CAPAx 2024: Ideas on Achieving Excellence

Duhok Kurdistan Region – January 31, 2024 – The Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA) at the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) launched its third CAPAx event on January 28. True to the motto “Achieve Your Path to Excellence” CAPAx 2024 featured five speeches covering a range of global and local topics, including “The Modern Medicine of Plants”, “How to Be Beautiful”, “Rethink Energy in Duhok”, “Kurdish Language Goes Tech”, and “AI”. The audience consisted of students of CAPA and AUK, the Bahradar School, Mosul University, Cihan University, and representatives of the Ministry of Higher Education, the Barzani Charity Foundation and Iraq Venture Partners (IVP).

Dr. Randall Rhodes, President of the American University of Kurdistan, emphasized CAPA’s role in nurturing academic and professional growth among students. Loucine Hayes, Director of CAPA, echoed highlighted the role of CAPAx in shaping students’ journeys. “Today marks the beginning of a thrilling year as we celebrate AUK’s 10th anniversary with CAPAx,” Hayes declared. “It has now become a tradition that presents our students’ achievements and great potential.”

Presenters reflected on their experiences, expressing gratitude to their mentors and peers. “This event was an amazing experience that developed our skills and expanded our horizons … “presenting on local and global issues was rewarding. We thank our fellow students for their support and commitment.”

Each presentation was evaluated based on criteria covering speaking skills, content depth, and the ability to field questions from the panel of judges. The jury included Thomas Hayes, Chair of General Education, Sara Al-Jabbari, Director of Finance, Dr. Hoger Najm, Adjunct Faculty. Rahma Khalid’s topic “AI” claimed first place, followed by Zhinwar Harmi’s “How to Be Beautiful”, and “Rethink Energy in Duhok” by Zhehat Nayef and Sulaiman Mohammed.

In addition to the thought-provoking presentations, the event also featured an exhibition supporting local businesses. As AUK embarks on its 10th-anniversary celebrations, CAPAx stands as the center of academic excellence and community engagement, inspiring students to pursue knowledge and innovation.