The American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) co-organized and hosted the “Mega-Tech Summit” of 2024, which brought together young software developers from universities throughout Iraq.
AUIB’s College of Arts and Sciences building was a busy hive, as its auditorium burgeoned with curious, eager minds, following presentations by representatives of the event sponsors – AUIB, the “American Space” at AUIB, TTECH, Iraqi Land, and Smart Oasis – while others were in nearby halls, engaged in various workshops or a programming competition, taking place simultaneously.
AUIB President, Dr. Michael Mulnix, welcomed the crowd and spoke of the inception of the University, “the largest project by far” that the seasoned professor has founded. President Mulnix gave the audience a glimpse of the University’s plans for expansion and development, calling on the young audience to consider pursuing their graduate studies at AUIB, and emphasizing that an American-style education gives a great advantage in employment opportunities in Iraq and all over the world.
TTECH representative, Mr. Ali Muhammad Al Nuaimi, spoke of his firm’s mission to “support the next generation of developers,” working in tandem with the Google Developer Student Clubs, providing knowledge, hands-on experience, mentorship, and resources to support “solving real problems through innovation.” Mr. Al Nuaimi expressed his looking forward to a continued partnership with AUIB, to “catalyze innovation, push boundaries,” and create “a bright future for the generations to come.”
The event featured many interesting presentations: Assistant Professor of Computer Science at AUIB, Dr. Dhrgam Alkafaf, spoke on software development in Machine Learning and various Artificial Intelligence applications, from self-driving cars to medical diagnosis and robot-assisted surgery. Mr. Mustafa Jumaa elaborated on “The Power of Automation in Business Process Improvement,” while a panel discussed the role of “Technology in Entrepreneurship,” to give but a few examples.
Ms. Zahraa Haidar, a member of the Google Developer Student Club at the University of Karbala, was very excited at being on AUIB campus. She expressed her joy at attending such a busy event, where “novel ideas and inspiring subjects” were discussed. Mr. Mustafa Hasan, a Computer Science graduate of the University of Baghdad, said he had “a great, beautiful day” at AUIB, where he particularly appreciated “the challenge” at the programming competition, and was happy to make the acquaintance of many like-minded people.