After ISIS destruction, University of Mosul bustles once more

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Reconstruction at the once war-ravaged University of Mosul has reinvigorated its campus, now brimming with new students as the 2019-2020 academic year commences.

University officials say they have decided to enroll as many as 15,000 of this year’s high school graduates, with repair works at many of its colleges completed.

"Repair works at the Science College, Engineering College, Accounting College, Education College, College of Arts, and Business Administration have finished," Engineer Osama Ahmed, in charge of the reconstruction and project department at the Mosul University, told Rudaw on Wednesday.

Once one of Iraq’s most prestigious academic institutions, the University of Mosul was left in ruins by the long battle to liberate the city from Islamic State (ISIS) in 2016.

The university became an ISIS barracks, while the education system was refashioned to suit the demands of its so-called caliphate.

"Though ISIS worked to eliminate the university, it is now back. The university is very active," university president Dr. Qusay Kamaladin told Rudaw. "We managed to restore the university to its original state."

Rudaw visited the campus on Wednesday and saw long queues of students submitting applications for new academic year enrollment.

"After the liberation of Mosul, life has resumed at Mosul University too, though part of it lies in ruins," Mustafa Ahmed, a waiting university applicant told Rudaw.

"We are glad to see that the university is under repair," he said.

ISIS militants destroyed the economic infrastructure of Mosul and oppressed the city’s residents for three grueling years.

Another applicant we met called on the Iraqi government to put measures in place for students who had dropped out due to uncertainty and fear under ISIS rule.

"Many students fled the city with their families and have not returned to the university yet," student Tamir Mohammed said.

"I hope the Higher Education Ministry [of Iraq] will start a scientific investigation into such cases and find a solution," Mohammed added.

The nine month alley to alley battles to recapture Mosul from ISIS saw 70 percent of the university and its facilities damaged.

Seventy five percent of the university's electrical system was damaged, as well as 45 percent of its water system. Hundreds of university-owned vehicles were taken by ISIS and more than one million books burned, according to Kamaladin.

The year-long repair works, primarily conducted by the UNDP with support from the Iraqi government, has reduced the scale of damage from 70 to 25 percent, he added.