Mosul hosts first-of-its-kind Italian academic partnership
Shafaq News- Nineveh
An academic partnership between Italy’s University of Florence and Iraq’s Northern Technical University has brought 15 Italian visiting professors to Mosul, marking an unprecedented step in the country’s higher-education sector.
Northern Technical University President Alyaa Al-Attar told Shafaq News on Saturday that the Italian lecturers and researchers have joined the Department of Building and Construction Techniques Engineering, under a strategic cooperation agreement between the two universities, sponsored by UNESCO and funded by the European Union.
The development, according to Al-Attar, reflects Mosul’s return as an academic environment capable of hosting international cooperation, as the university follows a clear institutional path to expand high-quality partnerships.
She also pointed to the earlier launch of a specialization in architectural conservation and sustainable buildings, the first of its kind in Iraq, describing it as a strategic step that reflects “a qualitative shift in technical education and genuine international openness based on quality.”
The academic engagement coincides with broader Iraq–Italy relations. In 2025, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Italy had trained around 60,000 Iraqi personnel across various security formations. The two countries also launched the Iraq–Italy Business Council to strengthen public- and private-sector cooperation. Italy also revised its travel guidance for citizens visiting Iraq, a move the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said could expand cooperation in tourism, economic exchange, and cultural engagement.
