Petroleum Engineering Bachelor of Science Academic Program Review

For its effectiveness as an institute of tertiary education and, relatedly, its NECHE accreditation drive, the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) is formally implementing Academic Program Review procedures. On April 5 and April 6, the Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering was under review by a committee, made up of two people internal to AUK and two disciplinary peers from universities in other countries. They reviewed the curriculum, visited the facilities, and spoke to numerous stakeholders. The four reviewers were AUK's Dr. Mustafa Amen, AUK's Sinbl Yakoob, Middle East Technical University's Salam Al-Rbeawi, and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS's Dr. Tarek Al-Arbi Ganat. 

For an article with more information on the B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering Academic Program Review, please click here. 

Industry Safety Presentation for Petroleum Engineering Students

On April 13, DNO, a Norwegian oil and gas company operating in Kurdistan, visited AUK to speak to Petroleum Engineering students about the safety procedures at oil and gas fields. Mark Wheeler, an industry safety expert from Australia, engaged the audience with an interactive presentation, in which his keen safety sense and nearly three decades of oil and gas experience were readily apparent. His talk concerned what he termed "HWWS": "How We Work Safe." Succinctly, the way to work safely is to regard work as the final step, coming only after all safety precautions have been rigorously applied. DNO distributed to the AUK students the exact same cards outlining safety procedures they will have to carry on them if they end up working for the company one day. 

For an article further detailing this presentation on industry safety, please click here. 

CPHS April Seminar

For its April seminar, the Center for Peace and Human Security (CPHS) invited Dr. Thomas Schmidinger, an affiliate of the University of Vienna, to the AUK campus. His talk addressed the aftermath of the genocide of Yazidis in Shingal, examining the situation all the way up to 2023. The seminar ended with a Q & A session, which included questions from AUK International Studies students, AUK faculty, AUK staff, and even one of the numerous attendees from nearby Nawroz University.  

For more detail on this seminar, please click here. 

Clever Scientific and AUK Sign Agreement for End-of-Month Conference

The American University of Kurdistan has been planning for the AUK Simulation Conference at the end of April. On April 10, AUK President Randall Rhodes, Chief Nursing Administrator Dr. Jervy Bernardino, and Office of Advancement Director Manal Issa received a delegation from the Conference sponsor, Clever Scientific, Ltd. This year’s AUK Simulation Conference will be the first of its kind in Iraq, and AUK envisions it as an annual affair in partnership with Clever Scientific. The Conference will bring together experts, educators, and practitioners for networking, sharing knowledge, and gaining hands-on learning experiences in a range of healthcare simulation areas. It represents a significant milestone in AUK's efforts to become a leader in healthcare education and simulation in Iraq and the broader Middle East region. 

The University and Clever Scientific formalized their relationship with the signing of a sponsorship agreement; President Randall Rhodes was the signatory for AUK, and Clever Scientific’s Managing Director Sirwan Kittani signed on behalf of his organization. The two men used Clever-branded pens for the signing.

In the roundtable discussion that preceded the signing, participants spoke of the need to collaborate on research projects likely to have a direct impact on the health of the people of Kurdistan. They also discussed the opportunities presented by AUK’s plan to establish a medical school and American-style teaching hospital. The fruitful collaboration of AUK and Clever Scientific, Ltd. has the potential to effect a dramatic improvement in healthcare and raise the professional profile of nurses in the region.

A campus tour followed the signing. The main attraction was, naturally, the Nursing Skills & Simulation Lab, supported by the United States Department of State Grant titled “Support for American-Style Higher Education in Iraq.”

For a press release on the AUK Simulation Conference, please click here. 

AUK Students Debate Youth Responsibility on K24

On Wednesday, April 12, the AUK campus was turned into a studio for Kurdistan24’s show Sekoyî Gencan (“Youth Platform”). This is a forum for university students to participate in debates on youth rights and responsibilities. The American University of Kurdistan was represented by students Nigeen Seido and Dara Darweesh. They stressed the need for young people to demonstrate individual initiative and creativity, in order to improve social structures and create employment opportunities.

Debate: “Nationalism” vs. “Patriotism”

On April 2, the Library Learning Center was the scene for a debate titled “Nationalism vs. Patriotism: Which One Do We Kurds Need More?” and featuring two teams of two. The teams of debaters were seated at opposing tables, with a podium in the middle for the moderator. The event was a collaboration between the Debate Club and the Kurdish Culture & Study Club.

Both sides brought valid points, and the audience made its own contribution. The side for “patriotism” promoted it as more inclusive and tolerant, stating, “Not all Kurdistanis are Kurds.” They made the claim that since the countries generally recognized as the most developed in the world, such as the United States, are “multicultural” or at least have well-defined and effectively enforced “minority rights,” Kurdistan should follow their example. Another intriguing claim was that, since “patriotism” predates “nationalism,” the former is less of a construction, more of an authentic outgrowth of the human experience than the latter. The “nationalism” camp, by its very composition, clarified that religion alone does not make one “Kurdish” or “not Kurdish,” since one member was Muslim and the other Christian. The “nationalists” opened with the concession that the term “nationalism” currently has some negative connotations, stating that it does have positive aspects Kurds should embrace. One of their speakers asked, in making the point that Kurds cannot get rightful representation internationally until they have a nation of their own: “Why is it called the United Nations? Why not United People? Why not United World?” The most vocal audience member was Dr. Jiyar Aghapouri, Director of the Center for Peace and Human Security, who pointed out that the two notions differ in that “nationalism” is an ideology, “patriotism” a feeling.

No winner was declared at the end, but it was never the intention to name either side the victor. The debate was about the sharing of ideas and the shaping of minds; on that note, both sides can be considered winners.

AUK Student Authors Do Book-Signing on Campus

On April 5, the Bibliophiles Club put on a book-signing event featuring two AUK students who are also published authors. The two student authors are Omran Omar and Salar Fatah. Both books are collections of poems, Omran Omar’s in English, Salar Fatah’s in Kurdish. The title of Omran Omar’s book is Reflection, and the title of Salar Fatah’s book approximately translates from Kurdish to Sun: A Pen from Sunrays. These are the first books of both authors.

Omran Omar was previously interviewed about his book for the AUK website, but it was Salar Fatah’s first opportunity to talk to the internal media team about his own publication. He was asked, “What inspires you to write poetry?” He named “politics, history, and nationalism” as his inspirations. His pride at being Kurdish is evident throughout the collection, and the sun on the cover and in the title are references to the one on the Kurdish flag.

For an interview with Omran Omar from January about his book, please click here.

Enhanced Student Support through “Beacon” Software

The student support software titled “Beacon,” from Anthology, has officially been launched at the American University of Kurdistan. It is a simple-to-use platform to create alerts on students who may need an intervention for a variety of reasons (excessive absences, failing grades, changes in mood or attitude, financial or family issues, etc.). The alerts are meant to trigger early corrective action, before problems can progress and proliferate. At the assembly on March 28, held to familiarize AUK’s employees with the Beacon software, President Randall Rhodes stated: “It is our total responsibility to make sure students who need help get help.” The other major speaker at the assembly, Yelena Sardaryan, Director of the Office of Student Affairs, struck a similar note, saying Beacon is to ensure that “no issue goes unnoticed or unaddressed.” The ultimate goal of all this reporting on temporary setbacks, of course, is sustained and long-term student success, for their benefit and the University’s. The system includes “update” and “encouragement” functions, to spread word of and spur on student improvement. The software is funded by a United States Department of State Grant titled “Support for American-Style Higher Education in Iraq.”

LRS Demo Session

The AUK Library held a demo session on the new Library Reservation System (LRS) on March 29. The session was jointly conducted by AUK Library Director Gulan Ahmed and AUK student (and tech entrepreneur) Dilovan Matini, the main architect of the system. With no more than their smartphones and existing AUK login credentials, students can reserve study rooms or computer stations, just as they can book tutoring sessions (be they in-person or online).

For a full-length article on the AUK Library’s LRS and this demo session, please click here. 

For an interview with AUK Library Director Gulan Ahmed, also from April, please click here.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Presentation

In a presentation titled “Artificial Intelligence: Unraveling the Future,” Mr. Ahmed Masood, who works in AUK’s Architectural Engineering Lab, spoke to the AUK community about the potential of AI to alter “life” as it is presently understood. Mr. Masood’s presentation broached a number of questions about AI, many with major implications for the future of humanity: “Did you know that AI is currently being used to detect cancer cells, create art, and predict natural disasters?”; “How is AI going to be impacting our daily lives?”; “Should you be scared for your job?”; and (most critically for AUK) “Will education change?” Because AI is evolving and expanding so rapidly, it was not possible to provide definitive answers to any of these queries, but it was valuable for the AUK staff, faculty, and students attending to hear Mr. Masood’s perspective on the current state of AI and where it could plausibly be headed. At the close of Mr. Masood’s talk, there were numerous questions from the appreciative audience; all of the questions were characterized simultaneously by certainty that AI will grow in the years to come and uncertainty as to how that growth will impact human affairs.  

For an article on this AI presentation (actually produced by a human being), please click here.  

Exhibition of Artwork by Architectural Engineering Faculty Member

Dr. Azad Hama, of the Department of Architectural Engineering, shared his philosophic and poetic perspectives on art and architecture during a presentation to faculty, staff, and students in the AUK Auditorium on April 17. The presentation featured ink drawings and paintings, including one, “The Ship of Diversity,” that reflects the many peoples now adrift in a world with the most refugees and IDPs since the end of World War II. That particular painting earned him the Red Line Art Works Prize in 2019. 

Yazidi Student Club Celebrating the New Year

The Yazidi New Year holiday was officially recognized by AUK on April 19. On their New Year’s Eve, the Yazidi Student Club put on its first event, in part to celebrate Çaršama Nîsanê (the Yazidi New Year), in part to share the holiday’s splendor with the rest of the AUK community. Those who attended the event got to experience folk music, dancing, traditional Yazidi attire, and decorated eggs.

For an article about this celebration of Yazidi culture, please click here.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics… and Iftar

The students at the American University of Kurdistan dutifully attended classes through the period of saum. While iftar, the daily breaking of this fast at sundown, is a festive occasion for many already, the University’s STEM Club made it all the more festive on the evening of April 17. It hosted an outdoor iftar gathering that included storytelling and music. Club representatives described the gathering as “celebrat[ing] community, culture, and creative thinking.”

Meet Rozh Abdallah

Student, Business Administration

Rozh Abdallah is a freshman, having just started his studies at AUK in the Spring 2023 semester. He attended an English-medium high school in Slemani, so his English command fast-tracked him into his baccalaureate courses. As a first-semester freshman, he is focused on General Education courses, but he is set on Business Administration as a major.

Rozh has big business plans, and they are already taking root at AUK. He seeks to connect his budding business acumen with his interest in environmentalism. He has been part of the launch of a new club on campus, called “EnviroPower.” In his own words, the club is dedicated to “raising environmental awareness and the implementation of environmental projects.” He feels “blessed” to be at AUK, both to participate in this club and to follow the general plan of study. He has noted that the wealthiest countries in the world tend also to be the most environmentally aware, and he wishes to do his part to build up environmentalism and the economy in Iraqi Kurdistan at the same time. Once his Business Administration degree from AUK is in hand, his “dream” should be within reach: “I hope that by building the infrastructure for credit and banking I can elevate the financial situation of Iraqi Kurdistan, and this, in turn, should lead to more environmentally aware and responsible people.”