The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research organized a specialized workshop on building a university system to transform knowledge into economic value, in cooperation with Clarivate Analytics. 

During the workshop, the Deputy of the Ministry for Scientific Research, Prof. Dr. Haider Abd Dhahd emphasized the importance of moving beyond the traditional role of universities in knowledge production to building integrated systems capable of transforming knowledge, scientific research, and innovation into economic value. 

Prof. Dr. Haider Abd Dhahd reviewed that the Bologna Process represents a significant framework for developing higher education and linking its outputs to the required skills and competencies. 

The Deputy highlighted the importance of leveraging the experience of technology parks to create an environment conducive to innovation and the transfer of knowledge and technologies from universities to the productive sectors.

Prof. Dr. Haider Abd Dhahd said that building a sustainable, knowledge-based economy requires integration between universities, the labor market, and economic sectors, this integration would enable the application of educational and scientific research outputs to address developmental challenges and develop knowledge-based products and services. 

Prof. Dr. Haider Abd Dhahd stressed the importance of Iraqi universities playing their role in building this system and developing partnerships with economic and technological institutions.

For his part, the President of the University of Baghdad, Prof. Dr. Alaa Abd Al-Hassan Attia welcomed the workshop participants, emphasizing the importance of developing the university environment and strengthening the link between academic knowledge and economic applications.

Prof. Dr. Alaa Abd Al-Hassan Attia added that would open broader avenues for researchers and students to transform scientific ideas and findings into applicable projects and solutions.

It is worth mentioning that the workshop included delivering a specialized lecture presented by Dr. Ayman Aqeel and Dr. Waleed Hassan from Clarivate, which addressed the foundations for building an integrated university system to transform knowledge into economic value, as well as covering knowledge management and innovation mechanisms, linking them to productive sectors and the labor market, as well as reviewing several relevant experiences and practices.

It is significant to mention that the workshop also featured a scientific discussion that addressed ways to develop the institutional environment for innovation in Iraqi universities, mechanisms for activating partnerships with the public and private sectors, and transforming the outputs of scientific research and academic knowledge into applications with economic and developmental impact, as well as attending by a number of university presidents, researchers, and experts.

Media and Government Communication Directorate 

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

August 20, 2026