The Kurdish Globe
AUIS sends its first master's of business administration graduating class into the business world.
Kurdistan Prime Minister Dr. Barham Salih calls the new graduates "the basis of developing the country and building democracy in Iraq and Kurdistan."
Last week, the first group of students graduated from American University of Iraq-Suleimaniya (AUIS). Twenty-nine students received master's degrees in business administration.
The graduating students were elated in the ceremony, which was attended by the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Kurdistan Minister of Higher Education, and a great number of academics.
"It's the day we dreamed about. Now, in our country, we have a high-quality university," said Hiwa Othman Faraj, one of the graduating students.
Graduates remarked that their minds have been opened by the information they learned at the university, including business planning, investing, and finding job opportunities.
The current Kurdistan Prime Minister, Dr. Barham Salih, ex-U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad, along with numerous other influential Iraqis, Iraqi expatriates, and American citizens and officials began to formulate a concept for a center for the development, education, and training of the future leaders of Iraq.
Originally, it was Dr. Salih's idea and dream. He stated that he "always dreamed one day to open the American University in Kurdistan Region." At the ceremony, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Rafeh al-Isawi said that "Dr. Barham Salih is the father of the American University of Iraq project." Al-Isawi noted that "the University is the best investment for developing Iraq."
Dr. Salih thanked all of the people in his speech who helped build the university. He also praised the graduates. "I am proud of you, because you will be the basis of developing the country and building democracy in Iraq and Kurdistan." He hoped that Kurdistan Region would become a gate for all of Iraq, and both Arabs and Kurds, to build a developed and stable area.
Meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador in Iraq, Christopher Hill, promised that United States will always support the university. "Kurdistan Region has a strong economy; it is rich with natural resources and in an important geographical position."
Said Hill: "We [Americans] have been here for seven years; we are not the kind of people to run away from responsibilities. On the contrary, we will stay here until we finish the job, and we have great faith in U.S.-Iraq relations, and U.S.-Kurdistan Region relations."
AUIS opened in October 2007 in Suleimaniya city. It is a nonprofit institution of higher education following the American model of undergraduate and graduate education in the Middle East. The university operates with the Carnegie semester credit model. All instruction at AUIS is in English. The institution is licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research of the Kurdistan Regional Government of the Republic of Iraq.
The vision of the university is to be the foremost educational institution in the development of future leaders in all fields, so as to promote and preserve a peaceful and democratic Iraq with liberty and prosperity for all its citizens and for the entire region.
The missions are to promote the development and prosperity of Iraq through the careful study of modern commerce, economics, business, and public administration. The mission is also to lead the transformation of Iraq into a liberal and democratic society, through an understanding of the ideals of freedom and democracy.
Note: Photo by AUIS.
