VZCZCXRO0494
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1891/01 1741513
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221513Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7920
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001891 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO KCUL IZ
SUBJECT: UNIVERSITY OF BAGHDAD - CLASS OF 2008 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: University of Baghdad (UB) President Dr. 
Mosa Aziz Al-Mosawa exulted at the success of the 2008 
academic year during a June 15 meeting with Poloff.  UB is at 
full capacity, with 70,000 undergraduate students and 10,000 
graduate students.  July 15 will mark the end of the UB 
academic year, with approximately 9,000 students graduating 
(8,000 undergraduates and 1,000 graduates).  Al-Mosawa cited 
the university administration's emphasis on security as the 
main reason why campus life is calm.  The university enforces 
a strict secular and no-politics-on-campus policy; as a 
result, no political party or religious group wields 
influence on UB's curriculum, students or faculty.  Student 
applications are up Iraq wide and, according to Al-Mosawa, 
unlike many other educated professions, notably doctors, 
university teaching staff have remained in Iraq despite civil 
strife and continue to work.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) Al-Mosawa boasted that the University of Baghdad is 
one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the 
region.  This October the Law College will celebrate its 
centennial.  UB has 70,000 undergraduate students, 10,000 
graduate students, twenty-four colleges, five institutes and 
ten research centers, spread over many locations throughout 
Baghdad.  Its teaching staff numbers 8,000 and makes up 42% 
of the country's total.  For families who wish, UB also 
offers six women-only colleges.  The Ministry of Education 
administers the admissions process and students who are 
accepted attend tuition free -- much to the chagrin of the 
University President, who feels that the students would have 
a better work ethic if they (their parents) were paying for 
school.  15%-20% of the student body hails from outside of 
Baghdad. 
 
¶3.  (U) The University of Baghdad's medical program generates 
the greatest demand among students.  The six year program is 
the only degree that guarantees employment through the 
Ministry of Health.  This year 350 students are expected to 
graduate.  (Note:  There are estimates that 12,000 Iraqi 
doctors fled the country, decimating the nation's health care 
system.  End Note) 
 
¶4.  (U) BU's engineering program, traditionally prestigious 
in Iraq, is one of the school's largest, followed by other 
sciences.  Al-Mosawa explained that lectures in these topics 
are conducted in Arabic, but textbooks and notes are in 
English.  (Note:  Until the 80's, the engineering program was 
taught entirely in English. End Note)  In the past, the 
Ministry of Planning would employ engineering graduates, but 
that is no longer the case and students now must seek 
employment on their own.  BU President estimates that from 
this year's 1,000 engineering graduates, only 30%-40% will 
find work in their field.  UB offers many fields of study, 
including a linguistics department with ten languages ) 
English being the most popular with French coming in second; 
there are also 15 students studying Hebrew, he remarked. 
 
¶5.  (U) University of Baghdad's main campus is quiet and 
gives the impression of being insulated from the hustle and 
bustle of the city, but in reality this requires constant 
vigilance on behalf of the school.  The administration places 
a high priority on security, hiring and training its own 
guard force, Al-Mosawa explained (Note:  Security at other 
campuses is less certain and recently the Vice President of 
Nahrain University was assassinated.  End Note).  Moreover, 
student political activities or organizations are prohibited 
on campus.  Political party representatives may speak at the 
university, but only on issues that pertain to Iraq as a 
whole.  The administration has come under some pressure to 
authorize religious ceremonies, but it continues to maintain 
its secular standing, he stressed.  When asked if any 
political party, militia or religious group had ever tried to 
coerce the UB President or teaching staff, Dr. Mosa seemed 
surprised by the question and responded, "How could they?  We 
follow the curriculum set forth by the Ministry of 
Education." 
 
¶6.  (U) The University of Baghdad confronts the same 
challenges as the rest of Iraq.  Years of Saddam's oppressive 
regime, sanctions, a decade of isolation, and other regime 
change related strife have left the university's faculties in 
desperate need of modernization.  Some of UB President Dr. 
Mosa's key concerns are the poor condition of its 13 
dormitory buildings that house 6,000 students, the lack of 
computers for professors, the need for international 
scholarships and greater cooperation with foreign 
universities. 
 
¶7.  (U) Comment:  As a barometer for Iraq's future, 
University of Baghdad's Class of 2008 signals a step towards 
normalcy.  In a secure environment, away from the noise of 
politicking and free from the influence of malign actors, 
Iraqi students show a strong interest in professional careers 
as doctors, engineers or scientists, while still possessing a 
 
BAGHDAD 00001891  002 OF 002 
 
 
broader appreciation for languages, history and literature. 
While UB graduates face an uncertain job market and the 
university needs to improve its infrastructure, the students' 
achievements augur well for a future burgeoning middle class. 
 End Comment. 
CROCKER