Under the auspices of the Iraqi Doctors Syndicate – Basra Branch and the Iraqi Society for Medical Research and Studies, a scientific symposium was held on Friday, July 18, 2025, titled:
“Scientific Research Safety Risk Index (R12) and Iraqi Journals”
at the Training, Development, and Scientific Research Center hall in the Syndicate’s headquarters. The event was attended by:

- Dean of the College of Medicine, University of Basra, Prof. Dr. Nawfal Al-Mubarak
- Dean of Al-Zahraa Medical College, Prof. Dr. Jawad Ramadan Al-Kharsan
- Dean of the College of Health and Medical Technologies, Dr. Alaa Kadhim Jassim
- Assistant Dean of the College of Dentistry, Dr. Raed Taha Al-Naama
- Director of the Quality Department at the University of Basra, Dr. Abdul Kareem Taher Yassar
- President of the Iraqi Society for Medical Research and Studies, Dr. Dhurgham Al-Ajoudi
- A group of researchers and specialists in quality and scientific research

The symposium, moderated by Consultant Physician Dr. Sadiq Hassan, addressed several topics concerning the R12 Index, launched by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The index aims to classify scientific journals according to quality standards and underscores the need to establish controls to prevent publishing in journals lacking academic rigor.

The event featured extensive discussions, notably on the challenges Iraqi researchers face amid the growing trend of publishing in low-tier journals, and emphasized the importance of raising awareness among researchers about adhering to robust publishing standards.

The symposium concluded with a set of recommendations, the most prominent of which included:

- Publishing in internationally recognized journals
- Increasing awareness seminars on this subject
- Strengthening academic oversight of research quality within university institutions
- Prioritizing disciplines and focusing on research quality to advance scientific inquiry in alignment with Iraq’s research ambitions