The College of Management and Economics holds a training course entitled “The Role of Human Development in the National Security Strategy.”

Under the patronage of the University President, Professor Tahseen Hussein Mubarak, and under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Administration and Economics, Assistant Professor Dr. Nizar Maan Abdul Karim, the Department of Economics, in cooperation with the Iraqi National Security Strategy Implementation Committee and the Quality Assurance and University Performance Division, held a training course entitled “The Role of Human Development in the National Security Strategy.” Assistant Professor Dr. Nadia Mahdi Abdul Qader lectured at the course.

The course aimed to present practical policies for integrating human development into national security plans, serving a more stable, educated, and productive society that is less vulnerable to crises. Therefore, true national security is not achieved solely through military force, but rather through investing in human capital, as the true wealth of any nation.

The course focused on analyzing the concept of human development and its most important dimensions, examining the national security strategy and its tools, and clarifying the relationship between sustainable human development and enhancing national security. Based on the theoretical relationship between sustainable human development and national security, sustainable human development is based on three fundamental dimensions: health, education, and standard of living. National security includes military, economic, social, environmental, and cybersecurity. The points of convergence between the strategy and human development lie in the following: health and education reduce societal vulnerability and enhance social security. Empowering youth to work reduces the likelihood of them being drawn into extremism or migration. Social justice reduces internal conflicts. National security strategies support human development by: empowering youth through employment and entrepreneurship programs; reforming education and linking it to labor market needs to enhance economic security; improving the health sector as part of human security; environmental security through sustainable policies to address water scarcity and climate change; and cybersecurity to ensure the protection of the digital infrastructure, which has become a focus of development.

The session concluded by emphasizing the need to:

formally integrate human development into national security strategies; increase investment in education and vocational training to address unemployment; improve health services as part of human security; and implement policies to empower women economically and socially;

diversify the national economy away from oil; and implement youth programs to combat extremism by spreading a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The session identified Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 4 (Quality Education) of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.