The University of Information Technology and Communications honored its student teams participating in the National University Championship for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Applications (NURAI 2026) at a recognition ceremony organized by the Department of Science and Technology Parks. The ceremony celebrated the teams’ outstanding results and their strong representation of the university students’ scientific and technical creativity.
In his address, University President Professor Dr. Abbas Mohsen Al-Bakri emphasized the importance of supporting talent and fostering student ideas and projects, particularly in artificial intelligence and robotics. He highlighted the need to direct scientific research and graduation projects toward developing solutions to societal challenges, and to strengthen government institutions’ support for such projects. He also encouraged students to continue taking part in local and international scientific forums and competitions.
Albakri also outlined the university’s initiative to develop the “Dijlah” model to support smart applications in Arabic. He called on students to participate in the fifth Iraqi Annual Artificial Intelligence Forum, which the university is organizing.
The ceremony included a video presentation of the participating teams’ projects, prepared by the Department of Media , followed by a discussion session titled “From Idea to Innovation: NURAI 2026.” The session featured Dr. Ahmed Abdul Azeem of Al-Zahrawi University, a co-founder of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Competition and a member of the Arab Robotics Association, alongside Dr. Muhannad Abdul Ilah, university faculty member. The discussion explored ways to turn student ideas into practical projects that meet the needs of society and the labor market.
The university also announced that its incubator unit within the Department of Science and Technology Parks is open to teams seeking to develop their projects. The unit will provide technical and advisory support and enable projects to be included in the “Entrepreneurship Course” program run by the Prime Minister’s Office / Directorate of Entrepreneurship and Excellence.
The ceremony recognized the teams that advanced to the final round. The university president presented awards to Teana Team, which placed first in the Community Service track with a score of 91, under the supervision of Assist. Prof. Dr. Muhannad Abdul Ilah Abbas and Assist. Lecturer Taif Tariq Abdul Sahib; Defec Team, which placed second with a score of 88.5, under the supervision of Dr. Zainab Khudair Abbas; and Clover Team, which placed third with a score of 87, under the supervision of Professor Dr. Ahmed Sabah Ahmed Al-Jumaili and Professor Dr. Huda Kadhim Taya Al-Jubouri.
The Assistant President for Scientific Affairs, Dr. Haider Hassan Mashali, and the Dean of the College of Business Informatics, Dr. Nagham Hamed Abdul Mahdi, also honored the other participating teams: Trio Team, Health Team, Med Guys Team, Sara Team, Life Guard AI Team, and Kano Team, in recognition of their efforts and active participation.
Dr. Mashali reaffirmed the university’s support for the teams and its commitment to facilitating administrative procedures so they can complete their projects. A representative of the winning team thanked the faculty members, supervisors, and organizers of the championship and ceremony, noting that the experience had helped strengthen students’ skills and teamwork.
