Alumni

By: Sipa Kurda   Brusk Hamarash, a 2017 Information Technology (IT) graduate of American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), spoke on a webinar titled, “Alumni Experience Sharing,” which is part of the weekly Online Career Development workshop hosted by the Student Services Department, on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 to share with AUIS students about his career, life after graduation, and how his AUIS education helped him succeed.   Hamarash now works in the IT department of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), but immediately after graduation, he started his own company despite not being a Business Administration student. “Being a student at AUIS wasn’t about learning technicalities,” he said. “For me it was about culture, mentality, and the environment, which prepares you to be independent and handle our own responsibilities.”    While he was still a student at AUIS, he and a group of friends started an IT company called Meta Solutions, which provided software solutions to companies. That helped him have a plan for life after graduation. He emphasized that AUIS made him a better person, saying, “For me, it was about going through a process of changing my personality for the better,” he said. “After I became a student at AUIS, I started to think about my future and how to achieve my goals.”   Hamarash also described how he learned to make long-term plans and think about his future, which ultimately taught him to be dependent on himself.    “When I started my company, I had to do everything on my own for three years,” he said. “For instance, I had to manage the company, deal with clients, write proposals, prepare presentations…what I learned from AUIS prepared me to be the person I am today.”   Hamarash explained that his skills and experiences motivated him to use his AUIS education in the public sector. “Our goal is to make digital services at the heart of the government to bring changes that will improve people’s lives,” he said. “I had the skills and experience, so I needed to use them and prove what I learned at AUIS to serve the community.”   Majority of AUIS graduates work in the private sector, however, Hamarash explained how public sector jobs can also have positive impact. “I see a noble purpose in working in the government by providing services that will be appreciated by everyone, because we try to bring full change for Kurdistan and on international level,” he said.   Asked whether graduates should start their own businesses or work for the government, Hamarash said, “It depends if you are willing to use your experience and skills in the government to serve the community or you want to start your own business."   “We really want to hire new people as long as they are appropriate in using their skills to serve the department and the community,” he said.     

  Berzy Bahzad Omer, Information Technology ‘15   Berzy Bahzad Omer is an IT graduate from American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS), finishing in the top 10 of his graduating class and third in his department. A Sulaimani native, he joined the academic IT department as a lab assistant before deciding to pursue a master’s degree in Advanced Computer Networks at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom.    Berzy finished at the top of his class at Derby and attributed his AUIS education as a contributor to his success. “AUIS was a major factor behind my success in both my professional and academic endeavors,” he said. “The liberal arts-style of education at AUIS taught me the skills required to construct a well-written thesis as well as how to solve problems resourcefully.”   “Above all,” he noted, “I consider myself lucky to have had the chance to study at AUIS.”   Going forward, Berzy looks forward to applying the skills he has gained in his academic and professional experiences at AUIS and in the UK to further his career.

    Name: Meeran Sarwar Hometown: Sulaimani AUIS Graduation Date: 2014 Major: Business Administration   Meeran Sarwar is a co-founder and manager of City Gym, which opened in Sulaimani in 2015.   How and when did you decide to start your own business?   It had always been a dream and goal of mine, since I was 12 years old, to open a gym. I’ve always been passionate about working out. After graduating from AUIS, I went to Lebanon and worked in the auditing department of Bank Audi. It was a great experience and I learned a lot about customer service. I came back to Sulaimani and decided to use what I learned to start a new, unique gym experience for people here.   What challenges did you face in setting up City Gym?             The first challenge we faced was in setting up a mixed-gender gym in Kurdistan. It was the first one that had women and men working out together, side-by-side. It was very difficult in the beginning. We had to convince our friends, people in our social circles, to come and join. It was hard to even convince guys to join because they were used to working out in certain environments.   The market segment was also small, since not everyone was into going to the gym and working out. Pricing was also a challenge. People who did go to the gym were used to paying less for memberships, but we were providing quality, experienced staff, a hygienic environment, professional equipment, and more. We also focused on customer service. Our goal wasn’t to only make money, but to help people reach their fitness goals in a fun way.   My goal has always been to get people to reach their full potential; and our motto at City Gym is “It’s a lifestyle” and we really believe that.   Who supported you?   Our biggest supporters have been our family, our managing team, and our loyal clients. Our clients are loyal because we really focus on customer service. We’ve created a comfortable place for people to work out. My experience as a business officer with an organization called Mercy Corps also helped me. There, I helped establish 24 different small businesses with our beneficiaries. This helped me deal with our new City Gym location in a more efficient way, both fiscally and managerigially.   How did your family and friends feel about you starting your own business?   I’m a risk taker and my family were unbelievably supportive, and they still are. They were afraid in the beginning but saw how hard we worked to make it a reality. And actually, I would say seventy percent of my friends and peers were more afraid for us because the risks were so high.   What has been the best part and the most challenging part?   The best part is and has always been that we are a leader in the fitness industry here. We were the first to make this new idea a reality.      The financial crisis in recent years was also a very serious challenge for us. At first people, were willing to pay $80 a month for gym memberships, but it was also the first cost to get cut for a lot of people, even for our most serious or loyal clients. We managed to survive even though our target market was shrinking each month, but we focused on giving the best quality through it all.   The financial crisis actually did us a favor. People lived in their comfort zones before then and all of a sudden, we were forced to push ourselves more, work harder, and come up with creative ideas.   How did your AUIS education prepare you to build a career as an entrepreneur?   AUIS gave me the basic foundation that helped me to expand my way of thinking regarding business and entrepreneurship, but also developing myself to create a unique entrepreneurial project.   My advice for anyone who wants to start their own business is to not be afraid to take risks, but to be informed about and be knowledgeable about the industry you want to go into. Think outside the box, go beyond imitating existing businesses. Pull yourself out of your comfort zone.