Al-Ayen Iraqi University – SDG 8 Progress Report (2024)
Al-Ayen Iraqi University actively promotes the principles of freedom of association, participation, and collective dialogue for all its employees, including women and international academic staff, in alignment with Iraqi Labour Law No. (37) of 2015, Law of Discipline for State and Public Sector Employees No. (14) of 1991, and the university’s internal governance regulations. The university ensures that all teaching and administrative staff have opportunities to participate collectively in decision-making processes, express their opinions, and engage in institutional and professional associations that advocate for academic and labour rights.
Here are some of the university’s key activities:
1. The Dean of the College of Education at Al-Ayen Iraqi University chaired a comprehensive meeting with all faculty and administrative staff for the academic year 2024–2025. The meeting included representatives from the academic council, administrative staff, and department heads, discussions on workload distribution, exam schedules, teaching conditions, and student relations, open dialogue encouraging collective problem-solving and feedback from all staff members. This demonstrates that Al-Ayen University maintains a structured consultative mechanism similar to a union body providing a forum for faculty and staff to raise issues, propose improvements, and participate in governance.
Link: https://alayen.edu.iq/news/details/2863
2. The Assistant Dean for Administration-College of Engineering at Al-Ayen Iraqi University held a meeting with administrative staff, unit heads, and section supervisors. The meeting addressed: work performance and administrative coordination, updating data and laboratory inventories, ensuring workplace safety and efficiency, and improving communication and collaboration among units. These collective consultations allow administrative employees to participate in operational planning and raise workplace concerns collectively a key feature of labour rights recognition.
Link: https://alayen.edu.iq/news/details/2984
3. The College of Health and Medical Technologies at Al-Ayen Iraqi University held a welcoming meeting for newly recruited Arab academic staff members from other countries. Highlights include: full integration of international lecturers into the academic environment, equal treatment and inclusion in departmental meetings and decision-making, encouragement to share expertise and collaborate with Iraqi colleagues in teaching and curriculum development. This reflects Al-Ayen’s equal labour rights policy, ensuring that international staff enjoy the same professional representation and participation rights as local faculty fully consistent with non-discrimination and labour inclusion principles under SDG 8.
Link: https://alayen.edu.iq/news/details/2807
4. The Dean of the College of Engineering, Prof. Firas Faeq Kazem, led an academic visit to the Colleges of Engineering at Baghdad University and Al-Nahrain University. Discussions included: partnerships and twinning programs, exchange of expertise and joint academic events, and collaboration with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), an international professional body that represents engineers’ interests globally. By encouraging faculty participation in SPE, the university recognizes external professional associations that serve as representative platforms for staff and students, mirroring the function of academic unions in professional fields.
Link: https://alayen.edu.iq/news/details/3104
While the above meetings include both male and female staff, Al-Ayen also operates a Women Empowerment Unit, which ensures that: female faculty and staff are represented in councils and committees, their professional rights and workplace inclusion are protected., they have equal opportunities to participate in policy-making, training, and university-wide initiatives. This unit’s activities align with the Ministry of Higher Education’s national gender equality strategy, ensuring women’s full inclusion in employment and representation.
