AUK Simulation Conference

The American University of Kurdistan (AUK) was once again a driver of educational advancement in the region when it hosted the AUK Simulation Conference on April 28 and 29. The simulations were for health monitoring and health education, so the AUK College of Nursing, under the leadership of Dr. Jervy Bernardino, was at the forefront in conceiving and conducting the weekend-long event. It is also important to note that the conference was planned and executed in partnership with Clever Scientific, an industry leader in nursing education technologies. Manal Issa, Director of the AUK Office of Advancement, skillfully cultivated relationships with the industry sponsor and the numerous exhibitors.

Speakers represented more than eight countries, and they were drawn from both academia and industry. Attendees witnessed the latest technologies that are revolutionizing nursing education, improving student outcomes, and best preparing nursing students for the workplace.

Representatives of Align Nursing Education Consultants Come to AUK

Dr. Heather Gable and Dr. Kara Platt of Align Nursing Education Consultants, in advance of the Simulation Conference, first visited the American University of Kurdistan on April 25 and 26. Their visit was made possible through the United States Department of State Grant titled “Supporting American-Style Higher Education in Iraq.”

On April 25, Dr. Gable and Dr. Platt spoke in the AUK Auditorium about programmatic accreditation. The College of Nursing is seeking accreditation for its baccalaureate program from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, at the same time that the American University of Kurdistan is seeking institutional accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education. Dr. Gable and Dr. Platt explained the numerous benefits of programmatic accreditation, and, together with the University’s Chief Nursing Administrator, Dr. Jervy Bernardino, they expressed confidence that the AUK College of Nursing will earn accreditation by the conclusion of the 2024-2025 academic year.

On April 26, Dr. Gable and Dr. Platt led students through an interactive training on “Basic Life Support” (BLS). Their instruction was accompanied by videos from the American Heart Association. The students performed CPR on manikins representing various body types. The manikins were so lifelike that the students witnessed the visible rising of their chests upon correct CPR administration.

Japanese Ambassador Visits

His Excellency Futoshi Matsumoto, the Ambassador of Japan to Iraq, visited the city of Duhok and the campus of the American University of Kurdistan on May 7. It was the Ambassador’s first visit to the city and the University. The Japanese text in the image above captured the collective University sentiment: AUK の キャンパス へ いらっしゃいませ 、松本大使 (Romanized: “AUK no kyanpasu e irasshaimase, Matsumoto Taishi”; translated into English: “Welcome to the AUK campus, Ambassador Matsumoto”). 

A number of University administrators warmly received the Ambassador and introduced him to AUK. Dr. Nazar Numan, AUK Provost, briefed Ambassador Matsumoto on AUK’s mission, values, academic offerings, and progress toward accreditation by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Dr. Razaq Ferhadi, Dean of the College of Engineering, spoke about the engineering programs and AUK’s partnership with Wayne State University in the U.S. Advancement Director Manal Issa raised the issue of financial access. Ambassador Matsumoto, in response, referenced the State of Japan’s contributions to the UNHCR and several NGOs assisting the internally displaced in Kurdistan; this humanitarian effort includes educational development. He also mentioned the availability of scholarships to Iraqi citizens for study in Japan through the Embassy of Japan in Baghdad.           

Afterwards, Ambassador Matsumoto toured the campus. There were two highlights in particular. Firstly, he saw the University’s state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, such as the Nursing Skills and Simulation Lab, equipped through a United States Department of State Grant titled “Supporting American-Style Higher Education in Iraq.” Secondly, he got the impromptu chance to talk to the students of the International Studies Program. He invited any and all questions concerning Japan. Japan’s technological prowess came up, as well as the possibility of Japanese environmental assistance for Kurdistan and other parts of Iraq. Some students specifically mentioned the extraordinary politeness and respect Japanese soccer fans displayed at last December’s Qatar World Cup in cleaning up the stadium, attracting worldwide media notice; Ambassador Matsumoto explained that Japanese students from a young age must clean up their classrooms as a daily ritual.    

Ambassador Matsumoto was remarkably approachable for a man of his station. He voluntarily shook hands and took selfies with many members of the AUK community. He was also complimentary of the University’s facilities and how far it has come in less than a decade of existence. Ambassador Matsumoto and the rest of the delegation pledged to return to AUK to discuss future collaborations.

Stress Management Workshop for Students

In this month of health-themed activities at the American University of Kurdistan, Office of Student Affairs Director Yelena Sardaryan conducted a workshop on stress management for students. The workshop took place in the Library Learning Center on April 27.  

Ms. Sardaryan opened with a thought-provoking statement: “We need stress to survive.” Stress helps us act with urgency, but, at some point, stress can become overwhelming, so a healthy balance must be struck. She had a number of tips on how to manage stress: exercising, making a plan of action, talking to a trusted person, and engaging in an activity other than the one that has been triggering stressful thoughts. She discussed the psychosomatic nature of stress, whereby it can lead to physical pain. Ultimately, stress overload can have negative repercussions physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and behaviorally. Just as stress comes in different degrees, it comes in different types: “basic stress,” “cumulative stress,” “burnout” (which is particularly associated with the workplace), and “traumatic stress.” Ms. Sardaryan’s closing comment was that time slips away very quickly for those experiencing acute stress yet slows to a pleasant crawl for those whose stress is managed well. Since we all live just once, we should strive to make our lives as long and as full as possible, by keeping stress in check.  

Her main point was perfectly illustrated by one of the slides for her presentation, reproduced immediately above. Stress can never be completely eliminated, but a healthy person employs an appropriate number of coping mechanisms to ensure equilibrium.    

Inauguration of the President’s Lecture Series on Women in Leadership

The first lecture of the President’s Lecture Series on Women in Leadership occurred in the AUK Auditorium on April 30. The session, featuring Dr. Nesreen Barwari, was titled “Leadership, Authority, Authenticity, and Adaptability in Crisis.” The AUK Office of Advancement collaborated closely with President Rhodes in envisioning the series and executing its inaugural session. The President’s Lecture Series is supported by the United States Department of State Grant titled “Supporting American-Style Higher Education in Iraq.”     

The lecture focused on two narratives: the definition of “leadership” and her personal challenges and successes. Dr. Barwari advocated “adaptive leadership,” which “must tackle change every day, every minute.” She added that encouragement and education are the “external” factors that can turn people from non-elite backgrounds, like Dr. Barwari herself, into leaders. She talked repeatedly of her supportive family, who saw to it from an early age that she be encouraged to pursue her passions and realize her potential.

Her advice was, by design, relevant for both males and females, as, in the manner of a true leader, her aim was to motivate all around her. Her one-sentence advice to females was: “Go for it.” Her one-sentence advice to males was: “Don’t miss out on the joy of sharing responsibility with women.” Her advice to everyone equally was: “Always do something outside of yourself” (in other words, do not rest on your laurels or live permanently in your comfort zone). She also recommended listening to others and trying to derive lessons from their stories, extolling the value of “story collection as a way of preparing leadership and managerial style.”  

After her lecture, AUK President Randall Rhodes served as the moderator for a Q & A. One of the many questions she faced – and arguably the most important – was on how to build hope in Kurdistan. She named education as the path to personal growth and preparedness for the challenges of life.  

College of Arts and Sciences Spring Semester Expo

The College of Arts and Sciences had another Expo, on April 30, exactly five months after the fall’s. All three departments of the College of Arts and Sciences, namely, the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, the Department of Design, and the Department of International Studies, were represented by seniors set to graduate in just a few weeks and poised to present their capstone projects to event attendees. 

ERPC 2023

Engineering students from AUK joined engineering students from several other universities in Kurdistan for the ERPC (Engineering Research Poster Competition) on May 2. There were 20 projects, all displayed on posters, of course, with several having accompanying models as well. Evaluators moved from one poster to another, rating the project ideas and how they were visually and verbally presented.

In the AUK Auditorium, competitors and attendees alike listened to speeches by AUK Provost Dr. Nazar Numan, Dean of the College of Engineering Dr. Razaq Ferhadi, and Chair of the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications Dr. Omar Abdulghafoor. Dana Wirya, Cyber Security System Manager from Korek Telecom, gave a talk on foiling scammers, who are in a constant battle against "engineering" in their efforts to defraud others.

The scores for the poster presentations were tabulated during the speeches. The University President, Dr. Randall Rhodes, presented awards to the top three teams. An AUK team placed third, but the top two were both visitors, with a team from Soran University getting second and one from Duhok Polytechnic taking home the grand prize.

AUK Job Fair 2023

For virtually the whole day on May 4, the American University of Kurdistan held its 2023 Job Fair. The event brought together local employers (many of them with an international footprint) and AUK students and alumni interested in job-seeking and networking. Many other AUK students served as volunteers at the event.

Students and alumni came in professional attire and with several copies of their resumes. The industries to which the companies belonged ran the gamut, from food to currency trading, from resource extraction to schooling. Students and alumni had plenty of time to circulate among the companies in attendance and speak to their representatives, in search of jobs, connections, or just more information on the many — and multiplying — opportunities available in Kurdistan.

Students and alumni also enjoyed plenty of support at the AUK Job Fair. Perwar Al-Missouri, Director of Career Services in the Office of Student Affairs, was present throughout the event to help in any way he could, after spending countless hours as the primary planner of the AUK Job Fair in the weeks leading up to it. The entire staff of AUK’s Office of Advancement, responsible for maintaining ties with alumni and building linkages between the University and industry, was also there.  

Spring 2023 Final Exams

Final examinations for the Spring 2023 semester were, by far, students’ greatest academic responsibility for May. Pictured above is a class just starting a final exam, on May 11. With their exams, the students pictured put the finishing touches on their participation in Dr. Zain Janjua’s College of Business course “Human Resource Planning & Staffing.” Assisting Dr. Janjua in the proctoring was a College of Business colleague, Dr. Agwu Okechukwu.

Society of Petroleum Engineers Student Chapter at AUK

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) now has a student chapter at AUK. The Society of Petroleum Engineers is an international network of petroleum engineers with over 124,800 members, spread across two-thirds of the world’s countries. It allows for knowledge-sharing and a greater esprit de corps among petroleum engineers. The student chapter is within the purview of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, and its Faculty Adviser is Dr. Mohammed Ali Namuq.

Class of 2023 Academic Excellence Valedictorian

Areen Masrour Barzani is the Academic Excellence Valedictorian of the Class of 2023 at the American University of Kurdistan. Specializing in Security and Strategic Studies in the College of International Studies, Areen achieved the highest cumulative GPA of his graduating class, exemplifying unparalleled academic excellence and earning this recognition as the Class of 2023’s top student.

Areen Masrour Barzani (College of International Studies)

Class of 2023 Valedictorians Announced for Four Constituent Colleges

The Class of 2023 valedictorians for the four constituent Colleges of the American University of Kurdistan were named approximately three weeks prior to graduation. Here are the four valedictorians of their respective Colleges, appearing from left to right in the image below:

Baniz Avdal Wasman (College of International Studies)

Sheng Rezan Osman (College of Arts and Sciences)

Miaad Nimat Esa (College of Engineering)

Areen Hakeem Haydar (College of Business)

CPHS May Seminar

For its May seminar, the Center for Peace and Human Security (CPHS) welcomed Ms. Anna Hess Sargsyan to AUK. Her talk was titled “The Ongoing Conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh]: Prospects for Peace & Security.” The seminar format was highly conversational, with questions and comments from the audience interspersed throughout rather than confined to the end.  

“Reading Is Fun” Week

The AUK Library recognized “Reading Is Fun” Week starting May 8. Everyone was welcome to participate in the activities, but the AUK Library’s observance was particularly directed at students in the Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA) already having a solid foundation of English and looking to improve further. The centerpiece of the activities was a short story, different for each day of the week-long observance to incentivize return visits. The short story was not just about passive listening, as the reader would do “checks for understanding” with the audience and otherwise try to pull them into the narrative more deeply. AUK has high literacy standards for its current and aspiring students, and this should be evident from the four literary classics recommended to students upon the completion of the short story: Wuthering Heights, Sense and Sensibility, Hamlet, and The Great Gatsby.