information technology | The American University of Iraq Sulaimani

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information technology

Android Bootcamp: A 6 Days Course

The IT Department is offering a 6-days Android Bootcamp course to our IT students. The course starts on April 8th and ends on April 19th. The course will be taught by an AUIS IT alumnus, Mr. Botan Burhan, whom recently finished an extensive 6 months course on the subject. He would like to share his knowledge with 20 students. he course will be on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm in the IT Research Lab, A-B1-03.

Hawari Shar Street View: A Prototype With Many Possibilities

The Center for Informatics and Data Analytics (CIDA), a research, consultancy and training center at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), finalized its prototype of the very first 360 street view project of Hawary Shar, the second largest park in the Middle East that is located in Sulaimani, Iraq. In 2007, Google launched a new feature to their Google Maps and Google Earth services called Google Street View. Google Street View enables users to wander around cities and towns on their PCs and smartphones as if they are in the town itself. Over the last decade, Google expanded the platform covering more areas of the world, making this feature the norm to check city sites and scenes of interest while planning for a vacation, a business trip, or just a visit. Yet, this service has not been created for Iraq. With 200 individual photos, 100 hours of work, and a distance of nearly a 1000 meters, CIDA volunteers hope to end the shade over Sulaimani’s streets and eventually the whole country of Iraq. The purpose of the project is to cover major cities in Iraq, starting from Sulaimani, to show the true nature of Iraq and put a stop to the stereotypical “war zone” and “unsafe” claims to attract tourists and exchange of cultures. Dr. Hemin Latif, Founding Director of CIDA states “Hawari Shar Street View is the beginning of a long, creative, and ambitious journey of using the latest in technology advancement to build the foundations of a smart city”. The team thought of Hawary Shar as its target for the project implementation due to flora of the landmark and its controlled environment. The idea of the project, initially, was to cover the whole city using an automotive method, similar to Google’s approach. However, with limited resources and tools, CIDA members took the conventional way of using a 360 degree camera and a tripod to cover the whole distance and create the prototype. Google allows users with a Gmail account to post 360 degree photos on Google Maps. However, viewers cannot move from one spot to another. Stitching individual photos with specialized software is required to enable the same feature Google intended to do with Street View. Therefore, there is a difference between static 360 panoramic images and a Street View feature. The team behind Hawari Shar Street View is composed of three volunteer members who are Ms. Sheneh Muheddin, Mr. Berzy Bahzad, and Dr. Hemin Latif. Users can now visit Hawary Shar, virtually, with this link: https://goo.gl/zCJHMi Article by IT Lab Assistant Berzy Bahzad.

Chra Hussain wins Inaugural Blake and Bailey Family Endowed Scholarship

Chra, who currently works part-time as a software developer at Fastline company in Sulaimani, has an interest for programming and artificial intelligence, “I love doing programming, even though most people say it’s not a suitable job for girls, but I enjoy coding.” She said. “I’m going to use this scholarship for further education. I plan on taking a robotics class next semester,” she continues, “robotics will be a good way for me to learn more about artificial intelligence as well as putting my programming knowledge into practice.” Chra has a few classes left to complete her Information Technology studies at AUIS. The scholarship fund will cover those remaining classes. Therefore, she plans to spend the rest of the scholarship fund on IT certifications. Being a senior student, she is looking into acquiring new skills to help her career after graduation. “Many jobs now require certifications, these will also help me in graduate school.” AUIS taught me to make my decisions based on reason. When Chra first joined the university, she felt overwhelmed by how challenging some of her classes were, “I wanted to give up, but I am glad I didn’t.” She said. As a senior, she is grateful for the education she received.“What I like about AUIS is its Liberal Arts program, because in order to be an educated person, you don’t only need the technical skills. You need to be able to make decisions in your social and work life. AUIS taught me to make my decisions based on reason.” The Blake and Bailey Family Endowed Scholarship Fund at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani is aimed to support the education of eligible students at AUIS. The Scholarship is open to students of all undergraduate programs, and is awarded on an objective and non-discriminatory basis depending on demonstrated financial need and academic merit. The scholarship will be used to cover tuition fees, housing, and course-related expenses. The 2017 Inaugural scholarship was awarded to Chra Hussain, an Information Technology senior student at AUIS.

IT Students Visit AsiaHawala

Last week, Information Technology students taking ITE202 (IT Systems) and ITE301 (Data Communications and Networks), paid a visit to AsiaHawala. The visit was to help them get advice on the IT courses they should focus on, in order to work in similar environments to those AsiaHawala. The event was organized by the IT Department. Dr. Atheer Matroud managed the connection with one of the IT graduates working there, Karzan Fadhil. Karzan presented the tools that they are using to operate all the e-wallet transactions. The good news is, AUIS teaches 80% of the tools and systems AsiaHawala uses. And they admitted that AUIS prepares good and professional candidates. The field trips were managed by AUIS IT Lab Assistant, Berzy Bahzad. 

AUIS IT Students Provide PC Service

The very best solution IT technicians and professionals recommend you to do is formatting your personal computer (PC) when it is running slow. If you take your PC to a local store, chances are that they will install an operating system (OS) – like Windows – that is illegal and maybe cracked. This leads to security issues that, without you being aware, might make your computer a victim of Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDOS) as a computer zombie. Without your knowledge, your computer will be used by hackers somewhere in the world to participate as a tool to break into servers, let alone the fact that your personal files and photos may be stolen. All this may happen due to not installing the right OS and software the right way, legally. If you want to buy Microsoft Office tools and Windows OS, it may cost you over $400. But if you are an AUIS student with a valid AUIS email address ([email protected]), you can get them for free. The Information Technology Administration Department worked with rigor to provide major software for AUIS community, an advantage that most of us may not know about. A few AUIS IT students arranged an event at the cafeteria last week to help students, faculty, and staff register and download licensed Windows OS and Microsoft software. In addition, the latter can provide free services such as formatting computers and installing essential software. The intention behind this service is to establish a culture of activities where IT students give back to the community with what they learn in the classrooms. This offer is for all majors, including APP students. The event ran for two days in a row. Students who could not attend on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays can get the services on Mondays and Wednesdays. Further details were provided in the AUIS Newsletter and posters on campus as of which two days the event will be scheduled This event was performed by five IT Senior Students: Ahmad Jalal, Atta Sallar, Rawand Ali, Shanaz Aras, and Zheer Qadir. Mr. Berzy, the IT Lab Assistant, and Mr. Shad Rashid, Senior IT Technician provided further assistant and supervising the event. Furthermore, they provided logistics for the event aiming to make it productive. The IT Department arranges several events per semester like the IT Day, Capstone Exhibition, and Roundtable Discussions. These events will not only help AUIS community see the creativity of the department, but also show the capability of how IT classes motivate students to use their acquired skills anywhere. From here, I want to encourage all IT students from different stages to think about different events and activities related to IT. The IT Department is willing to help and support activities that are student-led, such as this event. Eventually, these events will add invaluable experience and skills to your future professional careers and can serve as a work experience on your resume. As for future events, I am planning to provide a similar service where I provide all the tools that are used in all computer-based classes. This event will take place at the beginning of every semester. The reason behind launching this event is to help students who are struggling with downloading and installing programs.   

Roundtable on the State of the IT Industry

Did you miss it? A very interesting and useful IT event took place on October 24, 2017, at The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), discussing the state of the IT industry, both locally and globally. Many topics were shared and discussed including the demand for IT jobs, new IT trends, and reviews on digital transformation. The speakers included Mr. Yad Kamal, CEO of Avesta Group, and Mr. Raed Bou Hamdan, co-founder of Click Iraq. The event was introduced by Dr. Hemin Latif, chair of the IT department at AUIS. He emphasized the importance of these events and how they can bring insight and knowledge for students. Hearing from IT experts with industry experience, students can be better informed on the IT job market and its changing dynamics. Dr. Latif announced that the IT department has established a board of advisers with professionals from the local industry. Mr. Yad Kamal discussed the state of the IT market in Kurdistan Region of Iraq, both public and private. He said that the government organizations are using simple IT techniques and tools, therefore it’s a good opportunity for new graduates. Mr. Yad then gave a presentation on the jobs with the highest demand in the IT market. He mentioned that the standard jobs in the market include network administrators and help desk support. The jobs in high demand are web and mobile development. He also encouraged and concentrated on technical sales as it is in high demand. Professionals should have a technical background, product information, and good marketing skills: “Avesta Group and many others pay very good salary for people with this skill and experience, and they are rarely found in the market,” he said. Our other speaker, Mr. Raed, showed clear statistical information on how the digital transformation has progressed so rapidly in a short period of time.  He stated that the digital transformation allows connecting people, access to information, and most importantly, creating new jobs. Mr. Raed discussed how data analysis has become something that many IT companies invest in and there are many careers for anyone interested in that field. He also discussed how people are using and reacting to digital technology according to their ages, “The younger generation is more into product and visualization, while the older generation wants the experience. Most of the new products that are released match the desires and mentality of the new generation,” said Mr. Raed. This was the first IT roundtable discussion in Fall 2017. There was a good turnout of IT faculty, students, and alumni. Attending the event, Professor Katongo Lukwesa commented, “I believe this is a great opportunity for the AUIS community to interact with employers and innovators who will give meaning to a lot of things that are studied in the classroom.” Article by IT Department communications intern, Mr. Aran Kamaran.

AUIS Faculty Attends Seminar on Research Methods

On October 14, 2017, Dr. Atheer Matroud, assistant professor of Information Technology at AUIS, along with some faculty members of other Iraqi universities, conducted a seminar titled “Sober Scientific Research and Publication in International Journals” organized by The House of Wisdom, in Baghdad. The House of Wisdom is an intellectual and scientific establishment that deals with scholarly research and academic studies. The purpose of the seminar was to establish the best method for writing effective research papers. The audience was introduced to software tools for writing, referencing, and checking for plagiarism. They also addressed problems concerning academic writing in Iraq. During the seminar, Dr. Matroud prioritized the impact of plagiarism, whether done intentionally or unintentionally, citing examples. Unintentional plagiarism is when you accidentally fail to cite your sources correctly, which is still counted as plagiarism and is not acceptable. Dr. Matroud stressed that any form of plagiarism can lead to serious legal implications as well as destroyed reputation or even the loss of a career. The seminar was well attended and organized, with representation from many universities in Iraq. The audience also enjoyed listening to new methods and approaches for writing academic research papers. Some members of public universities also requested to host similar seminars at their institutions. Commenting on the seminar, Dr. Hemin Latif, chair of the IT department at AUIS, said, “Our faculty members at AUIS bring a lot of international expertise that the higher education sector in the country can, and must, benefit from. Dr. Matroud’s seminar is a very good step toward bridging the expertise gap between AUIS and other national institutions.”  Commenting on the quality of research and academic writing at AUIS, Dr. Matroud said: “I have found that at AUIS we are way ahead in training our students, especially, on the topic of writing and plagiarism.” Article by IT Department Communications Intern, Mr. Aran Kamaran.

Creative Coding and Computing: A Course that Surprises Students and Teachers

On October 4, 2017, Dr. Hemin Latif, assistant professor and chair of the Information Technology Department at AUIS, gave a workshop and guest lecture on Creative Coding and Computing to the participants of an Android bootcamp organized by Re: coded, a non-governmental organization in Erbil. The purpose of the workshop was to show how the Creative Coding and Computing course offered at AUIS differs from traditional programming courses in its design, delivery, and impact. Dr. Latif shared the reasons why introductory programming courses fail to give a strong education in coding and computing to a generic audience. He mentioned how this course resolves major problems of traditional programming courses and the problems that cause most students to drop out from these courses. He also discussed creativity as a concept that is required for everyone, and especially for programmers. At the end of the workshop, many participants were inspired by the benefits that the course could bring. Mr. Allan Saleh, a participant, said, “Dr. Hemin's speech reminded me of how creativity has a huge impact on what I want to achieve. Definitely a wake-up call to innovation.” Mr. Mustafa Alfaisal, another attendant, commented, “I hope every college includes this creative course in their curriculum.” Currently, AUIS is the only university in the region that offers this course and there is great student demand for it. Hopefully, more unique courses like Creative Coding and Computing will be offered in AUIS that could become supportive for learning and developing the ideas about, and beyond, the main regular courses and curriculum. Article by IT Department Communications Intern, Mr. Aran Kamaran

IT Department Hosts Information Technology Day

  December, 2016: Every semester, the IT Department organizes one of the most popular events on campus – the IT Day. In this event, Information Technololgy majors participate by presenting projects on which they have been working, either on their own or as enhanced and modified class projects. This event does not only target undeclared majors with a view to choosing IT as their daily dose, but also to show the importance of IT. This season’s event featured projects ranging from websites, robotics, and networking.

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