As part of its efforts to enhance graduates’ readiness for labour market requirements and expand their professional opportunities, Al Mustaqbal University held its Second Career Qualification and Employment Forum under the slogan “Empowering Graduates and Addressing Unemployment Towards a Sustainable Professional Future.” The forum was held under the patronage of the University President, Professor Dr. Hassan Shakir Majdi, and supervised by the Director of Scientific and Academic Supervision, Professor Dr. Muzaffar Sadiq Al-Zuhairi. It was organized by the Career Qualification, Employment, and Follow-up Division, with the participation of academics, representatives of government institutions and the private sector, as well as university students and graduates. The forum opened with a speech by the University President, delivered on his behalf by Professor Dr. Muzaffar Sadiq Al-Zuhairi. The speech emphasized the importance of developing graduates’ scientific, professional, and personal competencies to strengthen their competitiveness in the labour market. It also highlighted the need to expand cooperation between the university, government institutions, and the private sector to provide training and employment opportunities and support young people’s professional development. The forum featured several specialized sessions addressing employment challenges and the requirements of economic development. Professor Dr. Haider Al-Dulaimi, Dean of the College of Administrative Sciences, discussed the role of administrative skills and entrepreneurship in reducing unemployment and creating new job opportunities. Engineer Huda Qasim, representing the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, presented prospects for cooperation between the Ministry and the university to align educational outcomes with the needs of the industrial labour market. In another session, Ms. Janan Adel Makki, Managing Director of Aqd Gate Company for Qualification and Employment, highlighted the requirements for transitioning from academic education to professional integration, emphasizing the importance of acquiring employment-related skills and pursuing continuous training. Meanwhile, Mr. Mustafa Abbas Sabr, a leading project developer in the Iraqi market, discussed the importance of promoting an empowerment-oriented mindset and confidence in individual abilities, while encouraging innovation and self-employment as effective pathways to creating professional opportunities. The forum also featured success stories and professional experiences shared by several Al Mustaqbal University graduates. They presented key milestones from their career journeys and discussed the challenges they had overcome, offering practical examples of how academic knowledge and acquired skills can be transformed into successful professional pathways. The event concluded with a presentation of the forum’s recommendations and outcomes by Professor Dr. Iman Abdul-Aziz, Director of the Career Qualification, Employment, and Follow-up Division. She emphasized the importance of continuing professional qualification programmes, expanding partnerships with government institutions and private-sector companies, increasing training and employment opportunities, and developing students’ and graduates’ skills in line with the rapidly changing labour market. The organization of this forum reflects Al Mustaqbal University’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the integration of university education with labour market requirements, promote a culture of initiative, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and empower graduates to build sustainable professional futures while contributing effectively to economic and social development. Al Mustaqbal University The First University in Iraq