AUIS to Host Second Annual Commencement Ceremony in May

SULAIMANI, Iraq, May 29, 2013 ­/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) will host its second annual commencement exercises on May 30.

Nearly 1,000 family members, friends, and distinguished guests are expected to attend the event held on the AUIS campus. The ceremony will be presided over by Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Barham Salih and AUIS President Dr. Athanasios Moulakis. Featured speakers include His Excellency Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government; Mr. Douglas Silliman, Charge d'Affaires of the United States Embassy in Baghdad; and His Excellency Ali Saeed, Minister of Higher Education for the Kurdistan Regional Government. Ms. Jwan Sarbast Kittani has been selected as a student speaker for her stellar academic performance.

Baccalaureate degrees in Business Administration, Information Technology, and International Studies will be awarded to 54 students. An additional 29 students will receive a degree of Master of Business Administration.

Most members of this graduating class have already secured positions in a wide range of fields, including banking and finance, construction, and the oil and gas sector. Among the graduates are an account executive at an emerging marketing firm based in Sulaimani; a lab technician at an international oil company with offices in Erbil; an analyst at a major investment firm in Baghdad; and an auditor at a leading professional services corporation with offices throughout the Middle East.

Others are starting their own businesses or will pursue advanced studies in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Included among them are an Ibn Khaldun Scholar, multiple scholarship awardees at the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), and a fellowship recipient at Missouri State University.

The event, which will be held on the spacious and picturesque patio in the foreground of the University's administration building, begins promptly at 5:30pm. An indoor reception for all attendees will immediately follow.

About AUIS
Founded in 2006, AUIS is Iraq's only private, non-profit university for public benefit. Academic programs, taught in the English language by international faculty members, are designed to meet or exceed standards set by regional accreditation organizations in the United States.

Students at AUIS come from all over Iraq and represent the country's diverse ethnic and religious landscape. Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Yezidis et al. populate the growing student body.

Mission Statement
It is the objective of the University to produce graduates of responsible character with the necessary knowledge and skills for professional and national leadership. Students will be prepared for successful careers in a modern, pluralistic society and in a global environment. The educational programs of the University are designed to develop strength in critical thinking, the ability to communicate well, a strong work ethic, good citizenship and personal integrity. Broad-based education, rooted in the American liberal arts tradition, as well as skill development is achieved at the University through teaching excellence, quality scholarship, and caring student services.

SOURCE American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS)