Graduation Projects Expo Interviews
The Graduation Projects Expo on November 30, 2022, featured nearly two dozen “capstone projects” from AUK seniors. These students represent the departments within AUK’s College of Arts and Sciences (Design; Computer Science and Information Technology; and International Studies), as well as the Environmental Science Program. Students rose to the occasion of responding to questions about their projects. Some of their responses appear below, in no particular order.
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- Fatima Ahmed from Computer Science and Information Technology
Topic: “Astra Educational App”
What made you choose this topic?
“I used to work as an instructor and had difficulty communicating with students. With this app, I could better communicate with students and help other teachers to do the same. I also wanted to improve the quality of education in Kurdistan.”
What was the hardest part of your project?
“I would say implementing is not as easy as you would think. The design is easier.”
When did you have the most fun doing your project?
“I had to go outside to do user research, and I could interview potential users. I got to interview 40 people, and they were all nice.”
Why do you think your topic is important for others to know about?
“I think everyone should care because quality of education is very important and it is where we can improve as a country.”
Since you will graduate from university soon, your study in the future will mostly be “self-study.” What subject are you most interested in studying on your own and why?
“Business research, because you can do user research and then analyze results. Also, project management is something I might consider going back to school for in the future.”
When asked if she knew what “astra” meant in Latin, Fatima did know: “stars.” There is even a star in the logo for her app.
The laptop on the table during her presentation was not just a prop; she had her app ready to run on it.
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- Tahseen Ahmad, Shangal Badal, and Hussein Muhammad from International Studies
Topic: “The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict Impact on the Middle East”
What made you choose this topic?
“The more research you do, the more you realize media coverage is biased.”
What was the hardest part of your project?
“Determining the impact on the Middle East.”
When did you have the most fun doing your project?
“The most fun we had was finding a place where what the media said was not true.”
Why do you think your topic is important for others to know about?
“Russia is not necessarily evil. It is trying to protect itself. Also, we should prepare in the Middle East for what might happen in the future.”
What do you think the peace agreement ending this war should include?
It is not only Russia’s problem or Ukraine’s problem. There must be collective action. The international community needs to jump in.”
When asked the million-dollar, nightmare question of the possibility of Russia using a nuclear weapon, the presenters said they were sure there would be environmental problems and speculated the world would become even more polarized politically.
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- Sheng Osman from Design
Topic: “Spreading Optimism through Interior Design to Empower Women”
What made you choose this topic?
“I wanted to spread optimism in the community and empower women in society.”
What was the hardest part of your project?
“It was getting similar ideas for the case studies.”
When did you have the most fun doing your project?
“I had the most fun ideating the concept of the project.”
Why do you think your topic is important for others to know about?
“There is a need for women not to be treated as second-class citizens anymore.”
You call your proposed building a “ladies’ club.” Should there be separate clubs for girls and for very old women?
“It is for females of all ages, with many centers inside, for example educational and recreational.”
When asked about the best kind of music to pay inside her proposed “ladies’ club,” Sheng said she thought Kurdish cultural songs would be best.
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- Dilgash Hussein and Osama Taher from Environmental Science
Topic: “Medical Waste Management”
What made you choose this topic?
“The problem that faced us in our city, Duhok. Medical waste is a huge problem here.”
What was the hardest part of your project?
“Collecting data, by going out and interviewing.”
When did you have the most fun doing your project?
“When we knew the results would be beneficial for ourselves and lead to profit and a clean environment.”
Why do you think your topic is important for others to know about?
“The population in Duhok is increasing, so this problem is increasing. We need to try to solve the problem now.”
Try to predict the future. How do you think people will be dealing with biohazardous materials 50 years from now?
“They will be more aware because they will have more knowledge of medical waste, and we will have an environment free of medical waste.”
When asked how responsible about recycling they were personally, the presenters both said they regarded it as their “duty.” They mentioned how long it takes for certain kinds of waste to biodegrade – and that some kinds of waste never biodegrade.
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Thanks – and congratulations – are in order for all of the students who presented at the Graduation Projects Expo, with special recognition for those who agreed to have their words reproduced here. The graduation ceremony is not far off, Class of 2023!