The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Naeem Al-Aboudi, has issued a letter of thanks and appreciation to the universities and institutions that have implemented the Bologna Process procedures. The text of the letter reads: "In recognition of the high performance level demonstrated in applying the Bologna Process procedures across various disciplines and in support of aligning with global education standards, we extend our thanks and appreciation to the technical universities and their institutions, as well as the academic universities and their colleges, departments, and branches involved in this pathway aimed at enhancing the quality of the educational process and its university contexts. We express our confidence in the competence of these institutions, which have shown diligent work and interaction towards the success of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research's policies and the advancement of its university message and goals."

Dr. Heba Basim Alwan, Managing Editor of the Journal of Soft Computing and Applications, participated in the open discussion session organized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research / Office of the Undersecretary for Scientific Research Affairs on Thursday, July 11, 2024. This session marked the first anniversary of the strategic partnership with Elsevier, the world's prestigious Dutch publishing house. The Journal of Soft Computing and Applications, affiliated with the Department of Computer Science at the University of Technology, is hosted on the Digital Commons platform of Elsevier.

In the presence of Prof. Dr. Ahmad Mohammed Hassan Al-Ghaban, President of the University of Technology, accompanied by Prof. Dr. Khawla Salah Khshan, Assistant President for Scientific Affairs, and under the supervision of the member of the Ministerial Committee in the Directorate of Supervision, Planning, and Follow-up, and with direct oversight from Prof. Dr. Alaa Kazem Farhan, Head of the Computer Science Department, and the diligent efforts of the Scientific Assistant’s Office, the Graduate Studies Division, the Administrative Assistant’s Office, and the Departmental Systems Committee, the Department of Computer Science conducted the electronic competitive exam for graduate studies (master’s and doctoral) for the academic year 2024-2025 on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 9:00 AM. The results were announced immediately, with more than 60 candidates participating in the doctoral (general and artificial intelligence) and master’s (general, systems, and artificial intelligence) programs. The President of the University, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Mohammed Hassan Al-Ghaban, followed the proceedings of the competitive exam and praised the efforts of the department's leadership in organizing and providing all the necessary requirements for the exam, ensuring that students could take their exams in an ideal atmosphere.

Prof. Dr. Mohsen Nouri Hamza, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, extended his thanks and appreciation to Prof. Dr. Iyad Roudan Abbas from the Department of Computer Science for his valuable efforts and diligent work in teaching the course "Artificial Intelligence" to doctoral students specializing in Applied Mechanics for the academic year 2023-2024. He wished him continued success and prosperity.

The Department of Computer Science discussed the PhD dissertation titled "Robust Watermarking Technique to Reduce Deepfake Threats for Digital Video" by Ms. Ibtihal Taleb Khudair, in the field of Computer Science. The discussion took place on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in the Dr. Imad Kazem Hall, located in the Computer Science Department building. The dissertation aims to present a system that uses a watermark encrypted with a new proposed algorithm and a new intelligent proposed algorithm to determine the best locations for watermark insertion. It is distinguished by being imperceptible through the suggestion of an innovative and robust equation to reduce deepfake threats targeting video. The proposed methods demonstrated good results, and the system proved to be secure, intelligent, and robust. The discussion committee consisted of: Prof. Dr. Aliyah Kareem Abdulhussain (Chair) Prof. Dr. Firas Abdulhamid Abdullatif (Member) Assoc. Prof. Jean Jalil Estephan (Member) Assoc. Prof. Rihab Faleh Hassan (Member) Assoc. Prof. Nuha Jameel Ibrahim (Member) Prof. Dr. Nadia Faleh Hassan (Member and Supervisor) Assoc. Prof. Abeer Salem Jameel (Member and Supervisor)