Baghdad: The University of Baghdad has officially adopted March 2, 1908, as its founding date, following a decision by the University Council during its sixteenth (extraordinary) session and subsequent approval by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s advisory board. This decision underscores the historical and academic continuity of Iraq’s oldest university.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the adoption of March 2 as the founding date commemorates the establishment of the College of Law on that day in 1908, marking the inception of higher education in Iraq. This newly recognized date replaces the previously adopted one, thereby reinforcing the deep-rooted academic foundations of the University of Baghdad.

The decision further stipulates that March 2 will be recognized as an official day for the University of Baghdad, featuring prominently in its logo, official correspondence, website, and digital platforms. It will also be the official date for university graduation ceremonies, strengthening the institution’s identity and academic legacy.

The President of the University of Baghdad, Professor Dr. Alaa Abdul-Hassan Al-Zughaibi, stated: “This decision is not merely an amendment to the founding date, but rather a consolidation of the history of higher education in Iraq, a scientific and legal documentation of the academic legacy spanning more than a century, and a reinforcement of the identity of the University of Baghdad as the institutional continuation of the first higher education institutions in the country, thus enhancing its national and international standing and preserving its history for future generations.”