American University of Iraq, Sulaimani

The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani is a non-profit institution for public benefit founded in 2007 to provide a student-centered American-style education that embodies the philosophy, standards, and teaching practices of the American higher education model. AUIS admits all qualified students regardless of social, ethnic, or religious background. Students are admitted based on a record of pa

st academic performance and potential for success, including capacity to engage in self-directed learning and demonstrated high levels of critical thinking. At AUIS, young Iraqis do more than co-exist – they learn lasting values of respect for the individual and a spirit of free inquiry, and they thrive in a culture of achievement and accountability. The university currently offers six academic programs that lead to a bachelor’s degree, as well as an Executive Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) and continuing education classes from its Professional Development Institute. Undergraduate degree programs include Business Administration, General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Information Technology, International Studies, and English. The Executive MBA in International Management and Leadership is offered in conjunction with Steinbeis Hochschule in Berlin. Graduates of this program receive a dual Executive MBA from AUIS and Steinbeis Hochschule. The Professional Development Institute at AUIS provides professionals, companies, and organizations with access to professional education programs, including English language studies and project management. Rounding out the university experience is a robust campus life, with several university sports teams and more than a dozen student-sponsored clubs and other activities. AUIS offers competitive men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, ping pong, and soccer, and a dozen other student activities, including an internationally competitive debate society, drama, business, hiking, photography, running, and radio clubs. Students have also participated in conferences and competitions outside of Iraq, including an international Model United Nations conference, Hult Global Case Challenge, and various Fulbright scholarships. Further, AUIS is home to the nation’s first and only independent student newspaper, the AUIS Voice, and houses student chapters of the U.S.-based Society of Professional Journalists and the Association for Computing Machinery. In the fall of 2011, AUIS marked the beginning of its fourth academic year with a move to its new 169-hectare (418-acre) campus. The university grounds include an administrative building, gender-specific dormitories, and an academic building, which houses lecture halls and classrooms, conference rooms, and faculty offices. AUIS also has a cafeteria, two outdoor basketball courts and an outdoor soccer field.