Visit of the representatives of the Network of Iraqi Scientists Abroad to Baghdad: 4-11 October 2008

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By invitation from the Minister for Sciences and Technology H.E. Mr Raed Jahid Fahmi, a visit to Iraq was undertaken by Dr Mohamed Al-Rubeai, Dr Dlawer Ala’Aldeen and Dr Riadh Al-Mahaidi to define aspects of cooperation between the Ministry and Iraqi scientists abroad, particularly relevant to providing expertise and support in science and technology and to prepare for the scientific symposium for strategic projects to be held in Baghdad under the patronage of the President of the Republic H.E. Mr Jalal Al-Talabani. The visit included meetings with the Prime Minister H.E. Mr Nuri Al-Maliki and several ministers. In all its meetings the delegation was accompanied by Dr Adil Matloob, advisor to the Ministry of Sciences and Technology and the Network coordinator inside Iraq. We were assisted in our movements and coordination of meetings by Mr Farhad Alauddin and Major General Jalal Hamad Amin, both of whom put a lot of effort to accompany us and provide us with transport in participation with the security officers from MoST.

The delegation met with the Minister for Oil H.E. Dr Hussain Al-Shahristani on Sunday 5 October. The delegation provided a brief presentation introducing the Network. The Minister expressed his contentment with and appreciation for this initiative, confirming Iraq’s need for such action and agreeing to support the symposium and participate in it. The minister delegated Mrs Nihad Mousa, Director of Planning in the Ministry to liaise with the Network. He requested our assistance in the IT Project which the Ministry has undertaken to achieve. We planned to meet with Mrs Nihad later, but the program was too tight.

The next day we met with the Minister for Sciences and Technology H.E. Mr Raed Jahid Fahmi at his office in the Ministry in the presence of the Deputy Minister Dr Samir Al-Attar and Dr Munqidh Al-Bakr, advisor at the Ministry of Industry. There was cordial discourse about how to utilise qualified people abroad and the necessity for providing a common vision of problems and solutions in order to develop sciences and technology in Iraq. The Minister affirmed the significance of regulating the relationship with the government within a future vision and a mechanism based on a legal structure and a memorandum of understanding. He also asserted the necessity for coordination and cooperation among ministries to obtain maximum benefit from available potential and improve performance. He explained that the lack of scientific awareness, reverting to entrenched views and mentality, creates difficulty in clarifying and defining scientific ideas related to innovations and scientific research. Dr Samir Al-Attar talked about scholarships and the danger of their being concentrated in universities only, without having relevance to many of the country’s needs. He understood the necessity for linking universities with Iraq’s and market needs and presented the Ministry’s program. After the meeting we met with Dr Munqidh, advisor at the Ministry of Industry, who informed us of his Ministry’s intention to put in place an industrial strategy for the country. He confirmed the existence of an (old) research plan at the Ministry and a modern evaluation mechanism through which the Network can cooperate with the Ministry for developing its projects. We agreed that the Director General of the Research and Industrial Development Board Dr Hammoodi Abbas will be liaison officer between the Ministry and the Network.

In the evening of the same day there was a meeting with H.E. the Minister of Health Dr Salih Al-Hasnawi. He briefed us on the Ministry’s work, projects, the relationship between the Ministry and physicians abroad and the method of attracting them to work in Iraq without requesting them to stay for good. He proposed a medical project for endemic diseases and public health in which we can participate by presenting a plan in the coming science symposium. He welcomed future links with the Network by nominating a coordinator of high position from the Ministry.

Before this meeting we had met at the hotel with Dr Ahmad Ridha Head of the Investment Board and Mr Abdulraheem Al-Rihaimi Head of the Media Board in the presence of Minister Fahmi. We discussed the Network, its mission, mechanisms and methods of cooperation with the interior of the country.

On the morning of 7 October we met with the Directors General and heads of departments of the MoST. The discussion covered cooperation; utilising Iraqi expertise available abroad; what they want and what they strive for; our function in providing expertise, advice and support; participating in research and training scientists and technicians and providing scientific feasibility studies. They told us about their problems, expectations and interests. Several facilities were proposed for providing assistance and other mechanisms for cooperating with them. They affirmed that the problem is not financial but rather the need for training and material as well as the decline in scientific levels. They suggested that the Network assist in selecting projects; planning; twinning research centres with similar centres abroad and publications.

We visited the Universities of Baghdad, Al-Nahrain and Al-Mustansiriya. We met with Dr Mousa Al-Mousawi, Dr Adnan Al-Janabi, Dr Taqi Al-Mousawi, Dr Riadh Aziz Hadi, Dr Muhammad Al-Ani and others in leading positions at the three universities. We were warmly welcomed at these universities and observed the enthusiasm and expectation for sustainable links with the Network and great willingness for cooperation and utilising our expertise.

On the morning of 8 October we met with the Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research H.E. Dr Abid Dhiab Al-Ajili at the Ministry in the presence of the Director General of Scientific Supervision. The Minister explained the policy of his Ministry in building a database for Iraqi specializations. We brought o his attention that a similar project is being considered by the MoST, suggesting coordination and cooperation for achieving this project. The Minister affirmed the necessity of keeping in contact in order to give lectures at universities. He told us about the cultural day the Ministry intends to hold, participation in scientific research and joint supervision. He indicated that laboratories were poorly equipped. He also told us about the difficulties facing university staff, scientific promotions, research evaluation, publications and twinning. The Director General informed us about the excellent standard of higher education, doctorate dissertations that obtain international recognition and of the intention of the government and Ministry to raise the scientific standard to previous levels. We extended to the Minister our desire to offer our services because there is a lot of interconnection and common denominators between us and the Ministry’s objectives and functions in the presence of opportunities for cooperation in studying the Ministry’s regulations and laws for coordination with the Ministry, the universities and the MoST to plan for training and research mechanisms.

After visiting Dr Tariq Najim Abdallah Manager of the Prime Minister’s Office, we met the next day with the Prime Minister H.E. Nuri Al-Maliki at his office in the presence of Dr Tariq Najim Abdallah and Dr Abou Mujahid Al-Rikabi. The PM welcomed the delegation, explained his government’s policy on several current issues and their achievements in terminating terrorism and sectarianism. He stressed on the significance of abolishing sectarianism and the quota system; the role of scientists and experts abroad in the country’s resurgence and reconstruction; and the necessity of the return of scientists to Iraq. He requested from the delegation to clarify their objectives and modus operandi with the Iraqi government. He affirmed his concern for linking Iraqi scientists abroad with specialists in Iraq, manifesting his awareness of the achievements of Iraqis and the work of Iraqi academic organisations abroad. He pointed out that the relationship between those inside Iraq and those abroad should neither be transient nor superficial. The PM stressed the necessity of the return of Iraqi scientists to their country and the need to create a mechanism linking the Network to government institutions, a topic which we also stressed. He indicated the significance of the role of the Board of Advisors, encouraging us to meet and consult with them, and promised to think of a suitable mechanism for regulating the relationship between the Network and the government. We affirmed the important role that the Network can play in establishing government institutions. The PM expressed his desire that the Network offer expertise in reconstructing the organisational body for the Iraqi Government, particularly since we have specialists in this subject.

We met with the Head of the Board of Advisors Dr Thamir Ghadhban and three chiefs of the consulting offices. We were introduced to the Board’s activities and modus operandi, where projects are referred from the Department of Cabinet to the Board which submits the relevant studies needed. The Head of the Board gave us examples of some of the projects the Board studied such as treatment of sexual corruption and drugs phenomena; the relationship of regions and governorates with government; the agricultural initiative; and the energy study. He raised the subject of the mechanism through which we can work with the Board and our capacity of submitting a feasibility study about the structural aspect in housing units.

We were invited for dinner by the Deputy PM H.E. Dr Barham Salih together with several political personages, which presented an opportunity for discussing the status of higher education and development in Iraq. The Deputy PM manifested his understanding of our objectives, sympathy with our wishes and willingness to assist us to such an extent that we did not hesitate to state our requests for supporting the symposium and the Network in future. The Deputy PM confirmed all of that and encouraged us to continue our mission with his support.

We were invited to another dinner by Dr Fouad Masoom leader of the Kurdish bloc in Parliament, also attended by the Minister for Sciences and Technology H.E. Mr Raed Fahmi, Mr Labeed Abbawi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and a number of political personages. We enjoyed listening to valuable opinions about the political situation, which confirmed the desire of Iraqi officials to benefit from our expertise and their willingness to cooperate with us, as well as enjoying tasty Iraqi food.

We were due to give lectures at the Symposium on Building and Developing Scientific and Technological Capacities, held on 9 October at the MoST and attended by the Minister, Ministry officials and employees, representatives from other ministries and the Presidents of Baghdad University and Al-Mustansiriya University. We presented three lectures that were favourably received by the audience. This was followed by a meeting with the Minister, the Presidents of Baghdad and Al-Mustansiriya Universities, the deputy ministers and several directors general. The Minister raised valuable mature opinions about Sciences and Technology policies and strategies, affirming once again the need for participatory work and coordination among ministries and departments with common objectives. He stated that the government lacked a strategy for scientific research and a scientific planning strategy and policy. He said that supporting scientists inside Iraq is most important in this aspect and that the collective brain is not employed now to serve the objectives of development. He confirmed that the Ministry is willing to be the centre of communications to coordinate the linkage between the Network and the interior of the country, maintaining the independence of communications among all parties separately. During this meeting the representative of the Ministry of Health repeated his Minister’s proposal to us in our previous meeting with him about public and preventive health. The audience were responsive to our request for forming a preparatory committee for the scientific symposium and were ready to become members in it.

Summary: We met with Iraqi officials and presented to them our vision of the Network, its objectives and missions. We became convinced that the officials had a strong desire to benefit from scientists abroad.