The American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) received Spain’s Ambassador to Iraq, H.E. Pedro Martinez-Avial, who discussed with AUIB President, Dr. Michael Mulnix, and University officials the prospects of cooperation between AUIB and Spanish educational and cultural institutions.
“We’re honored to have a special guest on campus,” said President Mulnix as he welcomed Ambassador Martinez-Avial, expressing his enthusiasm at “discussing partnerships, future collaboration on faculty and student exchange programs, as well as cultural exchanges” between AUIB and concerned Spanish institutions, calling on the guest diplomat to support the University’s efforts at establishing “a Spanish cultural center on campus, to add to the German cultural center that is currently work in progress.”
Ambassador Martinez-Avial stressed the importance to his country and to Europe in general of Iraq’s affairs, due to considerations foremost of which are the issues of energy security, terrorism, and migration. “It has been a great honor for me to be invited to your university. I am very impressed by what I’ve seen. I think it is initiatives such as this that would help Iraq” recover and develop, especially in the education and training of young Iraqis, said the diplomat, promising to facilitate AUIB’s cooperation with various concerned Spanish institutions and universities, thus “bringing a bit of Spain to Iraq, through AUIB,” in the process.