First class graduates from American University of Baghdad, once Saddam’s palace – Washington Examiner
the American University of Baghdad celebrated it’s first graduation ceremony, marking a notable milestone for the institution located in a venue once used as one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces. During the ceremony, 38 graduates, consisting of 20 men and 18 women, received degrees in fields such as buisness administration, sciences, and humanities.University officials expressed hopes that this event signals a new era in Iraqi higher education, emphasizing modernity and international academic standards.
As its establishment in 2021, the university is fashioned from the al Faw Palace, which later served as a U.S.military headquarters after the fall of Saddam. Funded by influential businessman Saadi Saihood, the university has evolved into a nonprofit academic institution with aspirations to match global education standards, forming partnerships with prestigious international universities.
Graduates, like Mohammed Baqir, acknowledge the economic challenges ahead, notably limited government job opportunities. However, many express optimism due to the practical skills and job offers thay received thru the university’s network. Despite ongoing issues such as brain drain,graduates believe their education represents a worthwhile investment for future prospects in the private sector.
First class graduates from American University of Baghdad, once Saddam’s palace
BAGHDAD (AP) — The American University of Baghdad celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of students Saturday at a campus that was once a palace built by Saddam Hussein.
Officials said they hope the graduation will mark the beginning of a new era in higher education in Iraq rooted in modernity, openness, and international academic standards.
The university was inaugurated in 2021 on the site of the al Faw Palace, built on an island in the middle of an artificial lake by Saddam in the 1990s to mark the retaking of the peninsula of the same name during the war.
After the U.S.-led invasion that unseated Saddam in 2003, it was used as a U.S. coalition military headquarters called Camp Victory. It was later developed into an American-style university with a core liberal arts program through funding by influential Iraqi business owner Saadi Saihood.
A total of 38 students — 20 male and 18 female — graduated Saturday with degrees in business administration, sciences and humanities at a ceremony attended by political dignitaries as well as families and faculty members.
Speaking to the attendees, university President Michael Mulnix reflected on the university’s rocky beginnings.
“When I first arrived at the American University of Baghdad in 2018, the campus looked nothing like it does today,” he said. “Years of war and neglect had left the infrastructure in ruins, with many buildings damaged or destroyed. Today, we stand before an exceptional, nonprofit academic institution that ranks among the finest research universities.”
Today AUB has a growing network of international partnerships with top universities, he said, including Vanderbilt University, Colorado School of Mines, Lawrence Technological University, Temple University, the University of Exeter, and Sapienza University of Rome.
University founder and owner Saihood called the graduation “a symbolic moment that affirms this institution was built to last and to make a real difference.”
He acknowledged the economic challenges facing graduates, especially the scarcity of government employment, but emphasized that the university has equipped its students with the adaptability and initiative needed to thrive in the private sector or through entrepreneurship.
Although Iraq’s security situation has improved in recent years after decades of conflict, the country still suffers from brain drain as young people seek opportunities and stability abroad.
“The future in Iraq is not easy. All of us graduates have concerns,” said Mohammed Baqir from Najaf province, who graduated Saturday with a bachelor’s degree in business. “But what sets us apart from other universities is that we’ve already received job offers through AUB, especially in the private sector. Although my education cost around 10 million Iraqi dinars, it was a truly valuable investment.” Ten million Iraqi dinars equals about $7,600.
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