Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq's Acting Higher Education Minister Abdul Hussein al-Moussawi on Tuesday ordered an immediate halt to receiving new applications to establish private universities, colleges, and academic departments.
The ministry said the decision, effective June 30, 2026, is part of a strategy to regulate and reassess private higher education, improve academic quality, and strengthen oversight of the sector.
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The country's private higher education sector has expanded rapidly, with the ministry's 2025/2026 Guide to Private Universities and Colleges listing more than 70 private universities and colleges across the country.