Iraq's higher education enters the AI era: Promise and obstacles

Shafaq News

8 hours ago

Shafaq News
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has shifted from futuristic theory to global necessity, reshaping economies, public services, and knowledge systems. Iraq, emerging from decades of conflict and institutional fragility, is now taking measured steps into this transformation.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced the establishment of two new colleges at the University of Baghdad: the College of Excellence and the College of Artificial Intelligence. Both are expected to open in the 2025–2026 academic year, a move that signals a decisive turn in Iraq's higher education modernization.
The College of Excellence will cover a wide range of fields, from data science and e-business management to banking, philosophy, and sociology. The College of Artificial Intelligence will focus on engineering applications, biomedical technologies, and big data analytics.
The ministry has set an August 20 deadline to finalize logistics and faculty appointments, with admissions rules tailored to attract high-achieving students.
For Minister Naeem Abd Yaser al-Aboudi, the project goes beyond bureaucratic restructuring. It is an attempt to align Iraqi academia with global technological shifts and prepare graduates for a digital economy increasingly reliant on advanced tools.
The University of Baghdad is not alone in experimenting with AI programs. The University of Warith al-Anbiyaa in Karbala has already launched an artificial intelligence department that has drawn wide student interest. The Middle Technical University in Baghdad has introduced courses in cybersecurity and AI, while the American University of Baghdad recently secured international funding to establish an Innovation Lab dedicated to digital intelligence and engineering. Even Al-Iraqia University has incorporated AI into its media faculty through a new department of AI journalism.
Together, these initiatives suggest the early formation of an academic ecosystem that could push Iraq toward the digital age. Policymakers argue that the task now is to transform scattered efforts into a structured national program.
Firas al-Muslmawi, a member of the parliamentary Higher Education Committee, told Shafaq News the new colleges should become models to be replicated nationwide, with unified curricula forming the backbone of Iraq's future AI education. He emphasized that the technology's applications in medicine, planning, and knowledge production justify embedding it firmly into universities.
Academics, however, caution that ambition must be matched by capacity. Alaa Najah, professor at the University of Baghdad's College of Media, welcomed the new colleges as a necessary first step but noted their success hinges on infrastructure, electricity, and qualified faculty. Iraq, he argued, must not only train its own instructors but also recruit expertise from abroad.
'Iraq must not only train its own instructors but also draw on expertise from abroad. If we do not keep pace with modern technologies, we will be technologically illiterate,' Najah warned.
Students, meanwhile, see AI studies as a route out of Iraq's stagnant labor market. Hassan Sarmad al-Ghazi told Shafaq News he intends to apply to the College of Artificial Intelligence to secure a stable future without relying on public-sector employment. Israa Ibrahim expressed optimism that digital skills could open doors to remote work with international firms or higher-paying jobs in domestic industry.
The expansion of AI education cannot be separated from Iraq's broader national strategy. The state's first major steps in AI came in security, where rising cyber threats pushed the Ministry of Interior to establish a Cybersecurity Directorate in 2022. That body, under Brigadier General Hassan Hadi Lazeez, now manages digital forensics and AI-based threat detection. Thousands of personnel have received training.
In 2024, the government drafted a National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, known as INSAI, designed to integrate AI across healthcare, agriculture, tourism, and education. The University of Baghdad's new colleges can thus be seen as higher education's contribution to this strategy.
Despite this momentum, serious obstacles remain. Educational technology expert Dr. Mohammad Awada told Shafaq News that while internet penetration now exceeds 80 percent, network stability is weak and frequent shutdowns — often during exam periods — undermine digital services.
'Many universities lack reliable electricity and modern laboratories, with some schools relying on solar solutions provided by aid agencies,' Awada said, adding that brain drain continues to weaken the talent pool, leaving institutions short of qualified faculty in AI and related disciplines. Just as concerning, Iraq has yet to develop a legal and ethical framework to govern AI deployment, raising questions about research integrity and data security.
International studies confirm both the potential and the limitations. Research on Iraqi universities suggests AI-based teaching can improve classroom performance, but stress the need for institutional support and sustained funding. At Al-Nahrain University, faculty members have voiced support for integrating AI into pedagogy, seeing it as a way to move beyond teaching methods long criticized as rigid and outdated.
Regionally, Iraq is still in the early stages compared with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, or even neighboring Iran and Turkiye, all of which have national AI strategies already underway. The UAE launched the world's first Ministry of Artificial Intelligence in 2017, Saudi Arabia's SDAIA oversees large-scale AI investment, while Iran continues to fund AI research despite sanctions.
Against this backdrop, Baghdad's initiative may appear modest, but it is significant. It reflects recognition that exclusion from the AI ecosystem would deepen Iraq's marginalization and dependence.