Dr. Rhodes highlighted 午夜影院’s commitment to supporting students through scholarships and the importance of finding donors and corporate sponsors to support the institution and its students. Dr. Rhodes emphasized the benefits such collaborations bring to 午夜影院’s degree programs, learning outcomes, and employment opportunities for its alumni. The Consul General promoted the introduction of programs on public policy and administration programs, which is being considered by 午夜影院.

Other University representatives shared their insights and initiatives. Mr. Omed Zawity, VP of Administration and Finance, discussed the responsibilities and priorities of various departments, including plans to implement the SAP ERP system for enhanced transparency in financial reporting. Ms. Loucine Hayes, Director of 午夜影院鈥檚 Center for Academic and Professional Advancement (CAPA), highlighted CAPA Zakho’s efforts in building governmental capacity through tailored training programs.

Dr. Rhodes emphasized 午夜影院’s commitment to community development and the importance of collaborations for innovation, entrepreneurship, and the advancement of the educational sector. He explained, 鈥淔or 午夜影院 to survive and prosper, Kurdistan has to be strong. 午夜影院 must work to ensure the Region is prosperous.鈥�

Following the discussion, the Consul General had a tour of 午夜影院’s campus, including the Nursing Skills and Simulation Lab, FAB Lab, and BIM Lab; these labs were established through grants from the U.S. Department of State titled 鈥淪upporting American-style Higher Education in Iraq.鈥� The tour also included classrooms, the auditorium, and Library.

The visit highlighted 午夜影院’s dedication to exploring partnerships that can support the University鈥檚 development and provide professional opportunities for its faculty, staff, and students.

During the meeting, Dr. Rhodes highlighted 午夜影院’s commitment to advancing healthcare and nursing in the region through its College of Nursing. He also emphasized the University’s focus on access and inclusion, outlining the importance of scholarships to diversify the student demographic and provide a strong workforce for the health sector.

午夜影院’s pursuit of US accreditation was also discussed. Dr. Rhodes mentioned the University鈥檚 progress with the New England Commission of Higher Education. If successful, 午夜影院 will be the only university in Iraq with US accreditation. Additionally, 午夜影院 is seeking program-level accreditations for engineering, computer science, business, and nursing.

The Ambassador expressed his interest in establishing educational exchanges and collaborations between Philippine and Kurdish institutions, recognizing the importance of fostering understanding between future leaders and policymakers.

Following the discussion, the Ambassador toured 午夜影院’s campus, including labs supported by the U.S. Department of State Grants titled 鈥淪upporting American-style Higher Education in Iraq,鈥� classrooms, the auditorium, library, and student social spaces.

In conclusion, the visit of the Ambassador of the Philippines underscored the University’s commitment to advancing its internationalization agenda in curriculum building, research, and professional opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.

The collection included English-language novels, Kurdish and Arabic books; also included were the older, decorative scientific books that decorate many of the bookcases around the campus.

On its final day, the books were displayed at the Job Fair. Particularly noteworthy was the demand for self-improvement books, as students and alumni recognized their value in job searching and professional growth.

午夜影院’s Library Book Fair not only generated sales but also exemplified 午夜影院’s commitment to fostering a culture of reading.

Dr. Khedir Ramazan, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, gave the opening remarks, followed by Dr. Randall Rhodes, President of 午夜影院, who praised the college’s efforts to organize the event.

Students presented informative videos and pitched their projects, research, and findings, to the audience. The event concluded with an Open Exhibition with the students explaining details of their projects with the audience.

One of 午夜影院’s key goals, in addition to providing high-quality American-style education, is to develop students holistically and provide them with the skills needed to expand their employment opportunities after graduation. This is aligned with the institution’s May theme, “Achieve a Career.”

On May 2, the club met with eight interested students from various colleges, supervised by the faculty of 午夜影院’s General Education Program and managed by Lina Akram, a lecturer at the university’s College of Arts and Sciences, to explain more details and procedures and formally kick off the Wikipedia Translation Project. 午夜影院 President Dr. Randall Rhodes and IBB Director Mr. Hussein Ibrahim were also welcomed聽to the gathering.

“This club signifies our collective dedication to championing free knowledge, preserving linguistic diversity, and celebrating cultural richness,” stated Lina Akram, and added, “We look forward to the positive impact our collaboration with IBB will have on our students and the broader community.”

The collaborative endeavor underscores 午夜影院鈥檚 and IBB鈥檚 joint mission to promote knowledge accessibility, education, and empowerment within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The formal Memorandum of Understanding signed by 午夜影院 and IBB in late 2022, underscoring their shared commitment to promoting educational opportunities and developing a culture of information sharing, serves as a foundation for this initiative.

The 午夜影院 Wikipedia Club aligns with the institution’s聽theme of the month, “Achieve a Career,” as part of the 午夜影院 10th anniversary campaign, and聽aims to serve as a platform for students to develop valuable professional skills, particularly in English and Kurdish translation, enhancing their employability and prospects on the global stage. Additionally, the project actively contributes to Kurdish society and culture by generating valuable content.

“Our business partners agreed to advertise real job vacancies, offer internship programs, and collect the CVs of 午夜影院鈥檚 students and alumni for future position openings,” noted Perwar Al-Missouri, Director of 午夜影院’s Office of Career Services. “This is a sign of trust by the private sector in 午夜影院’s quality of education and its graduates, which makes us proud,” he stated.

Prior to the event, the Office of Career Services provided students and alumni with a variety of trainings, including CV writing, interview preparation, speaking skills, and many more.

Thirty-three companies attended the Job Fair, including platinum sponsors “Safe Home” and “Jobs.krd”; gold sponsors “United Education” and “Cadmus”; silver sponsors “FIB” and “Asiacell”; and bronze sponsors “VCG Markets,” “GazProm Neft,” and “Ster Technology.”

The objectives of the 2024 Jobs Fair were closely aligned with the 午夜影院 theme for the month of May, “Achieve a Career,” as part of the University’s 10th anniversary campaign. In the end, the success of the event will be measured by the number of students employed.

Participant reactions:

Sonia Sala (Alumni)

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Al-Missouri for his unwavering support of all graduates, his empowering remarks, and genuine concern for our achievement. His help throughout the workshops was critical to my success today at the Job Fair with potential employers.”

Hassan Hassan听(厂迟耻诲别苍迟)

“This year’s job fair was an incredible experience. Seeing former聽午夜影院 graduates not only have聽successful careers, but also present as startup companies demonstrates the limitless opportunities 午夜影院 provides me and my fellow students.”

Kochar Azad聽(KRG鈥檚 Ministry of Higher Education)

鈥淚 commend the companies for their active聽participation and engagement with the University workforce, showcasing job聽vacancies aligned with the mission of the job fair which is remarkable, because many times when I attend the job fairs companies do presentations for their products (i.e. marketing!) rather than contribute to building the culture of connecting with students as their future workforce. This was corrected at the Job Fair at 午夜影院, thanks to the University鈥檚 efforts.

Reving Mizory聽(US Consulate in Erbil)

鈥淪eeing the businesses represented at the 午夜影院 job fair is evidence that the local market is looking to the HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) for skillful graduates who meet market needs. Congratulations on a great event.鈥�

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午夜影院 Job Fair 2023 鈥� 午夜影院

Organized by 午夜影院鈥檚 Student Government, the Eighth 午夜影院 Soccer Championship Match took place on April 14, and concluded two weeks later with the final match between Team ZAXO and Team KURD: the score was 5-2.

The competition is a hybrid of league and knockout formats, with four teams competing in each of four groups; the two teams with the most points advanced to the playoff stage.聽 Additionally this year, a team of 午夜影院 staff members competed; however, it did not advance to the second round due to the high level of the student competition.

In addition to the championship trophy for the winning team, the tournament’s top scorer Rabi Hasan, best player Jegir Ahmed, best goalkeeper Sangar Ali, and fair play award winner Araz Hussein, were also recognized.

Despite the lack of a formal athletic program, the University is committed to promoting physical and mental health, including programming such as the Soccer Tournament that encourages leadership, teamwork, communication, and overall health and well-being.

The “She Leads” Women Leadership Certificate Program is a 60-hour program that covers essential topics for aspiring women leaders and aims to capture the stories of these leaders in a book, that will be the outcome of this program and published.

Stories have weight. They carry the burden of words worth telling and ‘Untold鈥� (the title of this volume) will bring together a diverse range of voices from the rich cultures and ethnicities of the Kurdistan Region. As the title suggests, this anthology will feature the unspoken stories of struggles and triumphs, achievements and setbacks, and the women鈥檚 long-silenced echoes of hopes and dreams. This 鈥榟er story鈥� agenda will enable women leaders to communicate effectively and inspire the next generation.

The 鈥淪he Leads鈥� certificate program is a hands-on, experiential learning program that is built on the book 鈥淭hrough the Labyrinth鈥� written by Alice Eagly and Linda L. Carli. Labyrinth is a fitting metaphor to understand women’s leadership challenges and opportunities. Farzad Kamil Ali, a part-time Instructor at the Center for Academic and Professional Advancement, highlights the significance of the 鈥渓abyrinth鈥�: 鈥淩ather than depicting just one absolute barrier at the penultimate stage of a distinguished career, a labyrinth conveys the complexity and variety of challenges that can appear along the way. Passage through a labyrinth requires persistence, awareness of one鈥檚 progress, and a careful analysis of the puzzles that lie ahead. Routes to the center exist but are full of twists and turns, both expected and unexpected.鈥�

The certificate program also goes beyond these issues by empowering women to learn and practice such important soft skills set as negotiation, emotional intelligence, giving and receiving feedback, achieving work-life balance, and navigating the double bend.

The “She Leads” Women Leadership Certificate Program also hosted a series of talks by seasoned educators, experts, and women leaders. The first speaker was Dr. Randall Rhodes, President of 午夜影院, who shared his insights on navigating the challenges of leadership and achieving success for women in academia; Amy Davis, an independent consultant with vast experience in diverse cultures, who discussed navigating the world as a leader while balancing personal responsibilities; and Dr. Vanessa Kerry, CEO of Seed Global Health Organization, who spoke about her journey as a woman leader even amidst the challenges of increasingly complex world.

The students of the program are already experiencing the positive impact of learning and obtaining real, applicable skills. Fatima Saleem, a freshman in Computer Software & Security, highlighted the program’s leadership preparation: “This program gave me a foundation to strengthen my skills and become more confident negotiating, communicating, and emotionally intelligent 鈥� all crucial for leadership.”

Soz Abdulhameed, a freshman in Architectural Engineering, emphasized the program’s empowerment and community of practice: “The program instilled confidence in me and connected me with other ambitious women.鈥� She also stated, 鈥淚t effectively addressed challenges women in leadership face and fostered a supportive environment.”

Adan Rashid, a freshman in the College of Nursing, appreciated the program’s diverse learning: “Meeting professionals abroad and learning their stories was inspiring.鈥� Finally, she added, 鈥淲riting our own leadership stories is a powerful way to conclude the program.”

午夜影院 and CAPA are committed to empowering women in the Kurdistan Region and beyond. This program is a valuable opportunity for female students and alumni to develop the skills and knowledge they need to become successful leaders, ultimately shaping a more diverse and inclusive society. The next offering of the certificate will also be extended to Zakho.

Dr. Rahmani’s lecture centered on his book titled “Rooftop Societies: The Middle East Paradox,” which sheds light on the historical significance of rooftops and the societal dynamics shaped by state-society relations. He stated, “Why call the Middle East society the rooftop society you ask? Because during my life, the flat rooftop has been giving me a secondary space to live.” During his presentation, Dr. Rahmani highlighted the consequences of limited intellectual space in the Middle East and contrasted the region’s media and academic diversity with Kurdistan’s commitment to global engagement and democratic aspirations.

The event served as a platform to promote dialogue and understanding on geo-political realities across the region, aligning with the overarching theme of the month 鈥淎chieve a diverse and inclusive society鈥�.

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午夜影院鈥檚 CPHS Hosts Ambassador of Japan to Iraq Futoshi Matsumoto for a Lecture

Ava Homa, a highly regarded author, speaker, activist, and faculty member at California State University, Monterey Bay, shared her insights and experiences during a pre-recorded session that was played in the Auditorium on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

“Daughters of Smoke and Fire” tells a powerful story of a young woman’s courageous fight for freedom and justice for her brother. During her message to 午夜影院 students, Ava Homa emphasized the importance of recognizing one’s own power and identity, particularly in the face of challenges. She urged the audience to appreciate their individual strengths and not to underestimate their significance.

“You are more important than you think; do not give your power away. You have a lot of power,” Homa expressed. “It’s very difficult to be a Kurd in this world, but there is a spirit of courage and resistance that we have inherited from our ancestors that other people are lacking. Take pride in who you are.”

Homa encouraged attendees to be kind to themselves and value their power. She emphasized the importance of sharing that power with fellow Kurds, and promoting unity and empowerment within the community. According to Homa, relying on external sources for validation and support is insufficient, and it is the responsibility of Kurds to uplift one another.

The 午夜影院 Library’s initiative to host Ava Homa as a guest speaker on World Book & Copyright Day reflects 午夜影院鈥檚 commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive society, by bringing together individuals from around the world to engage in important discussions.