Under the patronage of the President of the University of Basrah, Prof. Dr. Saad Shaheen Hammadi, the University of Basrah opened its second cultural week with the University of (Fardowsi Mashhad) in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the presence of the representative of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Director of the Department of Missions and Cultural Relations, Dr. Hazem Baqer and President of Ferdowsi  Mashhad University, Dr. Ahad  Dhabiti  and representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Mujtaba Hosseini. Members of the Council of the University of Basra, and a large audience of government officials, as well as academics and students.

Regarding the goal of renewing the cultural forum, the President of the University, Prof. Dr. Saad Shaheen Hammadi, said, "This forum sponsored by the University of Basrah in its second edition  as a complementary to  the first  editions held by Ferdowsi University in December last year on the land of the Islamic Republic. Today's forum aims to introduce the culture, literature and arts of the two universities and strengthen the bonds of the academic relationship between them in implementation of the terms of the academic protocol held between our university and Ferdowsi University, which includes the exchange of experiences and cultures according to a divided and scheduled work plan that includes the exchange of teachers and supervisors of post graduate students and joint research teams and conjoint publications in the international magazines in addition to holding conferences and activating scholarships a great deal of which has been accomplished in reality

Shaheen added - The cultural week on its first and second days includes the establishment of many scientific and cultural activities, including the holding of scientific lectures for professors from Ferdowsi University folkloric performances and religious lectures by  the teams hosted to introduce the Basra  people to Persian culture, and the opening of a workshop for calligraphy and decoration at the college of fine  Arts  In cooperation with the Cultural Center, an exhibition of plastic painting, a joint book exhibition, a forum, and Qur’an  competition, joint matches for futsal football, chess, volleyball , and many cultural and artistic activities
For his part, the President of Ferdowsi Mashhad University expressed his gratitude for strengthening cultural and scientific relations between Iraqi and Iranian universities by saying: I offer the best welcome and greetings to Iraqi universities, especially Basrah University and this day's forum, which represents great importance between the two universities in deepening cultural and scientific relations. Our commonalities exceed every description and we are now focusing on expanding those commonalities and we are proud at Ferdowsi University Mashhad with the presence of about (1000) Iraqi students enrolled in postgraduate study of master's and doctoral degrees and various disciplines. .

The representative of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Hazem Baqer, said in his talk about the forum: On this qualitative occasion, the specificity of the university institutions and their cultural and scientific identity are highlighted in creating a suitable environment for cultural and knowledge exchange, consolidating the policy of cooperation and shortening scientific distances by openness, not limiting it to the local scientific institutes Rather, starting to the space of positive interaction, and the cultural week between the two universities represents one of the most important goals of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to leave the unilateral and local paths and achieve a kind of scientific and cultural cross-fertilization with international scientific systems. Science and knowledge have reached a stage of importance in our modern age that exceeds the importance of the capital Fund in the fields of sustainable development, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is keen to build cultural and academic partnerships with friendly and sister universities, and I congratulate the University of Basrah for the success of its forum today.
It has drawn for itself an international path that suits the identity of this ancient city through its construction of various activities of the forum.