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Established in 2002, the University of Kerbala is located in one of the great holy cities of the Islamic world. Kerbala is the focus of the Ashura pilgrimage which annually attracts millions of Shi¡¯ite pilgrims to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in AD 680.

Describing itself as "an important force in the development of culture and intellect in Iraq", it seeks to provide students with quality education in each field of specialisation at each stage and proclaims that in spite of the vicissitudes of Iraqi life during its comparatively short history, it has been "able to acquire a prestigious scientific status among the universities in Iraq. It is constantly expanding its faculties as well as increasing its scientific research centres".

Its 16 schools include the college of religious tourism, devoted to the region¡¯s main economic activity other than agriculture, which celebrated its first graduation ceremony in 2015. Other colleges include medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, agriculture, law, education, science and management and economics.

Priorities for the university include an expansion in e-learning led by a team of managers and analysts drawing on the experience of British and Egyptian universities.

It was ranked 25th in the Ministry of Higher Education and Research¡¯s research activity ratings based on Google Scholar Citations.

Development work on the campus, six kilometres outside Kerbala, included the launch of a tree-planting programme and a joint project with the city authorities to clear 4km of the River Fariha in order to ensure a reliable water supply.