In cooperation with the College of Science at the University of Kufa, the Association for Specialized Studies between the Seminary and the University organizes a scientific symposium titled: "The Role of Universities in Shaping Cultural Awareness."

• The most dangerous thing universities produce is not curricula, but the thinking human being capable of influencing and serving society.
• True knowledge is that which is coupled with ethical values and a sense of responsibility.

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The College of Science at the University of Kufa, in cooperation with the Association for Specialized Studies between the Seminary and the University, hosted a distinguished scientific and cultural symposium, attended by the Dean of the College, Professor Dr. Haider Al-Shafi'i, and a select group of professors and students, amid wide interaction and notable attendance.

The lecture was delivered by His Eminence Sheikh Qasim Al-Hashimi, titled:
“The Role of Universities in Shaping Cultural Awareness,”

Emphasizing that the university is not merely an institution that grants degrees, but rather an environment for shaping minds and building conscious personalities, and a central axis in outlining the features of societies' futures, pointing out that the true value of the university lies in preparing a person capable of thinking and actively contributing to serving their community.

He explained that cultural awareness is not limited to the accumulation of information, but is based on four main dimensions: self-awareness, societal awareness, global awareness, in addition to critical awareness that enables the individual to distinguish between truth and deception. He also indicated that the university stage is one of the most important stages in shaping intellectual identity and building convictions.

He clarified that the university contributes to shaping awareness through the diversity of its environment, promoting dialogue, developing skills of questioning, research, and analysis, along with entrenching critical thinking, warning against the influences of digital media that may promote false standards of success based on appearances and fame instead of knowledge and values.

He also stressed the importance of linking knowledge with ethics, in light of the challenges the world is witnessing due to the absence of conscience among some advanced minds, affirming that knowledge without values may turn into a tool for corruption and deception.

The symposium addressed the most prominent challenges facing the awareness of university students, including the dominance of algorithms, the flattening of knowledge through quick content, the spread of a culture of mockery, the glorification of celebrities, in addition to increasing anxiety about the future and identity.

At the conclusion of the symposium, the lecturer called for activating intellectual and cultural clubs within universities, promoting conscious media, opening safe spaces for dialogue, and linking specializations with community service, with the aim of preparing conscious leaders, not just graduates, directing a message to students that the certificate is not the end of the road, but the true beginning of building thought and mission.

His Eminence also recalled, on the occasion of the fortieth day since his martyrdom, the honorable stances of His Eminence Ayatollah al-Udhma Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei “Quddisa Sirruh,” praising his sacrifices for the dignity and honor of the nation, and his steadfast, courageous, and sincere following of the path of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him).