• 1. Promoting rigorous scientific research by supporting research projects and encouraging publication in peer-reviewed, internationally recognised scientific journals.

  2. To enhance the quality of academic output by academic staff and students in line with quality standards and academic accreditation.

  3. Supporting participation in local, regional and international academic events, thereby helping to enhance the University’s academic profile.

  4. Organising conferences, seminars and academic workshops to develop research capabilities and foster a culture of innovation.

  5. Strengthening scientific and research cooperation with universities and research institutions both within and outside Iraq.

  6. Monitoring and improving the university’s global rankings, and supporting the requirements for its inclusion in international databases and rankings.

  7. Enabling students to engage in scientific research by supporting student research, scientific competitions and innovative projects.

  8. Developing research databases and documenting the university’s academic output in a systematic and organised manner.

  9. Promoting research ethics and a commitment to academic integrity in all research activities.

  10. Linking scientific research with community service in order to help address development issues and meet the needs of the local community.

1. The Department aims to make it a priority in its 2022–2023 annual plan to monitor the faculties’ implementation of the plans they have submitted and ensure they adhere to the specified deadlines, whilst avoiding ad hoc activities except in cases of necessity or unforeseen circumstances, in order to organise work in accordance with the ministerial plan.

2. The Department aims to continue sending letters of thanks and appreciation from the Vice-Chancellor to authors and researchers who publish in international journals, in recognition of their academic output, and to publish these on the University’s website and the Department’s website, as an incentive for them to achieve even more.

3. The department proposes that a financial reward be offered for every research paper published in Scopus and Clarivate databases within the Q1 and Q2 categories, for every patent bearing our university’s name, and for every book authored, as an incentive for academic researchers.

4. To hold a student research conference, which has been suspended in recent years due to unforeseen circumstances; this conference is considered an important and encouraging event for our dear students, helping to develop their skills in various fields. We propose that the top three winners in each category be rewarded with both material and non-material prizes in recognition of their efforts in this area.

5. Organise three workshops to develop and monitor the work of the journals with a view to implementing the provisions of the roadmap for inclusion in global databases.

6. A detailed guide to the academic sabbatical programme will be produced to facilitate and streamline routine procedures. A workshop will be held on the mechanisms of academic sabbaticals, with a view to simplifying procedures to encourage our teaching staff who wish to take a sabbatical, given its proven benefits in raising their academic standards, gaining exposure to international universities, and publishing research in highly-ranked journals (Rasina).

7. Organise a workshop on academic publishing and scientific writing, particularly for new lecturers.

8. Organise a workshop on the government programme to review the activities of the government programme, with a view to enhancing the university’s activities and ensuring they are categorised in accordance with the Ministry’s requirements.

9. Organise a workshop for deans of faculties or their deputies to explain the mechanisms of academic cooperation between international and local universities, given the significant academic benefits this brings to the university.

10. The national classification of research centres, which is a proposal prepared by the Scientific Affairs Department to establish a scientific mechanism, in accordance with established criteria, for classifying research centres at university and ministerial level. These criteria include the number of researchers, their academic qualifications, the number of research outputs published in international journals, and the impact of those outputs in terms of the number of citations worldwide, amongst other factors.

11. Financial support for researchers: This is a unique initiative among Iraqi universities, which the University will adopt to provide financial support to researchers wishing to apply for projects that benefit the University in various fields, through an integrated system currently being developed by the Department of Academic Affairs.

12. The Academic Conference for Scholarship Students and the Honouring of Creative Students, under the slogan ‘Scholarship Students: A National Treasure’.

13. Entering into agreements and twinning arrangements with a number of universities and academic institutions for the benefit of our university.

14. To promote a culture of scientific research and, in collaboration with the Centre for Information Research and Training, to organise a number of seminars and courses to develop and promote this culture within our university.

15. Designing the department’s website, given that the website serves as the department’s public face; therefore, the department’s current webpage will be developed and updated to become a website featuring the department’s key activities and statistics, including research publications, conferences and other events.