The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Dr. Nabil Kazem Abdul-Sahib, chaired the third meeting of the Opinion Commission, with the presence of the senior staff of the ministry and the universities presidents
At the beginning of the meeting, the Minister of Higher Education confirmed that the Iraqi universities have faced the challenges of the current situation effectively and responsibly, and that they are continuing to complete the requirements of the current academic year in accordance with the mechanisms of blended education and in light of the approved university calendar
He explained that the Ministry of Higher Education is founded on a vision of dealing with changes and moves with procedural flexibility to accommodate the increasing demand for universities because of the increasing population growth
He mentioned that the Ministry of Higher Education provided, during the academic year 2020/2021 through memorandums and forms of international and cultural cooperation, six hundred and fifty paid scholarships in various universities around the world, and all of them have been filled by students with high grades
He added that the program for the next academic year 2021/2022 will cover the actual need for academic and teaching services, take into account the importance of digital technologies and adopt the mechanisms of attendance education performance and examination at the same time, urging to promote the health of society and protect it from epidemics through required vaccinations
He stressed on taking into account and keeping pace with the acceleration of knowledge in various disciplines, following up on its developments according to a systematic methodological perspective, and responding quickly to the requirements of scientific and technological development through the specialized research centers in universities and educational institutions, as well as giving this path great attention in the level of undergraduate and postgraduate studies, establishing electronic repositories indexed for theses and benefiting from scholarships students who have completed their education in international universities
The meeting discussed the items on the agenda, and the members of the opinion commission voted on a number of decisions, including
Continuing to work with the same approved amounts of tuition fees for the morning private public education channel for the next academic year, and a 10% reduction of the tuition fees for siblings from the morning private public education channel for each student, whether in public universities or private universities and colleges, starting from the academic year 2021/2022
Give university councils the power to take decisions regarding students who were absent from participating in the final exams for the first semester, the first course, or the mid-term due to the compelling circumstance of the epidemic, and to allow them to participate in the exams of the second round of the subjects they did not take, in accordance with Article (10) of the exam instructions
Recommending an increase in the admission rate of graduates of the vocational branch to 20% in the evening undergraduate study, and coordinating with the Ministry of Planning in this regard
Voting positively for making the minimum period of doctoral study without courses for instructors with a master degree who hold the title professor for thirty months, according to the instructions of postgraduate studies
Approving the national policy for open access (OA) for Iraqi universities
The members of the opinion commission concluded their meeting by reviewing the criteria and requirements for opening private colleges and departments within the supporting medical and health specialties, discussing the project of the independence of the admission management for postgraduate studies in Iraqi universities, and presenting university projects within the regional development program
Department of Public Relations and Media
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
17June2021
