University of Basrah

The University of Basrah stands as the most ancient and largest institution of higher education in the southern region of Iraq. Established in 1964, it was designed to address the educational requirements of the local populace. At present, the university comprises 21 colleges and 9 research centers, including the Marine Sciences Centre, Date-Palm Research Center, Center of Polymers, Center for Arabian Gulf Studies, and Center for Life Languages, among others. The institution possesses a historical museum that houses an impressive collection of artifacts. The university is distributed across five primary campuses within the Basrah province: The initial campus, which serves as the university's main office, is located in the urban center of Basrah City in Al-Ashar, adjacent to the banks of the Shat Al-Arab river. The second campus is situated to the west of the city center in Bab-Al-Zubair and accommodates Al Zahraa College of Medicine alongside the Colleges of Arts, Fine Arts, Law, Administration and Economics, Education for Women, various research centers, and the Central Library. The subsequent campus is positioned to the north of the city, in Hartha (Garmat Ali), and includes the Colleges of Engineering, Sciences, Education for Physical Sciences, Education for Humanities, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Pharmacy, Computer Sciences and Information Technology, Marine Sciences, as well as several research centers.

The third campus is located to the east of the city in Al-Bradeiae and comprises the Colleges of Health Sciences, including Basrah College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, and College of Nursing at Basrah Teaching Hospital, in addition to the College of Education situated in Qurnah, approximately 80 kilometers north of Basrah. This campus is equipped with a science museum and a medicine museum, which is part of the College of Medicine. Furthermore, it includes a consulting medical center, numerous teaching hospitals, and a new university hospital currently under construction. The governance of the university is overseen by a council consisting of 29 members, including the Chancellor (currently Professor Dr. Saad Shaheen Hammadi, a Consultant in Internal Medicine), two vice-chancellors (one responsible for scientific affairs and the other for administrative matters), Deans from the 22 colleges, representatives from the faculty staff and research centers, the Head of the Department of Quality and Academic Performance, and the council's rapporteur. The Chancellery office is strategically located along the Shat Al-Arab waterway, in proximity to the Central Bank. As of now, the University of Basrah employs over 2,818 faculty members, which includes 304 full professors. The total enrollment of undergraduate students is 38,101. Advanced study programs are offered in the majority of the university's colleges; thus far, 139 PhD programs and 399 Master's programs across various disciplines have been conferred. The university publishes 22 scientific journals across diverse specialties and maintains cultural affiliations with numerous institutions globally, including those in the USA (Arkansas and Houston) and Iran (Esfahan, Shaheed Jumran, Tabriz). Recently, the university established a FOOD BANK to support students living below the poverty line. The institution is committed to sustainability within its campuses and the broader community, with further details available at https://en.sustainability.uobasrah.edu.iq/