Mosul education festival draws schools, universities and international partners

NINEVEH — For the fourth consecutive year, Mosul’s forest scout camp has hosted the city’s annual education festival, drawing students, parents, and educators to three days of exhibitions and performances showcasing Iraq’s growing education sector.

Organized under the supervision of the Nineveh Education Directorate, the event featured 45 tents representing public and private schools, institutes, and universities. Participants highlighted progress in curriculum development, student innovations, and community services, while also emphasizing opportunities in fields such as artificial intelligence and electronics.

“This competition between public and private schools is positive and reflects well on the state of education in Nineveh,” said Mohammed al-Aboudi, director of Nineveh Education. “Holding such activities is necessary to show the progress in education, especially in artificial intelligence and electronics, which encourages parents to guide their children toward these fields. We are facing major challenges as student numbers increase each year with what we call a population explosion. Last year alone we registered 1.46 million new students across Iraq, which requires strong preparation to handle future density.”

The festival also attracted universities with regional and international reach. The American University in Sulaymaniyah joined the event for the first time. Its admissions director, Aistė Motekaitienė, said: “I am happy to be in Mosul for the first time through this special event, and I hope our visits to the city will continue. Last year we toured Mosul schools and got to know them, and we aim to build strong and lasting relationships. We welcome all students wishing to visit the American University in Sulaymaniyah to learn about our programs, scholarships, and job opportunities after graduation. Sulaymaniyah is a very suitable environment for studying.”

International study opportunities were also promoted by Study Fans, representing eight Turkish universities. Education consultant Mohammed Junaidi said Iraqi students are increasingly drawn to programs in engineering, medicine, and dentistry at universities such as Bahçeşehir in Istanbul. “Since the beginning of 2025 until now, we have registered about 500 students from Iraq, and we work with them electronically to facilitate enrollment procedures,” he said. Tuition costs range from $9,000 to $30,000 for medical fields, with other specialties priced between $4,000 and $9,000.