In a significant step towards digital transformation and enhanced institutional integration, Professor Samir Mohammed Jassim, Secretary General of the Central Library at the University of Basra, received a delegation from the Department of Intellectual and Cultural Affairs at the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussein to discuss developing the Central Library's services and adopting the latest technological systems in knowledge management.

The visit included a field tour during which the delegation was briefed on the library's departments and the nature of the services provided to researchers, including existing digital projects.

The meeting resulted in an agreement between the two parties to strengthen joint cooperation and adopt the Koha integrated library management system at the Central Library, with free hosting on the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussein's servers. This will ensure the continuity of operations and the development of the information infrastructure. The two parties also agreed to hold joint specialized workshops to train staff on managing modern library systems and to exchange technical expertise. Furthermore, they agreed to launch a digital knowledge exchange initiative that includes the exchange of scientific resources, dissertations, and intellectual output, thus contributing to expanding the database available to researchers.

Both parties emphasized that this partnership represents a strategic step towards building effective integration between the academic institution and the reputable religious institution, in line with national directives aimed at supporting scientific research and developing knowledge services.

In the same context, the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussein presented a collection of its latest intellectual and cultural publications with the aim of supporting the library’s knowledge base and enriching its scientific resources.