1. Unemployment Statistics:
Accurate statistics show that over 20,000 dentists have not been employed since 2023, distributed as follows:

• Class of 2023: 4,800 unemployed
• Class of 2024: 6,800 unemployed
• Class of 2025: 10,800 unemployed

2. Employment Challenges:

• The private sector cannot absorb these large numbers.
• Opportunities in government institutions remain uncertain and limited.

Accordingly, the Iraqi Dental Association, fulfilling its national and professional duty, strongly warns against applying to private dentistry colleges without a careful study of the current reality. The likely outcome is deferred unemployment and long-term difficulties after graduation. The future of the profession requires proper regulation and reform before admitting new students.

Signed: President of the Iraqi Dental Association

Target Group:

• Graduates of the current academic year’s scientific branch of secondary school.
• Graduates of previous years are not eligible to apply.

Scholarship Details:

• The scholarship covers medical majors only: General Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy.
• No free scholarships are available for other majors.
• Study is completely free of tuition fees.
• All eligible students may apply, regardless of additional points.
• Available at all private colleges and universities.
• Application is exclusively online; private colleges and universities do not participate in selecting students.

Application and Admission Requirements:

Academic Grades:

• Minimum 93% for Dentistry and Pharmacy applications.
• Minimum 96% for Medicine applications (after adding first-round and language exam scores).

Number of Choices Allowed:

• Students with 96% may select 10 choices.
• Students with 93% may select 6 choices.
• Admission is competitive based on grades and additional points.

Eligible Applicants:

• Students applying through Central Admission, Parallel Education, or Private Colleges may apply.

Additional Points for Competitive Admission:

• Only the highest points are awarded if multiple categories apply.

Martyrs’ Families:

• 7 points if the martyr is the father.
• 5 points if the martyr is a brother or sister.
• 3 points for other martyr categories.

Orphans:

• 6 points if the student has lost a parent (father or mother).

Low-Income Students:

• 5 points if included in the social welfare network (scholarship only).

Children of Popular Mobilization Forces:

• 3 points if the father served in the PMF.

Number of Annual Seats:

• 2023: 3,203 seats
• 2024: 3,173 seats
• 2025: Over 3,000 seats

This scholarship provides a valuable opportunity for high-achieving students to pursue medical studies free of charge, fostering excellence in Iraq’s future healthcare workforce.

Fines for Violators:

• 25,000 IQD for teaching staff
• 15,000 IQD for university employees
• 10,000 IQD for university students

The visit was part of the field follow-up program implemented by the University Presidency to review the state of infrastructure and maintenance in the colleges. The inspection tour included reviewing completed maintenance work in the college buildings, checking the condition of the rooftops and recent rehabilitation and improvement efforts, as well as the college’s gardens and green spaces, which contribute to creating an attractive university environment.

During the visit, Dr. Hassan Qahtan emphasized the importance of continuing regular maintenance and preserving service facilities to ensure a safe and comfortable learning environment for students and staff, praising the college administration’s efforts in developing its infrastructure and enhancing the campus environment.

For his part, Asst. Prof. Dr. Hussein Ali Abdullah Al-Miyahi expressed his appreciation for the University Presidency’s attention and continuous follow-up, affirming that such field visits support the college’s efforts to improve service quality and strengthen the academic and administrative work environment.

Innovation: The Lifeblood of the Economy

Innovation is not merely technological invention; it is a broader process that includes introducing new production methods, unique business models, or even innovative marketing approaches. Innovation is often seen as “creative destruction,” a concept introduced by economist Joseph Schumpeter. Through innovation, old industries and traditional methods are continuously “destroyed” and replaced by newer, more efficient ones, pushing the economy toward higher productivity and prosperity.

Forms of innovation include:

• Radical Innovation: Creates entirely new markets and industries (e.g., the internet or electric cars).
• Incremental Innovation: Continuously improves existing products or processes.

Both are vital for sustainable economic growth. Radical innovation opens new horizons, while incremental innovation maintains competitiveness.

The Entrepreneur: The Engine Behind Innovation

Innovation alone is not enough; it requires someone to carry it and transform it from a theoretical idea into practical reality. This is the role of the entrepreneur, who:

• Identifies opportunities: Sees market gaps or unmet needs that others may overlook.
• Takes risks: Ventures time, capital, and reputation to establish a new project under uncertainty.
• Mobilizes resources: Gathers financial, human, and technological resources to turn ideas into products or services.
• Leads change: Drives transformation in markets or industries by offering new solutions.

Without entrepreneurs, innovative ideas remain trapped in laboratories or minds, never becoming an economic driving force. They are the bridge connecting science, technology, and the market.

Economic Environment and Supportive Policies

Innovation and entrepreneurship cannot thrive in a vacuum. They require a supportive economic environment and government policies that encourage risk-taking and investment. Key factors include:

• Intellectual property protection: Patents and copyrights provide incentives by ensuring creators benefit from their efforts.
• Access to funding: Mechanisms to finance startups, such as venture capital, angel investors, and government funding programs.
• Robust infrastructure: Includes technological infrastructure (high-speed internet), quality education, and research centers.
• Supportive tax policies: Tax incentives for startups or investment in R&D.
• Minimal unnecessary regulations: Simplifying business formation procedures and reducing bureaucracy.

Conclusion

The economics of innovation and entrepreneurship is a vital field for understanding modern economic dynamics. It shows that economic growth is not a linear process but a result of the continuous interaction between new ideas, courageous individuals who turn them into reality, and the environment that supports them. In an era of rapid change, investing in innovation and fostering entrepreneurship has become an essential strategy for any country seeking sustainable development and prosperity.