National Storytelling Week at the AUK Library
National Storytelling Week stretched from January 30 to February 6, and the AUK Library invited members of the AUK community to tell their stories. This is the first time the AUK Library has participated in this international weeklong event celebrating the power of storytelling. Stories are a leading vehicle of education, and they are particularly valuable in spreading empathy. Through their stories, members of the AUK community gave others various lessons – some from true events, others from parables.
CAPAx Recognition Ceremony
At the end of last month, the Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA) staged its second annual CAPAx event, in which its students bravely stood on the stage in the AUK Auditorium and gave presentations on topics near and dear to them. On January 29, 10 students had presented on 7 topics. The event was a grand success, and CAPA formally recognized the 10 students in a ceremony on February 6. The organization also recognized the many volunteers who gave their time to ensure that the CAPAx event would be successful for both the participants and the audience.
United States Consul General Visit
On February 6, U.S. Consul General Irvin Hicks, Jr. visited the American University of Kurdistan. He had a meeting with AUK President Randall Rhodes and then took a short tour of the campus focused on the labs funded through the United States Department of State Grant titled “Support to American-Style Higher Education in Iraq,” like the Nursing Skills & Simulation Lab. Consul General Irvin Hicks, Jr. later met with awardees of scholarships that had been made possible by said Grant.
Seismic Activity Causes Tragedy in Turkey and Syria, Disrupts Classes at AUK
An earthquake in the early hours of February 6 led to the tragic passing of thousands of people in Turkey and Syria. There was noticeable shaking in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq between 4:17 and 4:30 AM. There was minor but still perceptible shaking in the early afternoon, as a result of which numerous AUK employees and students temporarily stepped outside the building. The shaking in Duhok was, fortunately, incomparable to that experienced farther to the west, but, out of an abundance of caution, the Kurdistan Regional Government declared a three-day holiday, from February 7 to 9, to assess the damage and risk of additional danger.
Presentation by VCG Markets for AUK College of Business Students
On February 14, representatives of VCG Markets, a finance broker in Erbil, delivered a presentation for College of Business students, faculty, and staff in the AUK Auditorium. The title of the presentation: “Unlocking the Future of International Trade: Understanding the Changing Global Dynamics” was of interest to students taking courses in finance and international business. Students were advised on the mechanics of stock brokerage and the ins and outs of registration and licensing for investments.
Wedo Academy and CAPA Sign Memorandum of Understanding
On February 15, Dr. Bayar Shahab of Erbil’s Wedo Academy traveled to AUK to sign an official statement of partnership with its Center for Academic and Professional Advancement. He began with a presentation on the general financial state of Iraq in the AUK Auditorium, including how various forms of electronic banking can improve the efficiency of the system and support economic progress. Next, he visited the Office of the President for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The MoU will see Wedo Academy and CAPA cooperating on a number of ventures, including CAPA’s upcoming Summer Design Thinking Tech Bootcamp.
For a full-length article on this new partnership and the presentation immediately preceding its formalization, please click here.
Club Fair & Dance Party on February 20
The 20th of February was both productive and festive for the students of AUK. First, from 1 PM to 4 PM, there was the Student Club Fair, put together by the Office of Student Affairs. The three-hour window allowed students to visit in between their classes and take their time looking over the 12 clubs on offer. The clubs included more cerebral ones, like chess, and more physical ones, like Tennis. Shortly thereafter, the AUK Student Government put on an event called “Celebrating AUK Students,” centered on a dance party. Abdulla Harki, an accomplished Kurdish-language singer already with quite a presence on the web, provided the vocals for pulse-pounding dance music.
International Mother Language Day 2023
International Mother Language Day was on February 21, and CAPA and the AUK Library cooperated in recognizing it. Gulan Ahmed, Director of the Library, explained the importance of this observation: “It is to celebrate the world’s linguistic and cultural diversity.” A collaboratively produced video showcased some of the many mother languages represented on the AUK campus and a speaker for each: Sorani Kurdish (Dr. Razaq Ferhadi), Badini Kurdish (Dr. Sarmad Majeed), English (Thomas Hayes), Arabic (Amena Mohammed), Assyrian (Maryam Eshaq), Armenian (Loucine Hayes), Urdu (Sheeba Uzair), and Tagalog (Dr. Jervy Bernardino).
Workshop on “Ethical Communication”
“Ethics” pertain to every endeavor in life, and CAPA Director Loucine Hayes gave a talk on how ethics pertain to academics and professionalism on February 21. She approached the topic philosophically, encouraging the listeners to ask themselves many questions in planning their actions, generally relating to consideration for others and consequences for oneself. Titled “Ethical Communication,” it was the first of its kind and was received very well by the audience in attendance in the AUK Library. There were audible calls for a sequel as Loucine Hayes wrapped up her talk, so it will probably not be the last of its kind.
AUK Keys In On Accreditation
Accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is, at present, one of AUK’s top institutional priorities, and it was the subject of two consecutive days of assemblies for faculty and staff, on February 20 and 21. Dr. Carol Anderson, NECHE Vice President, was the presenter for both sessions.
The session on the 20th, “Preparing for the NECHE Candidacy Visit Fall 2023,” focused on what AUK should expect during the formal visit of a NECHE team, set to happen by the end of 2023. She expressed confidence in the University based on what she had seen during her first day on campus: “If I were a betting person, I would say AUK’s future looks very bright.” AUK will submit a thorough “self-study” report to the visiting team at least 6 weeks before their arrival, and the visitors will be carefully comparing the contents thereof with what they gather in person on campus.
The session on the 21st, “Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment,” was a thorough overview of the 9 standards AUK will have to meet in order to be deemed “American-style” by NECHE’s decision-makers and approved for candidacy. Essentially, AUK will demonstrate its “effectiveness” – and thereby pass its “assessment” – by meeting or exceeding those standards.
Dr. Anderson spent two additional days at AUK. On days three and four, she devoted most of her time to meeting with smaller groups. Each group was responsible for reporting on AUK’s progress on one of the 9 standards. To quote Dr. Anderson’s refrain from her sessions on the first two days, the groups had to back up their reporting with “examples, examples, examples” and “evidence, evidence, evidence.”
Nursing Students from Soran See AUK
Nursing students and faculty from Soran Technical College visited the American University of Kurdistan on February 23. After short addresses from several speakers, the last of whom was Dr. Jervy Bernardino, AUK’s Chief Nursing Administrator, the visiting students got a chance to talk to their AUK student peers. The visitors then enjoyed a guided tour of the AUK campus; the longest stop on the tour was Nursing Skills & Simulation Lab. The state-of-art Nursing Skills & Simulation Lab is one of the crown jewels of the AUK campus, made possible through the United States Department of State Grant titled “Support for American-Style Higher Education in Iraq.”
Meet Mohammed Salih
Staff, Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA)
Mohammed Salih is currently the Marketing Graphic Design Senior Coordinator for CAPA at AUK. He was formerly CAPA’s Marketing & Sales Coordinator.
His formal education led to a BA in Basic Education and the Teaching of English at the University of Duhok. He served as an English teacher in Kurdistan prior to his time at AUK. He began employment at the University in 2018, as an Administrative Assistant at ELI (the English Language Institute), CAPA’s predecessor.
Mr. Salih worked hard to acquire new skills for his current role at CAPA, focused on graphic design. CAPA Director Loucine Hayes is very appreciative of his adaptability and attitude, remarking: “I love Mohammed. He is loyal, honest, and humble. He never complains.” He showed some of those qualities when asked how he feels about his position at CAPA: “It is a source of pride for me to be part of the staff at AUK and CAPA, and I have learned so much.”