agreement

  American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) and the University of Exeter signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in a virtual ceremony on May 19, 2021 to promote areas of cooperation between the two institutions, especially in the development of education and research activities.   Under the agreement, AUIS and Exeter will explore the development of a progression agreement that will open opportunities for AUIS graduates to pursue graduate degrees within Exeter’s Colleges of Humanities, Social Sciences and International Studies, and Medicine and Health.   AUIS may also host Exeter students and staff as part of an arranged field trip and provide access to University facilities when Exeter students and faculty undertake research in Iraq, with the aim of furthering research ties and collaborations.   Speaking during the virtual ceremony, Exeter’s Professor Wendy Robinson, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the College of Social Sciences and International Studies, said, “It’s a great opportunity to meet with colleagues...and to explore further how we might build on this relationship and expand our mutual collaboration across teaching, across our research, and in how we think about enriching the culture and experiences of our staff and our students.”   Wolfgang Hinck, AUIS Vice President, Academic Affairs praised the new collaboration as demonstrating the University’s dedication to its mission. “As a truly independent, public-benefit university we remain committed to supporting long-term social cohesion, political stability, and economic prosperity in the region. International collaborations with other high-quality institutions provide us with critical support to develop the kind of leaders that will help bridge some of the political and social divides that we are experiencing,” he said.    The MOU builds on existing informal partnerships between the institutions, including one between the AUIS’s Kashkul Center for Arts and Culture and Exeter’s Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies.  Earlier in 2021, those groups presented a virtual series titled, “Curating Kurdishness: Arts, Culture, and the Archive in Kurdistan and Beyond.”