Canadian Parliamentarians Visit AUK

AUK hosted a delegation of members of the Canadian Parliament and a representative from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Washington for a discussion about current developments at the institution, including the accreditation process with the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and potential reception events for Kurdish communities in Canada to strengthen ties and create opportunities for AUK.

For more about this visit, please click here.

Hafid School Transformed into Teacher Training Center with AUK’s CAPA

AUK and Sumel's Hafid School celebrated the graduation of 43 instructors from the teacher training program. An initiative of AUK's Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA) aimed at making The Hafid School a Teacher Training Center with the goal of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the Duhok Governorate's public schools. CAPA was also successful in establishing a computer lab at the School to promote innovative pedagogies and computer literacy for the benefit of teaching and learning.

For more details about this collaboration, please click here.

Dr. Anhar Sulivany Second Speaker in Lecture Series on Women in Leadership

The President's Lecture Series on Women in Leadership at AUK continued with Dr. Anhar Sulivany as its second speaker, emphasizing the importance of food security and the necessity for agricultural self-sufficiency. Dr. Sulivany's message to the youth was clear: persevere in pursuing your dreams, embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, and never be deterred by failures.

To learn more about the second session of the President’s Lecture Series on Women in Leadership, please click here.

AUK and “Wings of Help” Discuss Funding Opportunities for Education

The German humanitarian aviation operator "Luftfahrt ohne Grenzen/Wings of Help" visited the AUK campus for a meeting with the University’s leadership and expressed their admiration for AUK's pioneering role in the growth of innovation and education. Frank Franke, the organization's president, also emphasized the importance of expanding awareness about AUK and its mission, particularly among the Kurdish diaspora in Europe.

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AUK introduces its BIM LAB to the construction and engineering industry

In collaboration with AUK's College of Engineering, AUK’s Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA) developed courses for professionals in the construction and engineering industries. Revit, Autodesk, Parametric Facade, and 3D Max are among the courses to be offered. Also, AUK's new BIM (Building Information Modeling) and FAB (Fabrication) Labs were unveiled to field practitioners and aspiring engineers in an exclusive event that included a panel discussion addressing challenges facing the industry and advancing professional practice.

For further details, please click here.

AUK celebrates the success of its CAPA Summer School program

The second Young Learners Program, sponsored by AUK’s CAPA, completed the summer with a graduation ceremony. In addition to English, this summer school offered a variety of classes such as art, athletics, coding, entrepreneurship, music, and dancing. The summer program drew a total of 457 young students on the AUK campus and at the CAPA location in Zakho. CAPA will begin offering Saturday School in October. Young learners will be able to enroll in Math and English classes. The older students will be able to take Arabic and Kurdish classes.

To read more about CAPA Summer School program, please click here.

Ajin Saadi Discusses OIEP and AUK’s Accreditation Journey

Swiss-born Ajin Saadi is the Director of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Planning (OIEP). She consented to an interview, to speak about ongoing efforts to secure accreditation for the University from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

To read the full interview, please click here.

Meet Midya Hasan

Staff/Alumna, AUK Library

Midya Hasan is a 2022 graduate of the American University of Kurdistan. Like many other students, she decided to change her major as her interests came into sharper focus. She transitioned from International Studies to Interior Design.

She volunteered in the AUK Library as a student; she left such a positive impression that she was officially hired as an Operations Assistant in February of 2023. Gulan Ahmed, Director of the AUK Library, said of her: "Midya's dedicated work in the Library highlights the importance of quiet individuals who prioritize hard work and a commitment to helping others."

While Midya “sees” her future as bright, she has not let the small matter of red-green color blindness slow her down. She was not formally diagnosed with this condition until the age of 17, so it could not have had a seriously deleterious impact on her maturation. Nevertheless, the diagnosis did help to explain her early fascination with the color blue, which she could make out clearly. Once she was aware of her condition and knew to advocate for appropriate accommodations, her Interior Design professors at AUK were very helpful. Her main “accommodation” has come through her own intelligence, grit, and overall positivity: “I have learned to adapt to my environment. I have developed different ways to distinguish between colors, such as memorizing their positions or hues. For instance, I can tell the difference between red and green traffic lights by their position on the pole, and I can recognize colors by their brightness and intensity. Color blindness has allowed me to perceive the world from a unique perspective, resulting in an appreciation of its beauty.”