The Industrial Advisory Board at the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences for Women, University of Baghdad, held its periodic meeting presided over by the Dean, Professor Dr. Fatima Abd Maleh, and attended by a select group of experts, consultants, and representatives from the sports and educational sectors. The meeting aimed to build bridges of cooperation between academic outcomes and the requirements of the evolving sports labor market, and included discussions on the college’s vision, mission, and goals. Key topics addressed included the development of curricula to encompass modern applied and technical aspects in sports sciences that align with the needs of sporting institutions, the provision of specialized training programs for women students in clubs, sports centers, and federations to ensure practical readiness prior to graduation, and the alignment of educational outcomes with the labor market. Furthermore, the board studied the skills currently required in the “sports industry,” such as digital sports management, physical rehabilitation, and sports marketing, while encouraging women students to select graduation research topics that address real-world challenges faced by sports institutions in the country.
This step comes in response to modern trends in higher education, where the “Industrial Advisory Board” serves as the link between science and theory and professional application. In her remarks, the Dean of the College emphasized that the objective is not only to graduate athletes but to develop leaders in the sports sector who possess the actual tools sought by employers. At the conclusion of the meeting, several recommendations were put forward, including the organization of joint quarterly workshops between the college and the private sector, the involvement of market representatives in evaluating the quality of educational outcomes, and the introduction of short-term professional diplomas that meet urgent labor market needs.
