Under the patronage of HE the Deputy Prime Minister/ Minister of Planning, Prof. Mohammad Ali Tameem, the American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) hosted a celebration organized by the National Center for Management Development and Information Technology (NCMDIT) at the Ministry of Planning on the occasion of “Quality Assurance Week.” The event was attended by AUIB President, Dr. Michael Mulnix, and members of faculty and staff, in addition to executives at various public sector and private sector institutions, and other interested parties.
“The only way to improve quality” in societies’ various sectors and institutions “is through education,” affirmed President Mulnix in his address to the crowd that filled the main auditorium at AUIB’s College of Arts and Sciences. President Mulnix spoke of AUIB’s great investment, in terms of money and effort, to launch itself on the path of rapid development, aiming to become a Tier-One Research University, not only in Iraq, but also in the broader region, and “a source of pride for all Iraqis.” He seized the opportunity to call upon his peers in the region to come together and join efforts at raising the quality standards of education, “from kindergarten to higher education,” saying that “we owe this to the Nation.”
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Planning, Dr. Hanaa’ Ismail Al-Asadi, saw that the concept of quality exceeds systems of standards, in that it is “a comprehensive and continuous culture that is reflected in all aspects of life.” She maintained that this culture is the cornerstone of societal development in all fields, commending the pioneering role of the Ministry of Planning in boosting and disseminating this culture, also highlighting NCMDIT’s role in supporting the development of the skills of staff at public and private institutions and enterprises, and in spreading awareness at various institutions of the importance of international standards’ role in the process of capacity building.