Iraqi British Professor Salman Rawaf criticizes treatment at Baghdad Education Conference

Alaa Abdul Hassan Attia Hassan, President of the University of Baghdad, with Professor Salman Rawaf. Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Prominent Iraqi-British public health academic Professor Salman Rawaf has criticized the organization of the Third Iraq Education Conference at the University of Baghdad after microphones were removed from in front of him during his speech. A video circulating on social media shows Rawaf expressing frustration over the incident, describing the situation as disgraceful and questioning the organization of an international academic event after travelling approximately 5,000 miles to attend. Rawaf is a Professor of Public Health at Imperial College London and Director of its World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training. The incident came just days after Rawaf was officially welcomed by University of Baghdad President Professor Alaa Abdulhassan Atiyah Hassan during a meeting focused on strengthening academic cooperation between the University of Baghdad and Imperial College London. According to the university, the discussions covered joint research, academic exchanges, postgraduate supervision and visiting professor programs aimed at expanding international academic partnerships. Rawaf is also a graduate of the University of Baghdad’s College of Medicine and has established an international reputation for his contributions to public health. The removal of microphones during his conference appearance sparked criticism on social media, raising concerns about the treatment of internationally recognized Iraqi academics visiting their home country. Rawaf subsequently described the incident as an organizational error involving the departure of television channels, rather than attributing it to a deliberate attempt to silence him. The incident has nevertheless drawn attention to the importance of professional conference management and ensuring that distinguished academic guests are given appropriate opportunities to contribute to Iraq’s educational and scientific development.