The Speech of the President of the University on the occasion of the International day of Education

Ladies and gentlemen, respected members of the Council of University of Anbar

Ladies and gentlemen, respected university affiliates.

My dear college students...

Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you

On 3^rd December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted an important resolution listed within the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, in which it adopted a set of comprehensive and long-term global aims and objectives related to sustainable development. The decision was represented by declaring the twenty-fourth day of January of each year as the International Day of Education. Education and the provision of learning opportunities for all without discrimination. This decision stems from the importance of education in achieving sustainable development, progress of countries and societies, and achieving peace.

On this occasion, I am pleased to offer my best and sincerest congratulations to the academic family in Iraq in general and our university in particular.

Ladies and gentlemen, affiliates of University of Anbar and my dear students. The occasion of World Education Day is an occasion dear to our hearts and beloved to our souls. It is a day that inspires us - the academic family - to give the field of education and learning. Without ensuring an authentic education for all, and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, countries will not achieve progress and societies will not succeed in development.

Today, the world celebrates the third session of the World Education Day under the title “Reviving and Revitalizing Education for the generation suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic.” Everyone is convinced that the time has come to support education by promoting international cooperation and solidarity in order to put education and lifelong learning at the center of the recovery process. From this point of view comes the directive of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Iraq that the slogan of Iraqi universities is (Our Education Will Not Stop), and Iraqi universities have worked according to this slogan in the previous academic year (2019/2020), which many thought would not be passed due to the spread of the emerging of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Iraqi universities have not previously experienced distance education, the ministerial directives based on careful planning and institutional work in which everyone participates in decision-making, and the hard work of all Iraqi universities, and the great cooperation shown by the ministry’s employees and foundations, drives them to be zealous for their country and members of their community, and to ensure that the academic year will not be lost. The Minister personally, at the top of the pyramid, enabled Iraqi universities to pass that exceptional academic year in all respects with great success and remarkable distinction, which made the sons of our dear Iraqi society stand in appreciation of the efforts of the academic family, applauding their performance and thanking them for their efforts until the Iraqi students passed this academic year without violating scientific authenticity.

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the academic family,  today, we are required to continue the previous way with hard work and great exerted effort to guide our society’s citizens to safety in light of the challenges that menace us, and we hope that you will overcome the challenges and cross over the difficulties, and you told us that the more challenges you face, the more you increase the solidity and the greatness of your giving, for you are truly worthy of great tasks, and worthy of having hopes placed upon you.

I don’t forget to express my great admiration for the high enthusiasm that appeared among our dear students in light of the exceptional circumstance last year, and their great keenness to pass the academic year and not lose it, with the obstacles they suffer (physical, social and technical) that made it difficult for them to experience distance education. Many of them stopped learning and almost caused the loss of the academic year, but their eagerness to pass the year and the cooperation of universities with them enabled them to continue learning and pass successfully. The university students have drawn bright pictures of cooperation, solidarity and integration among the members of society, images.  We, the members of the academic staff, should be proud of them and raise our hats to them, and they are images that reflected the reality of the authentic Iraqi citizen known for his giving and his zeal. I hope that we will continue to see such images in this year and in the next years, Allah willing.

Finally, I offer my great thanks and deep gratitude to His Excellency the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Dr. The respected Nabil Kazem Abdul-Saheb for his great support and diligent follow-up to overcome obstacles and provide the requirements for passing exceptional circumstances last year and this year. the former and complete its requirements. I extend my warmest feelings of respect and the most beautiful expressions of thanks to my dear students of the university, who presented an ideal image of the university student cooperating with the leaders of his university who is aware of the seriousness of the stage and the enormity of its requirements. They have my deepest gratitude and respect, and today we look forward to doing more from them.

Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you

                                                              Prof. Dr.  Mushtaq Taleb Saleh Al-Neda

                                                          President of University of Anbar