Department of Agricultural Machines and Equipment

Historical Overview

The current department started in 1970 as a division of agricultural mechanization affiliated with the soil department until 1977. The country’s need to increase agricultural economic returns through the introduction of modern technologies in the agricultural mechanization field in order to increase agricultural production and reduce labour costs, in addition to the expansion of the agricultural mechanization division’s staff and equipment caused by the accession of the agricultural institute / Baghdad to the college of agriculture / University of Baghdad, all of which led to the establishment of the agricultural mechanization department at the college of Agriculture in 1986.

In 1987, after the preparation of specialized curricula for the department, the admission of first-year students to the bachelor’s degree began. In 1988, the master’s studies started, while the doctoral studies began in 2002 with different specializations. In 2010, the name of the department was changed to the Department of Agricultural Machines and Equipment, and there is still an ambition to be called the “Department of Agricultural Engineering”, following the example of Arab and international countries. In order to develop the curriculum and keep pace with the progress in advanced universities, the department reviews and changes the curricula every five years according to the requirements of the stage and the needs of the market demands.

The study duration for the undergraduate studies to obtain a bachelor’s degree is four years (courses system), where the academic year is divided into two semesters, each semester’s duration (a course) is (15) weeks and the undergraduate student is awarded a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering Sciences.

The duration of study for postgraduate studies to obtain a diploma degree is one year, for a master’s degree is two years, and for a doctoral degree, the duration of study is three years. For undergraduate and postgraduate studies, Arabic is the approved language of study.

 

Vision, Message and Objectives

Vision:

The department looks forward to renewable academic leadership and achieving the highest levels of education and scientific research to serve the community. The department’s vision is to work hard for excellence and advancement through agricultural engineering technologies application, especially in the use of agricultural mechanization from the seedbed preparation stage, cultivation, germination, and crop service to the harvest stage and beyond, as well as the mechanization of animal production in its various specializations, renewable energies and ways to preserve the environment for achieving sustainable agriculture.

Message:

Preparing a distinguished staff in the field of agricultural machinery to keep pace with scientific development and quality to meet the requirements of the market and contribute to the advancement of the Iraqi agricultural sector.  As well as preparing eminent graduates according to quality standards that meet the market needs to advance the Iraqi agricultural reality through the application and broadcasting of scientific knowledge aiming at sustainable food security.

Objectives:

  1. Graduation of agricultural scientific cadres with agricultural engineering specialty that is capable of achieving sustainable agriculture targets and keeping pace with the developed universities,

  2. Directing scientific research to be applied research that contributes to addressing and solving agricultural problems using modern technologies,

  3. Adopting educational programs and courses that focus on the student’s scientific skills to prepare her/him for the requirements of the business market as well as encouraging self-learning,

  4. Adopting the applied scientific research and providing the requirements for its success, as well as forming integrated research teams within the college or university level,

  5. Embodying the principle of “serving everyone” via providing scientific advice and solving problems that may face different government sectors through conducting joint research and holding specialized scientific seminars and conferences in all fields to create cooperative interaction channels  between the department and all the country’s departments,

  6. Applying quality programs to improve performance rates in learning, scientific research and community building,

  7. Providing advice to formulate agricultural economic policies and to develop plans for the public and private sectors.

  8. Applying the curriculum system according to the educational institution’s vision to achieve the goal of building the student’s personality and enhancing his/ her ability to choose courses.

Moving the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences in the summer of 2014 from its old location (Abu Ghraib) to its current location (Jadriyah) had a great impact on the concerted efforts of both the department’s presidency and its employees to secure the basics of the educational process needs and requirements. The efforts resulted in the establishment of the internal combustion engine laboratory, metallurgical Laboratory, agrochemicals spraying laboratory, surveying laboratory, and engineering drawing hall as well as the engineering workshop building. The department policy at the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences seeks to apply the ABET engineering accreditation System, which considers a form of quality assurance for programs in the fields of Applied Sciences, Natural Sciences, engineering and engineering technology. It has been implemented in most Iraqi engineering colleges to achieve the set quality goals and review them periodically to ensure the efficiency of the overall performance of the department and commitment to the continuous improvement approach of the system to ensure its effectiveness and continuity.