During a participation in the Fourth Annual Iraqi Artificial Intelligence Forum, acting His Excellency, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Helo Al-Askari stressed that the rapid growth rates in the field of artificial intelligence have placed Iraqi universities before an urgent and unavoidable imperative to integrate modern technological applications within a digital institutional environment capable of governing their procedures, enhancing their ability to identify challenges, address problems and formulate innovative solutions. 

Al-Askari called for leveraging these scientific events and transforming their outcomes into effective programs that support academic modernization, cultivate a culture of quality and accreditation, elevate the scientific infrastructure responsible for developing human capabilities, and enable higher education institutions in Iraq to fulfill their mission and improve their teaching environment. 

His Excellency urged the agency to address concerns about the potential dominance of modern technologies by reinforcing human, ethical, and legal values, confronting contemporary challenges with innovative solutions, protecting information and data, harnessing artificial intelligence in special education, translation, data analysis, and future trends, and ensuring Iraqi universities are positioned within the advanced international context. 

It is worth to be mentioning that the forum witnessed delivering speeches by President of the University of Information Technology and Communications, Dr. Abbas Al-Bakri, Secretary General of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils, Dr. Abdulmajid Bin Amara and Director of the UNESCO Office in Iraq, Mr. Alexandros Makarikakis that highlighted the importance of employing artificial intelligence to serve sustainable development and uphold universal ethical values, dialogue sessions were held as part of the Fourth Annual Iraqi Artificial Intelligence Forum, hosted by the University of Information Technology and Communications in cooperation with Al-Mustaqbal University, the results of the National Artificial Intelligence Developers Competition were announced and the winners were honored. 

It is significant to mention that the forum was attended by the Secretary-General of the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils, the Director of the UNESCO Office and several university presidents.