The status of Iraq in most of the cities, especially all the cities from Baghdad up to Bashara (in the south of the country), is unusual. Most of the Government institutes (especially academic and education institutes) are freezing the daily participation, especially from the students. This aspect started with undergraduate students, most of whome decided, from the start of the demonstrations and protests, to participate actively, especially in the last two weeks. Most of the students’ universities installed tents in the squares inside cities, especially in Baghdad in a very important square (Al-tahrir Square), and they spend their days within these tents. They prepare their food and sleep inside these tents.

This aspect encouraged me and many other IEEE volunteers to support the students and to enhance their efforts, since many of them are IEEE student members. Actually, this status covers all Iraqi cities, and even the communication among us, as IEEE members, stopped sometimes due to the Government decision to stop Internet service in all of these cities.

This status causes great problems for us as IEEE members to continue our communications and our activities within the universities in different Iraqi cities.

In Iraq we have more than 350 IEEE members; approximately 97 percent of these members are academics, and the others are from the telecommunication companies in Iraq. Most of the IEEE members are post-graduate (M.Sc. and Ph.D. students) especially at Babylon University. Also, we have academic members in all Iraqi universities, many of them with doctorate degrees, and others with M.Sc. degrees.

The main efforts of our IEEE members are related to holding International IEEE sponsored conferences, and holding the national scientific workshops. Also, many IEEE members follow the student activities within their universities, as well as the young professional activities. The IEEE Iraq section enhances the activities of women in Iraqi scientific areas, and also continually enhances the activities of the primary student activities.

These days have been very difficult days in the last 16 years in our country, and especially for all citizens. For that reason we are looking to the future , and we hope that God will help us to overcome this very difficult status. We also believe that “the student is the future.” For that reason we prepared a poster featuring this statement in English and Arabic, and we invited the IEEE students and many lecturers to take a picture with this poster.