Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq University is a co-educational institution named in honour of the 6th Sh’ia Imam, Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq. He is remembered as the founder of the "First Great Islamic University" at Medina in the 8th Century. The university was established in 2004.
Promoting "openness, diversity, integrity and academic freedom", it proclaims a vision of becoming "a distinguished scientific institution with a high level of education and scientific research and the best chance for students and researchers to meet the demands of the local and international labour markets”.
Accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in 2008, it began with a main campus close to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Baghdad and satellite campuses in Najah and Ashraf. These have been supplemented by further sites at Muthanna, Shi Qar, Diyali, Salah al-Din and Kirkuk.
Classes are organised by the faculties of administrative science and financial studies - which aims to "prepare administrative and financial leaders capable of improving the future" - information, technology and law.
In 2016 it hosted the International Conference of Multidisciplinary Information Technology while specialist facilities include the Library of Legal Research. There is a strong focus on applied research.
The student body of about 10,000 reflects an overall institutional culture which is more ecumenical than in some Iranian institutions.
The university is located in Baghdad, which is the capital city of Iraq. It has a population of over 6 - 7 million people and is the largest city in Iraq.