Sulaimani, Iraq – Jan. 15, 2012 – A group of students at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) was selected to compete in the Annual Global Case Challenge Regional Final in Dubai, where they will have the opportunity to present a project they developed aimed at combating global poverty on a grass-roots level. The AUIS students selected are Kazho Muhsin, Dashne Saeed, Mina Ali Naji, and Rawaz Jamal, all in the academic program, and Bas Rashid from the Academic Preparatory Program (APP). 

"This is a unique opportunity for us and our university," said Kazho Muhsin, one of the students who is part of the team.  "All of us hope we will be great representatives of AUIS and we will do our best to win this competition in Dubai."

"It is a very big competition and we are competing against the most famous business universities around the world," said Dashne Saeed, another student participating in the competition.  "We will try our best to win this competition."

“These five students have demonstrated innovation, dedication and a desire to push education beyond their textbooks,” said Rachel Laribee, deputy director of APP and the students’ faculty mentor for the competition. “I am proud of these students and look forward to the competition in Dubai. These five are impressive representatives of all AUIS students.  Beginning with this challenge in Dubai and at the competition in the US, our students have shown they can compete with the best students on a global level.”

The purpose of the Hult Global Case Challenge is to generate solutions to global poverty at a grass-roots level by confronting education, energy, and housing problems.  AUIS’ project encourages marginalized women in Iraq, particularly widows, to spend one year studying to become teachers.  Once they complete their studies, these women will be placed in jobs teaching refugee children and orphans, another marginalized group in Iraqi society.  The goal is to bring these two segregated groups together through education- allowing these women to begin working again and giving them a feeling that they belong, while providing education and support to children in need.    

The regional competition will be held in Dubai on February 24^th and 25^th.  In Dubai, AUIS will compete against other teams from around the region.  Regional competitions are also being held in Boston, San Francisco, London, and Shanghai, where one team from each region will be selected to compete in the finals held in New York City in April.  An online competition will also be held via Facebook for the opportunity to compete in the finals.

For more information:
Kyle Long, AUIS Director of Communications, kyle.long@auis.edu.iq, +964 0770 461 5385