The Center for the Revival of Arab Scientific Heritage at the University of Baghdad organized a specialized scientific seminar this morning, Sunday, April 26, 2026, entitled “Scientific and Administrative Traditions in Old Baghdad Schools and Their Impact on Current Schools.” The seminar, held in the Professor Nabila Abdul-Munim Dawood Hall, was attended by a number of professors and researchers and presented by instructor Dr. Leqaa’ Amer Ashour, a lecturer in the Manuscripts Department and a faculty member at our center.
The researcher demonstrated that these institutions were not merely centers of learning, but rather integrated “administrative systems” that laid the foundations for what we know today as modern universities. She focused on two main axes: the scientific traditions in organizing the relationship between professor and student, and the system of “scientific licenses,” which are considered the historical origin of academic degrees, as well as the methods of dialogue, debate, and gradual progression in acquiring knowledge; and the administrative traditions that highlighted the high level of institutional organization, including the endowment system that ensured the continuity of education, the uniform dress code, and comprehensive social welfare for students.
The researcher also emphasized that contemporary academic practices in current universities, including career progression, teaching methods, and administrative structures, are merely an extension and development of those original foundations that originated in Baghdad, thus demonstrating the city’s pioneering role in shaping the concept of the “educational institution.”
The session included valuable contributions from the attending professors, enriching the topic with intellectual and historical discussions and underscoring the importance of reviving this legacy to strengthen the academic identity of Iraqi educational institutions.
