Sustainability week: Babil spotlights tech innovation with global universities

Shafaq News/ Babil opened its doors this week to the third edition of International Sustainability Week, a vibrant showcase of innovation spanning health, education, technology, and agriculture, with wide participation from local and international universities.

The festival’s centerpiece was a sprawling exhibition featuring 61 booths from universities, colleges, and institutions across Iraq and abroad.

Participants unveiled cutting-edge projects designed to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Cultural and artistic performances added flair to the event, with the Iraqi Fashion House’s Fine Arts Troupe reviving traditional Babylonian dress on stage. Kurdish heritage was also on display through a standout fashion segment celebrating the identity of the Kurdistan Region.

“This festival isn’t just about academics,” said Khalid Kazem Al-Salhi, Director of the Sustainable Development Department at Al-Mustaqbal University. “It’s a space that brings together cultural, artistic, and social contributions—all feeding into sustainable development.”

One of the key highlights, he noted, was the First International Conference on Sustainable Educational Technologies, drawing researchers from inside Iraq and abroad, including guests from Turkey’s Alanya University.

Elsewhere at the festival, Musadaq Maher Abdul Zahra, a lecturer in computer engineering and head of the AI Incubator, announced a major leap for Iraq’s tech scene: the upcoming launch of the first artificial intelligence incubator in the country’s private universities.

“We’ve completed preparations for the exhibition halls and tech zones,” he told Shafaq News Agency. “Students will present advanced projects they’ve developed themselves.”

The innovations target critical sectors like health, education, and agriculture. Among them: a smart wheelchair operated by eye or head movement for people with disabilities, smart hydroponic systems, and educational robots designed to sharpen children's and youth’s skills in programming and design.

“This incubator will nurture young talent from all fields,” Abdul Zahra added. “It will connect academic outcomes to the job market through hands-on, innovative projects that push sustainability forward.”

The festival aims to spotlight local ingenuity while positioning universities as drivers of sustainable transformation—through innovation, entrepreneurship, and stronger ties between public and private sectors.