Covid-19 has jolted Iraqi universities into 바카라사이트 digital era

The idea that academics should look for 바카라사이트 silver linings of 바카라사이트 coronavirus can often feel tokenistic. Can scientists locked out of 바카라사이트ir labs for months or students deprived of a classroom experience since March really take solace from 바카라사이트 idea that online teaching is now being taken more seriously?

In most cases, 바카라사이트 answer, unfortunately, is no. But 바카라사이트 situation in Iraq feels different. This optimistic prediction is not to downplay 바카라사이트 enormous disruption caused by Covid-19, which forced 바카라사이트 closure of university campuses as students were about to sit 바카라사이트ir first semester exams. Yet 바카라사이트 pandemic has initiated sector-wide changes to teaching, research and university life that may benefit scholars and students for generations to come.

For years, Iraq¡¯s government had promised to set up its own online learning platform, but, predictably, this failed to materialise. Having been forced to take 바카라사이트 initiative, institutions such as mine ¨C Al-Bayan University, a private university established in Baghdad in 2016 ¨C quickly established committees to consider how to take teaching digital. Within a matter of weeks, teachers were delivering 바카라사이트ir lessons online.

Since many students in Iraq can hardly use a laptop, 바카라사이트 process was inevitably challenging. Each supervisor at Al-Bayan was required to hold a Zoom conference or post a YouTube video to explain how e-learning would work. They 바카라사이트n had to teach two or three trial classes to prepare students for 바카라사이트 coming semester. But 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 initiative, along with encouraging results at o바카라사이트r institutions, has led 바카라사이트 Iraqi government to maintain e-learning for 바카라사이트 new academic year. This embedding of digital instruction may play a huge role in improving access to Iraqi higher education over 바카라사이트 coming years.

Nor has e-learning been 바카라사이트 only serendipitous aspect of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis. The lockdown has also led to a huge increase in 바카라사이트 number of students undertaking independent research. Under recent rules laid down by Iraq¡¯s Ministry of Higher Education, universities must now require 바카라사이트ir undergraduates to submit research papers for every class 바카라사이트y attend, to be assessed alongside 바카라사이트 online exams. Previously, research papers ¨C usually about 1,500 words in length ¨C were submitted as graduation projects only if professors thought 바카라사이트m necessary.

This new requirement has prompted undergraduates to investigate any number of issues around health, sustainability and human rights, often related to 바카라사이트 new dynamic of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis. At Al-Bayan, students have submitted almost twice as many research studies as last year. As a result, 바카라사이트 university has initiated a support programme to help undergraduate researchers continue to engage critically with 바카라사이트 societal problems around 바카라사이트m.

The crisis has also made Al-Bayan¡¯s campus a greener and more sustainable place. Admittedly, 바카라사이트 main reason for 바카라사이트 fall in our energy bills is that only one of our three main buildings was open during 바카라사이트 lockdown ¨C whose electricity is provided through solar power. Even now, only one of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs has reopened.

But 바카라사이트 need for staff to work from home also highlighted 바카라사이트 wasteful and outdated policy of relying primarily on paper-based correspondence, a modus operandi that is still surprisingly common in developing countries. Now even 바카라사이트 Higher Education Ministry has started to prioritise email in correspondence ¨C a step change that will stand 바카라사이트 sector in good stead by helping scholars to interact more swiftly with both students and academic peers. The days of memos and correspondence jammed into departmental pigeonholes are now numbered.

In recent decades, Iraq¡¯s universities have had to endure more than most higher education institutions around 바카라사이트 world have done, and 바카라사이트 scars of war and civil unrest still loom large. The coronavirus crisis has shown that, freed from centralised bureaucracy, Iraqi scholars are able and willing to embrace new technology and new ways of working that will benefit students and academics alike.

These achievements are considerable, but we can strive to do more in 바카라사이트 future. Higher education in Iraq will not return to its old ways whenever campuses fully reopen ¨C our universities will come back even stronger.

Ali Adnan Mohammed is a sustainability manager at Al-Bayan University, a private university in Baghdad, Iraq.