Mission, Vision, Core Values

The American University of Kurdistan was founded in 2014 by Masrour Barzani as a non-profit, special status institution of higher learning located in Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Its mission is to combine the best of American-style liberal arts and professional education to produce graduates with global perspectives who are fully engaged in the advancement and flourishing of the region.

The University aims to:

• Support a values-based liberal arts and professional education that is open to students from all cultural, religious, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.
• Create a stimulating learning environment in which vigorous debate is encouraged and excellence in communication is rewarded.
• Foster an intellectual climate that encourages dedication to learning that extends far beyond the physical confines of the traditional classroom.
• Educate each student as a whole person with the belief that the greatest good faculty and staff can do is to instill in students the love of lifelong learning.
• Encourage students to actively apply the knowledge they have learned, so they are well prepared to enter a competitive, global marketplace.
• Support faculty engagement in applied research that actively addresses the challenges communities throughout the region face and that supports a sustainable environment.
• Reward excellence in teaching that develops critical thinking skills enhanced through both collaborative classroom experiences and real-world field work and internships.
• Model and promote dedication to community service and social responsibility.

The American University of Kurdistan will be recognized as a premier institution of higher education in the Middle East and beyond by cultivating academic excellence, fostering creativity, and engaging in the highest caliber of applied research.

• Diversity: AUK embraces a diverse learning community free from discrimination, and actively promotes respect for and understanding of all individuals and perspectives.
• Accountability: AUK is a dynamic educational institution that holds all faculty, staff and students accountable for adhering to its values, promoting excellence in teaching, research, and service with enduring benefit to the region and world.
• Creativity: AUK encourages freedom of thought that allows for the highest caliber of creative expression.
• Integrity: AUK requires that all faculty, staff and students act with dignity and honesty, adhering consistently to the University's code of ethics.
• Commitment: AUK is committed to the development and implementation of new research initiatives, teaching methodologies, and innovative curricula that enhance educational opportunities for all students, thereby deepening their understanding of global issues and events.