AUK Graduation Projects Expo
On November 30, the AUK College of Arts and Sciences held the "Graduation Projects Expo." It brought together the two dozen students set to graduate from AUK at the conclusion of the academic year and the dozens more interested in viewing their posters and listening to their presentations.
There were projects in Design, in Computer Science and Information Technology, in International Studies, and in Environmental Science. There were group projects, and there were individual projects. In all cases, there were students standing in front of colorful, content-rich posters, prepared to transmit to all comers the fruits of their research over the preceding few months.
The AUK Code
The American University of Kurdistan sponsored a coding contest for local teens, and, this past November 30, participants in the contest were invited for certificates of appreciation, a meeting with President Randall Rhodes, and a look at the AUK campus. Not far at all from where eight capstone projects in Computer Science and Information Technology were being showcased, the top three coders in the competition received special commendation. If they continue on their promising paths, they could one day be at AUK, engaged in state-of-the-art computing for which no name has yet been coined.
High School Students Seeing the Future?
AUK's total commitment to improving education in Kurdistan necessarily involves working with students beyond its own and levels of schooling prior to tertiary. On November 30, high school students were invited to AUK to see the Graduation Projects Expo. The people presenting there were university seniors on the cusp of graduation, and students still in the middle years of high school could take a look and start to strategize on how they could reach a similar position in the future. AUK applauds excellence but does not hoard it; AUK works to improve schools and students across Kurdistan, and, in a positive feedback loop, this will benefit AUK itself, both sooner and later.
Soran University Meets AUK
It is a tradition in Kurdistan for students of one university to visit another, to see the campus and get a sense of what it would be like to study there. In line with that tradition, on November 30, a group of students from Soran University came to AUK. The honored Soran guests got to see the tail end of the Graduation Projects Expo, and after some photo ops they made their way to the AUK Auditorium for interactive presentations by members of the College of Business, CAPA, and Student Government. Numerous Soran students expressed interest in AUK summer courses and CAPA programs, with some even registering on the spot. The visit ended with a guided tour of the Mustafa Barzani Building and an invitation from Soran University representatives for AUK students to participate in a similar experience on their campus.
AUK Alumni Workshop
On November 30, the same day when current AUK students were exhibiting graduation projects and several prospective students were checking out the campus, AUK alumni were not left out. The Office of Advancement and the Office of Student Affairs cooperated to put on a workshop specifically for university alumni. Over 80% of those in attendance were AUK alumni; the rest were students and staff keenly interested in supporting alumni.
The workshop was called “Believe and Achieve.” It was the first “Career Support Workshop” in a series of activities under AUK’s fledgling “Alumni Program.” The overarching goal of this and other Alumni Program activities is to help graduates plan, prepare, and shape their professional identities. The benefits of staying connected to AUK even years after graduation are also emphasized in the program.
The “Believe and Achieve” workshop was opened by Ms. Farah Ali, responsible for coordinating alumni events. After giving an overview of the workshop, she introduced the two other speakers, representatives of their respective offices: Mr. Peter Almissouri, Director of Career Services within the Office of Student Affairs, and Ms. Manal Issa, Director of the Office of Advancement. Career readiness, personal development plans, the building and writing of resumes, and mentoring were the topics discussed.
At the end of the workshop, attendees were asked to fill out surveys and provide feedback. Aheen Haji commented: “Everything was amazing.” Sozan Sakvan Osman said: “That is what I wanted to learn, thank you.”
Holiday Tree Decoration
AUK started its end-of-the-year festivities on December 1, with tree decoration. AUK is still a young university, but it is old enough to have established certain traditions. Holiday tree decoration is one of them.
AUK Student Government saw to the placement and decoration of two trees on campus, both highly visible. One tree was in the location dictated by AUK tradition, on the ground floor. The other tree lit up the Student Lounge.
International Studies Students Visit US Consulate General in Erbil
The American University of Kurdistan seeks to offer extraordinary off-campus learning opportunities to supplement all that happens on-campus. To that end, AUK students from International Studies were able to visit the US Consulate General in Erbil on December 1, learning about diplomacy and the operations of the US Department of State. The US Department of State has been a major partner of AUK for years, and this visit was just the latest manifestation of their fruitful relationship. Consul General Irvin Hicks, Jr. personally welcomed the AUK contingent. The Consul General, a current leader in the field of diplomacy, knew that he was among future leaders in diplomacy and other fields when he was meeting the AUK students, and he expressed pleasure that so many among these leading lights of Kurdistan in the years to come were female.
AUK Talent Show
“AUK’s Got Talent!” On December 5, members of the AUK community put on a show, literally.
There was caricature drawing and simultaneous stand-up comedy, from a single performer. There were poems in each of the three main languages of AUK: Kurdish, English, and Arabic. There were two duets, one in English by heads of divisions of the university, the other in Kurdish by members of the Music Club. If there was a shred of doubt on the matter before, after this event it should be abundantly clear: AUK’s got talent!
Immediately following the talent show was the "generosity show." AUK's Office of Communications and Student Government together saw to the serving of donuts and cookies in the Student Lounge.
Business as Usual
December was not all fun and games, nor should it have been. College of Business students in the “Production and Operations Management” course had previously visited local businesses, getting hands-on labor experiences at them. These students gave presentations which featured their impressions of the on-site work and analysis of the business outlook for their assigned companies.
On December 6, four students presented on Sulav, an organic chicken concern. December 7 was the date for two other group presentations. Five students (including one with a stake in the business) presented on Gold Company, currently specializing in canned goods but looking to diversify. Later that same day, five other students spoke on a firm called Free Lines, whose principal product is the most successful energy drink in Iraq.
Final Exams
AUK officially started final examinations for the Fall semester on December 8. Students sat for hours-long tests designed to show how much they had learned since the August 28 beginning of their courses. It can be grueling, but it is all part of the university experience, meant to produce the best possible graduates.
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence
AUK’s late November event showcasing art from female survivors, “Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes of Violence,” was held near the beginning of the annual, UN-endorsed “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.” Because those “16 Days” end on December 10, which is Human Rights Day, the majority of the period of “Activism” actually belongs to the month of December. AUK programming evinces a perennial regard for female empowerment and human rights, but, out of respect for the special status of the sixteen-day span from November 25 to December 10, AUK sponsored two relevant events. In addition to the aforementioned art exhibit from November 27 (which you can read about here), AUK, through its Center for Peace and Human Security (CPHS), cooperated with the Duhok-based NGO Women for Better Healthy Life on a screening of the documentary Unbroken. The screening took place at WEH Center on December 4.
Always a Sunny Day under the Kurdish Tricolor
Kurdish Flag Day, December 17, is an annual celebration of the Iraqi Kurdistan standard, with its red, white, and green bars serving as a background for a sun sending its rays in all directions. The holiday does not stop at celebrating the flag alone, for it also celebrates the accomplishments and characteristics of the Kurdish people that have resulted in their enjoying as much autonomy as they now do. This year, AUK did not put on the same ceremony it typically does for Kurdish Flag Day (as it did in 2021, for instance), because in 2022 December 17 fell on a Saturday. Nevertheless, the holiday was observed in spirit at AUK; the Kurdish flag flies every day of every year on AUK's campus.
AUK Putting Out Feelers for Partnerships with More American Universities
December is a time to look forward to the coming year and the possibilities it holds, and AUK took a major step toward establishing relationships with more universities in the United States this December. AUK Legal Counsel Dr. Sarmad Majeed visited the US and met his counterparts at two different institutes of higher learning, Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). Dr. Majeed of AUK discussed with the legal teams at the two other universities opportunities for cross-border cooperation, with the goal in mind of enhancing learning in the present and employability in the future for all students involved.