The Committee of Deans of Colleges of Islamic Sciences in Iraq held its second meeting in the College of Islamic Sciences at Anbar University for the academic year 2023–2024, with the presence of the Faculty of Islamic Sciences at our university, which represents the colleges and departments of Islamic sciences in private colleges and universities in Iraq. Meeting participants discussed admission mechanisms to Islamic science colleges. They requested that the Ministry of Higher Education approve admissions to vocational preparing students to colleges of Islamic sciences, along with the establishment of graduate and preliminary studies programmes at several Iraqi universities. Additionally, the deans discussed the letter from the Ministry of Higher Education calling for application deadlines for programmatic accreditation for colleges of Islamic sciences in Iraq to be extended to the end of the fifth month. The participants called for the establishment of scientific initiatives that support raising public awareness and thwarting extremism. The importance of monitoring student attendance in the De-Baathification course was also emphasised. Official lists, containing the student’s name, the date of the lecture, the instructor’s signature, and his phone number, were certified by the deanship and department head and will be presented to ministerial committees that will visit the relevant colleges to follow up on the matter.
The meeting demanded that government and private colleges work together in this area, that committees be formed to monitor the implementation of this subject, and that the ministerial orders be followed, which called for adding the writings of the first and second martyrs to the curricula. Additionally, the deans urged government and private institutions to negotiate twinning agreements in order to expedite the setup of joint tests in two courses for all stages other than the first. As the dean of our university’s College of Islamic Sciences and a representative of private universities and colleges, Professor Dr. Hadi Abdul Nabi Al-Tamimi has called for getting Ministry approval to reserve a seat for a memorizer of the entire Holy Qur’an in postgraduate studies (Master’s or Doctorate), on par with elite athletes and media professionals in related fields. The deans addressed the minister in this regard and unanimously approved this suggestion.
Following the conclusion of the meeting, Anbar University President Dr. Mushtaq Al-Nada welcomed the deans and commended the Islamic University of Najaf Al-Ashraf as a distinguished academic institution among Iraqi public and private universities. He also praised the role of Islamic science colleges in Iraq and their influence in advocating for moderation and rejecting extremism in Iraqi society.
