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| Style: American University in Iraq encourages student input. Jane Arraf |
University brings American-style learning to Iraq
At the year-old American University of Iraq–Sulaimani, students are encouraged to think independently.
from the December 8, 2008 edition
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Mitchell says that he told them his permission was not required. " 'This is something you are born with – you have the right to do it,' " he informed the group.
Salih, who is British-educated, says that free thinkers are key to a free society. But "reforming the state education system is not an easy notion – you cannot easily reform it from within. You have to create models that can be emulated," he says, looking out over the growing construction site of a new campus that hopes to accommodate 1,000 students in the next four years.
The students look as if they could be from almost anywhere. On the bulletin board at the temporary campus, there are notices for women's basketball, a drama club meeting, and volunteer opportunities at an orphanage. During break, students sit on the building steps in the winter sun – boys on cellphones, girls in tight jeans sitting with girls in head scarves. In an improvised cafeteria, students eat take-out pizza from cardboard boxes.
In one of the English-language classrooms, 20 young men and women pore over what is likely to be an apt lesson on life in the office.
"There are many problems in this office," instructor Peter Friedrich says, enunciating carefully as the students recite along with him.
"I'm 'going' to Hilla," he says. "What tense is this?"
"Present continuous," replies a student who, like the rest of the class, spoke barely any English two months ago.
Mr. Friedrich says he was teaching in an inner-city Los Angeles school when he read about AUIS.
"There's a lot more in common than some people might imagine with teaching here," he says. "The pure devotion of the student body."
The school has 15 faculty members. "Everyone has a story," says Mitchell, whose own story includes being born in Egypt and a stint as a professional country-and-western singer before finding his calling in teaching.
In this fractured country, many of the students believe they're doing more than getting a good education.
"It's a way of helping my country," says Mohammad Ahmed, who, at 23, is one of the oldest in the class and one of about 10 students from the south of Iraq.
At $10,000 per year few Iraqis can afford the tuition but almost all the students are on full scholarships or sponsorships by community and business leaders. Many come from modest backgrounds.
"We don't want this to be an elitist institution just for the boys and girls of the rich," says Salih.
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