Wasit University Welcomes External Audit Committee to Monitor Chemical and Biological Safety Standards in Line with Global Rankings and Sustainability Goals

As part of its ongoing efforts to create a safe and sustainable academic environment, the President of Wasit University, Prof. Dr. Abbas Lafta Al-Aqabi, welcomed a specialized ministerial committee from the Research and Development Department at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The committee, serving as an external auditing body, visited the university to assess its compliance with chemical, biological, and radiological safety and security standards in university laboratories and storage facilities—standards aligned with global ranking indicators and modern environmental requirements.

This visit is part of a series of field audits initiated by the Ministry to help Iraqi universities establish a culture of safety and to reinforce best practices in managing laboratory materials, particularly hazardous substances and dual-use chemicals that may be misused for illicit purposes such as drug production.

The auditing team comprised a group of academics and experts in chemistry, biosafety, and radiological safety. They conducted comprehensive inspections that included chemical inventory reviews, audits of storage records, and evaluations of safety protocols and practices in scientific laboratories.

Prof. Dr. Abbas Lafta Al-Aqabi emphasized the importance of such visits in enhancing university performance and ensuring a safe educational and research environment, stating:

“Wasit University is fully committed to implementing the highest standards of environmental and laboratory safety. We deeply value the essential role played by the Ministry of Higher Education through its dedicated audit committees. We are fully prepared to implement all resulting recommendations to further enhance our internal safety framework.”

This initiative reflects the university’s dedication to modernizing its research infrastructure in line with sustainable quality standards and responsible academic governance, contributing positively to its institutional ranking and strengthening its competitiveness on both regional and international levels.