The Continuing Education Institute (CEI) at the American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) organized a Continuing Education Forum on “The Role of Continuing Education in Developing Skills to Meet the Demands of the Job Market in the Era of the Digital Economy,” attended by academics from various universities in Iraq, directors of continuing education institutions, officials from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Planning, as well as interested parties from various professional backgrounds.
“We prepare people for jobs in a rapidly changing world,” said AUIB President, Dr. Michael Mulnix, in his opening speech, citing the “massive changes in the social, economic, educational,” and various other spheres, underpinned by technological shifts. He pointed out that AUIB “bases education decisions on hard data,” via a process in which the university collaborates with its public and private sector partners. “Education simply cannot stop upon graduation… lifelong learning is key to what AUIB’s CEI does” said President Mulnix, stressing the importance of continuous advancement of knowledge and skills to the ability to adapt and thrive. He thus maintained that “continuing education must be easily accessible to workers of all ages and in all regions.”
Universities’ mission is “education, scientific research, and community service;” and the latter is precisely the mission of continuing education centers at universities, said the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Haidar Abd Dahad, in his speech at the forum. The precondition to fulfilling continuing education centers’ mission is “keeping pace with rapid changes” in the labor market, so as to provide “a meaningful service” anchored by short, medium, and long-duration training courses, he said, commending, in this context, AUIB’s Continuing Education Institute, led by its CEO, Mr. Ziad Chaaban. Prof. Abd Dahad lauded the Institute’s efforts at “integrating global and Iraqi expertise” in its development of knowledge and skills.