The Ambassador of the Republic of India to Iraq, Mr. Soumen Bagchi, visited the American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) at the head of a delegation from his country’s embassy in Baghdad. AUIB President, Dr. Bradley Cook, and senior members of the university cadre welcomed the delegation to campus, briefed them on the university’s various initiatives and future projects, and explored with them opportunities for advancing collaboration between the two parties in education, research, and cultural exchange.
Among the topics discussed by the two parties were the provision and facilitation of academic scholarships, and also internships with various Indian companies and institutions operating in Iraq. Following the deliberations, the diplomatic delegation and their hosts proceeded to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on campus and paid tribute to India’s national symbol, laying flowers at the statue’s base. The unveiling of the statue of Gandhi, presented by the Indian embassy as a gift “to the people of Iraq and to AUIB,” had occurred in January 2023, on the same day of the opening of the Indian Corner at AUIB Libraries.
