– The American University of Iraq – Baghdad is pleased to announce the awarding of the first four merit scholarships funded by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS). The first “KAS Scholars” at AUIB are Nidham Neamah, Sadeq Dhafer, Tabarek Rdeef, and Tiba Mustafa. This highly prestigious scholarship is awarded on the basis of merit and need and is highly competitive based on essays, interviews, and academic as well as the performance of the applicants.
The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AUIB earlier this year to fund these scholarships with four scholarships in the first year with the possibility of more in the future. Each scholarship covers tuition and fees for all four years of study and provides for the Iraqi students to join other “KAS Scholars” from the Middle East in special programs hosted by KAS in Germany and the region.
Dr. Michael Mulnix, President of AUIB, noted that “I congratulate these four outstanding students on their prestigious scholarship awards! We are especially proud of our first group of KAS Scholars, as they are setting a high standard for other AUIB students to follow. We are very pleased to have a partnership with such a globally respected and renowned foundation as the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and look forward to working with them and other international partners to give young people from across Iraq the opportunity to study at AUIB.”
The KAS Scholars are all undergraduate students, studying in the Colleges of International Studies, Business, and Law. In awarding its scholarships, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung recognizes students who share their values of respect for human dignity, the protection of freedom of expression, and the promotion of the development of each individual, as well as a demonstrated commitment to a tolerant, open and just society. They are involved in society, politics, and social projects and will work with other KAS Scholars from around the region to discuss necessary changes as well as concrete political solutions to pressing issues.
The Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation’s Syria/Iraq Office was founded in 2015 and contributes to the improvement of the youth capabilities in the region. KAS supports students’ education by preparing them for work in both the state and the society, notably in the fields of science, business, politics and administration, media, and culture, and works to create a network of future decision-makers.
AUIB is a private, non-profit university with eight colleges now open and accepting students for undergraduate studies. With hundreds of scholarships awarded on the basis of merit and financial need, AUIB is working to make top-quality, American-style university education available in a broad range of subjects to young people across Iraq to prepare them for careers and leadership roles in the private and public sectors.