The Women’s Affairs Unit in the Department of Materials Engineering at the University of Technology organized an educational seminar titled:
"Women's Health and Early Screening for Various Types of Cancer" on Monday, February 24, 2025.

The event was attended by Prof. Dr. Jawad Kazem Aloui, Head of the Department, Prof. Dr. Kazem Matar Shabib, Scientific Associate, along with several faculty members and students.

The seminar featured presentations by distinguished speakers:

• Dr. Lujain Anwar Al-Khazraji (Al-Kindy College of Medicine, University of Baghdad)
  Lecture: "Overview of Breast Cancer" The session covered the basics of cancer, an introduction to breast cancer, risk factors for women, and preventive measures.
• Prof. Dr. Raghad Imad Al-Din Naji (Al-Kindy College of Medicine, University of Baghdad)

Lecture: "Obesity in Women"  The talk addressed the causes and challenges of obesity in women, social factors contributing to weight gain, and strategies for maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise, balanced habits, and realistic goal-setting.

• Prof. Dr. Sahar Karim Rahim (College of Medical Technologies, Al-Farahidi University)
  Lecture: "The Role of Mental Health in Women’s Lives" The discussion focused on the importance of mental well-being, sources of psychological stress, and ways to support women through different life stages.

At the conclusion of the seminar, Prof. Dr. Jawad Kazem Aloui praised the outstanding efforts in organizing and delivering the lectures and presented certificates of appreciation to the speakers in recognition of their valuable contributions.

As part of the Women's Affairs Unit activities, faculty members and second-year students from the Department of Materials Engineering at the University of Technology visited the Research Center and Natural History Museum at the University of Baghdad on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

The group was welcomed by Lecturer Noor Hussein Youssef and Senior Agricultural Engineer Batool Abdul Redha Al-Wazzan, who introduced them to the museum’s work, exhibits, and how specimens are collected and preserved. The students explored the various displayed and stored models, learning about their significance through a detailed explanation by Lecturer Noor Hussein.

The visit aimed to give students a deeper understanding of Iraq’s wildlife and natural environment. By the end of the tour, faculty members expressed their appreciation for the insightful experience, the warm hospitality, and the valuable knowledge gained through this visit.

Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Zuhairy was elected as a representative of West Asian countries in the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which is an accredited member and an evaluator of UN documents and publications.

Professor El-Zuhairy specialises in petrochemical engineering and is a lecturer in the Department of Materials Engineering/University of Technology. He received ten votes from twelve voting countries for a two-year electoral term, where voting was conducted through the United Nations platform. It is worth noting that UNEP is one of the United Nations agencies specialized in environmental protection, combating desertification, drought and the effects of climate change.

The Department of Materials Engineering at the University of Technology awarded the Master’s degree to researcher Amasi Youssef Majeed on Thursday, 30/1/2025, in the Graduate Studies Hall in Building C, for her thesis entitled:

“Preparation and Characterization of Polymer blends Reinforced by Nano particles for coating applications"

This study aimed to The development of an epoxy coating by blending 0.5 wt.% chitosan and 2 wt.% TEOS enhanced corrosion resistance. With the addition of SiC nanoparticles (0.1% - 4%), surface roughness and water contact angle increased, reaching their peak at 2 wt.% SiC. Hardness improved by 19.5% at 2 wt.% SiC, while adhesion tests showed enhanced bonding due to reduced porosity and chemical interactions. The coating achieved 99.48% protection at 4 wt.% SiC, compared to 32.48% for pure epoxy.

The discussion committee consisted of Assist. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abdul Hussein Muhammad as Chairman and the membership of each of Assistant Professor Assist. Prof. Dr. Fatima Jafar Muhammad, Dr. Nada Mahdi Farhan. The thesis was supervised by Assist. Prof. Dr. Shaima Mahdi Saleh/Department of Materials Engineering. The thesis was also scientifically evaluated by Prof. Dr. Adnan Abdul Jabbar Abdul Razzaq, Assist. Prof. Dr. Rasha Habib Salman, and linguistically by Assist. Prof. Dr. Laith Waddah Ismail.