As part of the partnership, select students of the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) will come to Romania to intern with the Alexandrion Foundation in various areas, and members of the Alexandrion Foundation network will present lectures to the AUK community in topics such as international business, political relations, marketing, and other topics.The Alexandrion Foundation, part of the Alexandrion Group, announces the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) initiating a partnership between the Alexandrion Foundation and the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) in Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The Alexandrion Foundation and AUK have teamed up to promote student workforce preparedness and the public and private sector capacity building in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The collaborative framework between these two parties is targeted on initiatives that advance the shared organizational objectives of the parties.
The Alexandrion Foundation’s mission is to support excellence in education and expand learning opportunities for students in order to ensure their global preparedness. The American University of Kurdistan’s mission is to shape leaders of the future by providing American-style education, innovative research, and career-orientated programs. Together, the Alexandrion Foundation and AUK are advancing opportunities for students in Kurdistan.
Dr. Nawaf Salameh, Founding Chairman of the Alexandrion Foundation and the Alexandrion Group said: “This partnership is in line with the core values of the Alexandrion Foundation and its global impact goals and it made perfect sense from the first moment when we met with the representatives of AUK and we understood what the University stands for. We will make all the necessary efforts to support AUK’s mission, we have had some very interesting, revealing meetings with the students, we were impressed with their enthusiasm, skills and knowledge and we look forward to receiving them to Romania and provide them with the opportunity to assist and work with professionals from various areas.”
Mr. Nicholas S. Kass, Executive Director of International Corporate Affairs for the Nawaf Salameh Family Office and the Alexandrion Group, noted that the Office, the Group, and the Foundation seek to understand, support, and become part of the of the fabric of the societies in which they operate, and to build bridges between the West and the East. “The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is a strategic location, and we want to contribute to its success,” he added.
The Parties intend to develop the following collaborative activities:
(a) Student internships: AUK students going to Romania to intern with the Alexandrion Foundation in areas of marketing/communications, hospitality, finance/accounting, product development, market research.
(b) AUK staff mobility: AUK staff observing the operations of units within the Alexandrion Foundation to gain an understanding of international best practices.
(c) Guest speakers: Members of the Alexandrion Foundation’s network presenting lectures to the AUK community in topics such as international business, political relations, marketing.
(d) Governmental capacity-building: the Alexandrion Foundation providing experts to conduct trainings for the public sector within Kurdistan.
(e) Kurdistan market studies: AUK providing its faculty and students for the Alexandrion Foundation’s market research within Kurdistan.
Dr. Randall Rhodes, President of the American University of Kurdistan, concluded: „The American University of Kurdistan is a young university and needs to foster internationalization initiatives to ensure that its students become globally prepared and the faculty and staff uphold international best practices. The relationship with the Alexandrion Foundation supports these objectives by providing internships for students and capacity building opportunities for AUK’s employees. It also supports cross-cultural understanding at a time when the global economy opens markets and overcomes national borders.”
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About the Alexandrion Foundation
The Alexandrion Foundation emerged following numerous social activities carried out by the companies’ part of Alexandrion Group. Projects have been carried out under Alexandrion Foundation’s patronage for more than 20 years. Alexandrion Foundation follows the Alexandrion Group in its evolution. The Alexandrion Foundation actively supports culture since 2014 with Constantin Brâncoveanu Awards, it honours excellence through the Constantin Brâncoveanu Diaspora Awards and the Constantin Brâncoveanu International Awards. Through the Matei Brâncoveanu Awards, Alexandrion Foundation recognizes the development potential of younger people for research and exceptional achievements in their field of activity. Over the years, the Foundation has also supported Romanian sports performance. Alexandrion Trophies honour the international performance of Romanian athletes since 2016. The Foundation supported the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee at the Olympic from 2004 to 2012 aiming to encourage young athletes to obtain the best possible results.
