In line with the roadmap set by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to advance the national scientific research system and strengthen the international presence of Iraqi universities, the Ministry has recorded significant progress reflecting the growing engagement of Iraqi academic institutions in global scientific programmes and partnerships. Within this context, Iraq achieved notable results in the Erasmus+ Programme for 2026, represented by the selection of two projects under the Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) programme, in addition to Iraq's first-ever success in the history of its participation in Jean Monnet activities, through two projects led by two Iraqi universities. First: Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) Projects Iraqi participation came through two projects: A Regional project titled: DPP-Eng – Modernizing Engineering Education in Iraq and Yemen for the AI and Digital Product Passport Economy with the participation of the University of Technology. A Cross-regional project titled: DigiResilience – Digital Resilience for Higher Education in Crisis Contexts with the participation of the University of Ninevah and Samarra University, marking the first-ever Cross-regional project with Iraqi participation under the programme, and opening broader horizons for international academic cooperation among Iraqi universities. Second: Jean Monnet Projects The year 2026 marked a historic milestone in Iraq's participation in Jean Monnet activities, as Al-Turath University secured the TRUST-EU project, concerned with European Union law, artificial intelligence, and disinformation, while Al-Mustaqbal University secured the EU-One Health project, related to European Union health policy. These results carry particular significance given that Iraq had not registered a single project under the Jean Monnet programme since 2020, making the 2026 outcomes a qualitative shift in Iraqi participation, and an indicator of the growing capacity of Iraqi universities to build academic partnerships extending beyond the regional framework toward cross-regional international cooperation. Conclusion These results affirm that the roadmap of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research — overseen in its implementation by the Directorate of Scholarships and Cultural Relations — continues to move steadily toward consolidating the presence of Iraqi universities in the global higher education and scientific research space, and transforming international partnerships from mere opportunities for cooperation into qualitative academic projects with lasting institutional and scientific impact. This achievement embodies the Ministry's vision of academic openness, strengthened international partnerships, and the elevation of Iraqi universities' standing on the global map of higher education and scientific research. Al-Mustaqbal University, the first university in Iraq.