Baghdad (AP) – American University Baghdad On Saturday, the former palace campus celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of students. Saddam Hussein.
Authorities said they hope that graduation marks the beginning of a new era in Iraq’s higher education, rooted in modernity, openness and international academic standards.
The university was built in 2021 on an island in the middle of an artificial lake by Saddam in the 1990s and was established on the grounds of the Alfe Palace to commemorate the revival of the peninsula of the same name during the war.
After a US-led invasion that had not escaped Saddam in 2003, it was used as the headquarters of the US Allied forces known as Camp Win. It then developed into an American-style university with a core liberal arts program through funding by influential Iraqi employer Saadi Saihood.
A total of 38 students (20 men and 18 women) graduated on Saturday, earning degrees in business administration, science and humanities, and graduating at a ceremony attended by family and faculty.
Speaking to attendees, University President Dr. Michael Malnix looked back at the university’s rocky beginnings.
“When I first arrived at American University in Baghdad in 2018, the campus didn’t look like it is today,” he said. “Many years of war and neglect left infrastructure in abandoned as many buildings were damaged or destroyed. Today we stand in front of exceptional non-profit academic institutions ranked among the best research universities.”
Today, AUB has an expanded network of international partnerships with top universities, including Vanderbilt University, Colorado Mining School, Lawrence Technology University, Temple University, Exeter University, and Sapienza University in Rome.
Saihood, the founder and owner of the university, called the graduation “a symbolic moment that affirms this institution was built to last and make a real difference.”
He acknowledged the economic challenges faced by graduates, particularly the scarcity of government employment, but emphasized that the university equips students with the adaptability and initiatives necessary to thrive through the private sector or entrepreneurship.
Iraq’s security situation has improved in recent years after decades of conflict, but the country is still struggling with brain drain as young people seek opportunities and stability overseas.
“The future in Iraq is not easy. All of our graduates are concerned,” said Mohamed Bakir of Najaf, who graduated with a Bachelor of Business degree on Saturday. “However, what sets us apart from other universities is that we have already received employment offers through the AUB, especially in the private sector. My education costs are Iraqi Dinars of around 10 million, but that was a really valuable investment.” The Iraqi Dinars of around 7,600 yen, which is equivalent to about $7,600.
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