The American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Standard Chartered Bank- Iraq Branch (SCB- Iraq) in a signing ceremony on AUIB campus, where AUIB President, Dr. Michael Mulnix, and senior members of university staff and faculty welcomed the bank’s delegation, headed by CEO Mr. Jamil Choucair.
As per the signed MoU, the two parties will collaborate on exchanging expertise, and SCB- Iraq will invite senior bank executives to hold coaching sessions with AUIB students on banking and finance issues, and will also invite AUIB students for summer internships at the bank.
In his welcoming remarks, President Mulnix celebrated the “beginning of a partnership that will impact (AUIB’s) students in a number of ways” as they progress on their journey from the classroom to professional life. “Partnerships are key to our university’s success,” whether they be with world-class institutions of higher education, such as Vanderbilt and Temple, or with business institutions that “bring real world experience” to students’ curricula and educational experiences. President Mulnix highlighted that such partnerships with business firms are mutually beneficial, as students enjoy the opportunity of having experienced employees as mentors, while “CEOs keep in touch with young people’s perspectives and new trends.”
Mr. Choucair spoke of the value of a liberal-arts-based education, citing his own story as an American university graduate who first enrolled in a Chemistry undergraduate program, only to transition later to studying Economics and subsequently graduating with a Master’s in Business Administration, paving his way to becoming a CEO. He saw that the primary credit in that goes to the versatility, flexibility, and opportunity such a model of higher education offers.
Following the signing ceremony, a roundtable was held to discuss the theme of Women in Business and issues of mentorship and professional advancement, moderated by the Head of Communications and Public Affairs at the UK embassy in Baghdad, Ms. Dunja Tanovic. The event was attended by AUIB members of faculty and staff, members of the UK embassy staff, and guests of various backgrounds.