Al Safwa is located in the Iraqi city of Karbala, one of the great holy cities and pilgrimage sites of Shia Muslim, attracting millions of devotees twice a year. It was founded in 2012, with a mission to "localise and develop the scientific knowledge of society and improve it by preparing specialist human cadres with high efficiency in modern technology for use in the field of scientific research".
It focuses largely on medical and technical disciplines, with faculties of pharmacy, computer engineering, pathological analysis, business administration, dentistry, law, physical education and sports science, architectural engineering, nursing, and art education.
Located around 100 miles south-west of the Iraqi capital, Teheran, Karbala was the site of a number of battles and terrorist attacks in the two decades before Al Safwa’s foundation. It has grown rapidly since, with a population estimated at 1.2 million. It has a hot desert climate, with temperatures averaging 30C or more between May and September, and less than 100mm of rain annually.
Al Safwa, based in the Al Ma’laji district, two miles down the Holy Karbala Road from the city centre, has also grown rapidly. The student roll doubled exactly, from 2,817 in 2019 to 5,634 two years later. Around three-quarters of students come from Karbala province, and just over 40 per cent are female. That sex ratio is reflected in the academic staff, whose numbers fell marginally from 225 to 220 during the same period. A partnership agreement for the joint use of laboratories and possibly shared lectures and examinations was signed with the University of Karbala in 2022.
