The Al-Mustaqbal University Council held its first session for the 2026–2027 academic year, chaired by Prof. Dr. Hassan Shakir Majdi, President of Al-Mustaqbal University, and attended by the University President’s Assistants, Deans of Colleges, and Heads of Departments. The session addressed a number of academic and organizational matters, as well as preparations for the commencement of the new academic year. At the beginning of the session, Prof. Dr. Hassan Shakir Majdi extended his warmest greetings and congratulations to the faculty members, teaching staff, and students on the commencement of the new academic year, wishing everyone a year filled with success, excellence, and academic achievement. He also emphasized the importance of continuing teamwork and enhancing the quality of academic and administrative performance. The Council also congratulated the students and the Student Activities Division on Al-Mustaqbal University achieving first place among Iraqi private universities and colleges in student activities. The Council commended this achievement, which reflects the University’s growing student engagement and excellence across various fields and university activities. During the session, the University President emphasized a set of academic and organizational directives aimed at ensuring an effective start to the new academic year, including: • Regularity of Academic Activities and Student Engagement: Ensuring the regular commencement of classes from the first day, expediting the announcement of academic schedules, activating student activities, and supporting students’ talents and skills. • Student-Centered Education and the Learning Environment: Placing students at the center of the educational process, preparing them to meet labor market requirements, fostering awareness and a sense of belonging, and strengthening the University’s role in serving the community. • Innovation and Technological Transformation: Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, expanding the application of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in developing the educational process, and strengthening international academic and research partnerships. The Council discussed several items on its agenda, foremost among them the academic calendar and preparations for the new academic year. The academic calendar and weekly schedules were approved, with emphasis placed on their prompt announcement. Classes are scheduled to commence on Sunday, 20 September 2026. The Council also discussed second-round examinations and the announcement of results, emphasizing the importance of completing the procedures for announcing examination results in accordance with approved regulations. It further emphasized the implementation of the Student Information System (SIS) and the electronic governance framework approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as well as organizing urgent orientation workshops to ensure students’ registration and monitor their compliance with the system, with students who are not registered in the system being subject to the applicable regulations and instructions. On the financial and organizational front, the Council discussed the payment of tuition fees in four installments, with the first installment set at 25% of the annual tuition fee, to be paid from 15 September 2026 through 30 September 2026, with the relevant regulatory procedures applied to students who fail to meet the payment requirements in accordance with the applicable instructions. The Council also reviewed admission rates and admission regulations stipulated in the guide issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in addition to approving the tuition fees for the 2026–2027 academic year. Under the internationalization and postgraduate studies agenda, the Council commended the international student training experience at the University of the West of England (UWE). It emphasized the importance of following up on postgraduate studies, benefiting from the outcomes of recent international visits and programs, and continuing to expand international academic and research partnerships in ways that support the University’s academic development and strengthen its international presence. The Council also reviewed the minutes of the College Councils and followed up on ministerial correspondence and instructions, in addition to a number of legal, administrative, and organizational matters. At the conclusion of the session, Prof. Dr. Hassan Shakir Majdi called upon the Colleges’ Deanships and academic and administrative staff to intensify their efforts and continue working in a spirit of teamwork, drawing upon the achievements accomplished during the previous academic year and transforming them into a foundation for further progress and success. He affirmed that Al-Mustaqbal University continues to advance its academic vision based on educational quality, innovation, digital transformation, and internationalization, thereby strengthening its academic standing and reinforcing its role in preparing qualified scientific and professional graduates capable of making meaningful contributions to society and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. AL_mustaqbal University is the first university in Iraq