Events
AUIS hosts event with Dr. Francis Fukuyama and others on global and local identity politics
On Thursday, August 30, 2018, American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) hosted a symposium titled ‘A Conversation with Dr. Francis Fukuyama: Today's Identity Politics, from Global to Local.’
Dr. Francis Fukuyama is Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) and the Mosbacher Director of FSI’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.
Fukuyama’s recently released book Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment, and themes discussed in it featured prominently in the discussion with other speakers on the panel, who included Dr. Barham Salih, Iraqi Kurdish political figure and AUIS board of trustees member; Abdulwahab Alkebsi, Managing Director for Programs at the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE); and Erik G. Jensen who holds joint appointments at Stanford Law School and Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.
Fukuyama, Alkebsi, and Jensen were in Sulaimani for a week-long Leadership Academy for Development, Iraq (LAD-IQ) training at AUIS for Iraqi government officials, academics, and members the business community on the role of public policy in private sector development.
The discussion began with examples of rising populism worldwide, especially in the United States and other western countries, and brief case studies of societies witnessing identity politics to varying degrees.
Commenting on his recent book, Fukuyama said, “It’s about the way I believe world politics has currently evolved.” He continued,“The United States and western countries are becoming a little bit like the Middle East.”
Panelists further discussed ways in which identity politics have played out in the West, similar to in the Middle East with Dr. Barham Salih recalling ironic conversations in the United States on how Iraqis would need to move past identity politics to see development in the country.
The discussion was followed by a Q & A session with audience members who took the chance to add their voices to the conversation.
Charting a Path Forward for Kurdistan Region and Iraq
The Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) and AUIS are holding a Town Hall to discuss the current situation in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
A Roundtable Discussion on the State of the IT Industry
The Information Technology department is hosting a roundtable disucssion with IT experts in Kurdistan, on the state of the IT industry.
For more information please contact Mr. Berzy Bahzad: [email protected]
Housing Pizza Party and Discussion
Students' Monthly Town Hall Meeting
This month's students' town hall meeting will take place on Sunday, September 24, 2107. Join in to share your ideas, questions and concerns.
Contact: Mina Bassam, Student Services Coordinator | [email protected]
AUIS Awards
Awards will be given out to students for academic performance and community service in the following categories:
Undergraduate: President's Award, Dean's List, Community Spirit
APP: Attendance Awards, Teacher's Awards, Director's Awards, Top Grades
Service Learning Program
The awards will be followed by an AUIS 10th anniversary photo and student party outside building A.
The event is open to all AUIS community.
Guest Lecture: State-building and Nationalism with Dr. Faleh Jabbar
The Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) hosted a lecture and discussion with Dr. Faleh Jabbar on "State-building and Nationalism in the Middle East," with particular reference to the recent events here in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Dr. Jabbar is one of the leading experts on Iraq, Kurds, Nationalism and has written extensively on these topics. His books include:
The Kurds: Nationalism and Politics
The Shi'ite Movement in Iraq
Tribes and Power: Nationalism and Ethnicity in the Middle East
Ayatollahs, Sufis and Ideologues
A podcast of this talk is now available. Listen on SoundCloud or by clicking on link below:
U.S. & Turkish Foreign Policy, Post-ISIS Iraq & the KRG Referendum on Independence
On September 12, 2017, the Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) hosted a guest lecture on foreign policy perspectives of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) referendum for independence.
Speakers included Dr. Denise Natali, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) at the National Defense University (NDU), Dr. Akeel Abbas, Assistant Professor in the Department of English at AUIS, and Dr. Barin Kayaoglu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at AUIS.
Read the full discussion on the IRIS website.
A podcast of this discussion will be available soon on the AUIS Soundcloud channel.