The American University of Iraq – Sulaimani
 |
|
| Motto | Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Established | 2007 |
| Chairman | Jill Derby, previously Barham Salih |
| President | Bruce Ferguson |
|
Academic staff
|
75 |
|
Administrative staff
|
201 |
| Students | 1391 |
| Location | Sulaimani, Iraq |
| Campus | Urban 400 acres |
| Colors |
Blue Gold |
| Athletics | AUIS Eagles- Soccer and Basketball |
| Sports | Football (Soccer), Basketball, Ping Pong |
| Nickname | AUIS |
| Mascot | Eagle |
| Website | auis.edu.krd |
The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, (AUIS) is a nonprofit private institution for public benefit in the Iraqi Kurdistan and is located in the cultural capital of the region, Sulaimani. The University offers an American-style liberal arts education to students from various economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Since its foundation in 2007, the University has been committed to producing knowledgeable and skilled graduates.
The University opened its doors in 2007 to 45 students from across Iraq. By the end of its second year, the university had 256 enrolled students, 20 of which were in the MBA program. Today, AUIS provides undergraduates with instruction in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, information technology, business and engineering. The language of instruction at AUIS is exclusively English. Students with low English scores are required to complete the Academic Preparatory Program, where they improve their English language skills and learn critical thinking, before entering the undergraduate programs.
The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani was founded in 2006 by a Board of Trustees who set out to establish an institution dedicated to offering a comprehensive, American-style education in Iraq. The University, modeled after the famous private universities in Cairo and Beirut, was created amid the turmoils of war but in the relatively secure Kurdish region of Iraq. The purpose of founding such a university, according to Dr. Barham Salih was to stimulate reform in the Iraqi education system. Its location, however, was contested by Arab education officials in Baghdad who argued that the university should be built there and not in a region with historically secessionist ambitions.
Intellectuals such as Kanan Makiya, Fouad Ajami and John Agresto, many of whom supported the 2003 American invasion, supported the establishment of AUIS. John Agresto went on to become the University’s Acting Chancellor for a brief interregnum, after serving as a Coalition Provisional Authority Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Baghdad. Joshua Mitchell, professor of political theory at Georgetown University became Acting Chancellor in 2008 and remained in his position for two years while on leave from Georgetown. From 2010 to 2013, Athanasios Moulakis served as Acting President and he continues to hold the title of President Emeritus of the University. In May 2013, the Board of Trustees chose Dawn Dekle as president. She became the first female president of an Iraqi university when she took up her position at AUIS. She ended her tenure at AUIS in November 2014 due to family circumstances. Esther Mulnix was chosen to serve as interim president after Dekle’s departure.
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Wikipedia