Iraqi engineering: Where has all the research gone?

To what extent have Iraqi engineering research emphases changed over the past 15 years or so? Exploration of Iraqi publication patterns shows a dramatic rise in activity through 1990, followed by a precipitous decline through early 2003. Iraqi engineering research emphases include chemistry and chemical engineering, information technology, applied math and simulation, applied physics, and circuits and controls. Modeling and simulation, and attention to thin semi-conductor films, show relatively increased recent emphasis. We also observe interesting institutional patterns. Government-run universities, plus the Science Research Council, dominate engineering research publication. The net effect of this study is to raise questions about the current status of Iraqi engineering R&D. Knowledge of changes in engineering publication patterns can inform deliberations about Iraqi capabilities and emphases, but drawing policy implications requires expert review. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.