The Middle Technical University organized the 2026 Tech Mind Competition in cooperation with the UNEVOC Center – Iraq Branch, coinciding with the celebration of World Youth Skills Day.

The Middle Technical University President emphasized the university's commitment to provide a stimulating environment for digital innovation and support projects that integrate artificial intelligence technologies with entrepreneurship, this ensures that educational outcomes align with the requirements of the local and international labor market.

The President of the University said that the competition witnessed the participation of approximately 30 applied and engineering projects, distributed across four main themes: artificial intelligence in sustainability, artificial intelligence applications in the health sector, smart cybersecurity, and big data analytics and its applications.

The President added that the results of the competition announced by the specialized scientific committee, resulted in the selection of seven winning student projects, these projects distinguished themselves by presenting innovative and practical solutions aimed at empowering young talent and facilitating their transition to the labor market through technology incubators and strategic partnerships with the public and private sectors. 

The competition aimed at simulating creativity and innovation, minimizing the use of artificial intelligence technologies in finding practical solutions to various challenges, and refining students' skills to meet the demands of the future job market, as well as the event also attracted a select group of representatives from private sector companies who reviewed promising student innovations and explored potential collaborations with the outstanding teams. 

It is worth mentioning that the organization of the "Technical Mind 2026" competition is part of the efforts of the Middle Technical University, represented by the UNEVOC Center – Iraq Branch, to support the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, it empowers students to develop entrepreneurial projects and marketable prototypes through technology incubators in partnership with public and private sector institutions and companies, thus enhancing their readiness to compete in the job market.

It is significant to mention that the competition was attended by the Director of the Media and Government Communication, Dr. Nada Al-Abadi, members of the Ministerial team, and university students.

Media and Government Communication Directorate

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

July 16, 2026