databases, with directives to all deans to implement the corrective measures outlined in the report.