Alexandrion Foundation Signs Partnership with the American University of Kurdistan
Under the partnership, selected students of the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) will come to Romania for internships in various fields, and members of the Alexandrion Foundation network will give lectures to the AUK community on topics such as international business, political relations, marketing, and other subjects.
The Alexandrion Foundation, part of the Alexandrion Group, announces the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding initiating a partnership with the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) in Duhok, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The Alexandrion Foundation and AUK will work together to promote student preparedness for the labour market and to strengthen the capacities of the public and private sectors in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The framework for collaboration between the two parties is oriented towards initiatives that advance the parties’ shared organisational objectives.
The mission of the Alexandrion Foundation is to support excellence in education and to expand learning opportunities for students, in order to ensure their global preparedness. The mission of the American University of Kurdistan is to shape the leaders of the future by providing American-style education, innovative research and career-oriented programmes. 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 we met the representatives of AUK and understood the role of the University. We will make every necessary effort to support AUK’s mission; we have had several very interesting and revealing meetings with the students, we were impressed by their enthusiasm, skills and knowledge, and we look forward to welcoming them to Romania and giving them the opportunity to work with professionals from various fields.”
Mr Nicholas S. Kass, Executive Director for International Corporate Affairs at the Nawaf Salameh Family Office and the Alexandrion Group, noted that the Family Office, the Group and the Foundation seek to understand, support and become part 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 will go to Romania for internships with the Alexandrion Foundation in areas such as marketing/communications, hospitality, finance/accounting, product development and market research.
(b) AUK staff mobility: AUK staff will study the operations of units within the Alexandrion Foundation in order to understand international best practices.
(c) Guest speakers: members of the Alexandrion Foundation network will give lectures to the AUK community on topics such as international business, political relations and marketing.
(d) Governmental capacity-building: the Alexandrion Foundation will provide experts to conduct training courses for the public sector in Kurdistan.
(e) Kurdistan market studies: AUK will provide access to its faculty and students for market research carried out by the Alexandrion Foundation in 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 internationalisation initiatives to ensure that its students become globally prepared and that its 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 the numerous social activities carried out by the companies of Alexandrion Group. Projects have been carried out under the patronage of the Alexandrion Foundation for more than 20 years. The Alexandrion Foundation follows the Alexandrion Group in its evolution. The Alexandrion Foundation has actively supported culture since 2014 through the Constantin Brâncoveanu Awards, and honours excellence through the Constantin Brâncoveanu Diaspora Awards and the Constantin Brâncoveanu International Awards. Through the Matei Brâncoveanu Awards, the Alexandrion Foundation recognises the development potential of young people, for research and exceptional achievements in their field of activity. Over the years, the Foundation has also left its mark in supporting Romanian sporting performance. The Alexandrion Trophies have honoured the international performance of Romanian athletes since 2016. The Foundation stood alongside the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee at the Olympic Games from 2004 to 2012, seeking to encourage young athletes to achieve the best possible results.
