Problems and Prospects of Higher Education Management in Iraq

Introduction. Thanks to the government support and the innovative management system, the Iraqi education system has become not just educational institutions, but a modern hierarchical structure that meets the needs of modernity, directly related to the growth and development of the nation. Studying the problems and prospects of higher education management in Iraq will help young people entering a student exchange program decide on their choice of educational institution and professional direction. To identify the main challenges that most universities and institutes in Iraq have faced over the past few years, we used three different metaphors to view them: as machines, as organisms, and finally as cultures. This is due to the fact that any theory for studying an organization, although it can provide valuable information, is biased and incomplete.

Objective. Analyze the current educational system to see the problems and foresee the prospects of higher education in Iraq.

Universities as machines. Using this metaphor, it was found that the Iraqi higher education system has a problem of violation of hierarchy by its superiors in the case of management. Also, the problem of lack of encouragement of initiative was found to be present, which hinders the development of students’ critical thinking. In addition, the problems of internal coordination of colleges, imbalance between authority and responsibility, lack of educational programs, and efficiency were found.

Universities as organisms. According to this metaphor, the review of universities takes into account the external environment and possible patterns of change. At this stage of the review, problems such as degradation of the higher education system due to harsh conditions in the country and government interference were identified, the inapplicability of the classical approach to universities in Iraq, the lack of support for teachers from the administration, a high degree of centralization, and the influence of political parties and religious groups on higher education in the country. Universities as cultures. At this stage of the review, culturally based problems such as conservatism, consequently, and resistance to change, survival orientation, and ineffective fight against corruption were identified.

Discussion. In the subject field overview, there is much conflicting evidence on individual problems specific to higher education in Iraq. However, its presence is undeniable and the result of this review is a comprehensive list of growth areas of Iraqi higher education.

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