Social Impact of American Liberal Arts Education in Post-Conflict Iraqi Kurdistan: Implications and Challenges

• In Event: Critical Issues in Comparative Education

Abstract

In the wake of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, many Iraqi universities were destroyed, creating opportunities for the establishment of new institutions, including American-style liberal arts universities. Taking the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) as a case study, this paper explores the social impact of universities in post-conflict settings, including the impact of the cultural, communal, and research centers. Using Onyx’s (2014) impact framework, interviews with nine AUIS professionals and five affiliated centers reveal that AUIS’s initiatives generally have a positive social impact, such as fostering policy dialogue, cultural preservation, and capacity building. However, challenges like limited funding, unclear institutional vision, individualized community efforts, and resistance to AUIS’s values have constrained its social impact and integration within the Kurdish community.

Authors

• Hayfa Faisal Jafar, Georgian College

• Munirah Eskander, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research