U.S. Department of State Awards AUK the Fourth Grant

2023-10-5

Duhok, Kurdistan Region – October 5, 2023 – The American University of Kurdistan (AUK) has been awarded a $3.75 million grant from the United States Department of State (DOS) titled “Support to American-Style Higher Education in Iraq.” The grant features scholarships for entering students.

Specific goals of this grant are:

  • Growing partnerships between Iraqi and American universities;
  • Fostering institutional and program-level American accreditation;
  • Fostering an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Duhok, which focuses on female empowerment and self-sufficiency; and
  • Promoting sustainable and innovative technologies through establishing an Artificial Intelligence Lab that will serve as a dedicated hub for research and development.

The DOS places a high priority on the establishment of sustainability across all functions and programs of the University. This is especially evident in the development of programming dedicated to entrepreneurship. Following up on last summer’s design thinking bootcamp, there will be additional courses, workshops, and a certificate program dedicated to the business start-up process, from ideation to market studies, business plans, prototyping, incubation, and business launch. Also, a certificate program will be designed and implemented for women IDPs and refugees; this will include English language, business management, introductory accounting, human resource management, and market assessment. The program will include long-term mentorships to support participants past the end date of the certificate. This certificate will be administered by AUK’s Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA).

The DOS Grant will additionally go toward establishing an AI lab to fully leverage the new technology. The University wants to focus on AI research and development, establish partnerships with AI-focused organizations, and provide training and education to build AI expertise within the workforce. Establishing an AI Lab will serve these goals, benefit the region, and support the transition to digital-first strategies.

The grant also offers 49 scholarships for newly enrolled students at AUK. These scholarships prioritize women, students from minority groups, and vulnerable populations.

The American University of Kurdistan’s mission is to adopt and adapt American best practices as manifested in a liberal arts education. The objective is to produce graduates with global perspectives who are fully engaged in the region’s advancement. The incubator, entrepreneurship programming, AI lab, and introduction of a new technological infrastructure for the University are instrumental to the University’s achievement of its mission.

This fourth grant raises the level of support from the DOS to a total of $15 million since 2020.