American University Graduates Students From Across Iraq
The American University of Iraq in Sulaimaniyah brings together Iraq’s various religious and ethnic groups, providing education away from the country's sectarian divide.
Zaydan Khalaf, a Yazidi student, didn’t feel he was different from any other student as he was completing his two-year master's degree at the American University of Iraq in Sulaimaniyah (AUIS).
Khalaf formed friendships with Iraqi students of different nationalist affiliations and ethnic groups, as well as with students from abroad. He was never harassed for having a different religion, creed or nationality.
On May 30, AUIS celebrated the graduation of more than 60 students from across Iraq with bachelor's degrees in business administration, information technology and international studies, while 29 other students received master's degrees in business administration. A large number of officials attended the ceremony.
The AUIS Board of Trustees held a meeting in Sulaimaniyah in 2006 to create an American-style educational institution in Iraq. They wanted to establish a university in which gifted students from across Iraq and the region could study, regardless of their affiliations.
