Higher Education Management Systems in Iraq: Problems and Perspectives

Iraq is a country that has not only rich centuries-old history and antique culture, but also the oldest in the world education system combining old and new cultural and ethnic particularities. Islamic traditions and religious syncretism – all of these must be known to those who plan to receive education in this ancient and very important country of the Islamic world. This research is intended to fill a gap in intercultural and interfaith dialogue in the context of international scientific and educational cooperation Although the Iraqi higher education system shows the example of one in the country with an unstable political situation, it is represented not only by national educational institutions, but it is becoming a modern hierarchical structure that meets the needs of modern time, directly related to the growth and development of the nation. The purpose of the research is to analyze the Iraqi higher education management system within the world education market today, and to offer recommendations of how to improve current situation with implemented innovations and managerial decision-making methods. In the article we deal with the threefold methodology: the first part is the Iraqi higher education system analysis with insights into effective and efficient managerial practices to comply with contemporary challenges; the second part is modern managerial decision-making methods, such as the Kepner- Tregoe, consideration to implement in education for future improvement. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) decision-making methods are supposed to significantly improve the Iraqi higher education management effectiveness; the third part is international student and teacher exchange, collaboration with famous Universities in Europe and Asia, joint scientific projects that play a crucial role in enhancing the quality and competitiveness of Iraqi higher education. The results of the research will help educational institutions formulate more effective management strategies, avoid risks, apply optimized organizational strategies and tactics, predict modern educational traits and trends, make use of advantageous measures, formulate cooperation and competition strategies, and improve innovation capabilities. In the conclusion recommendations were made how to boost institutional performance and make the complex academic processes streamlined and impactful for students and institutions.