On April 25th AUIS launched the English Public Speaking Competition organized in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The U.S. Consulate General in Erbil and the Consulate of Italy were also partners of the event. 56 participants took place in this first-ever competition delivering a a speech prepared for the competition's theme of "Dynamic Earth". The event participants were evaluated by a panel of judges that consisted of such well respected members as Mr. Sherwan Ahmed Hasan, representative for the Ministry of Education; Mr. Zanyar Hassan, Community Management Coordinator and Ms. Zuleikha Kareem, Iraqi Cultural Advisor, representing the U.S. Consulate General; Mrs. Dilvin Begzada, Attache, Consulate of Italy; AUIS faculty members and AUIS Alumni Association Members.

There were two stages to the competition: the preliminary round and the final round. From the 12 finalists who competed in the second round, 4 students were from public schools and 8 from private schools. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners received special gifts from AUIS and the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil. All the 12 finalists and their teachers received an additional gift: a trip and reception from the Ministry of Education and the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil.
On July 31st the finalists went on the trip to Erbil where they were hosted by the U.S. Consulate General in the American Corner in Erbil. The participants and their teachers learned more about the Consulate, its roles, and activities as well as we were introduced to educational possibilities in the the US.  The second reception took place at the Ministry of Education where the group was met by the Minister Mr. Alan Hama Saeed Salih. The Minister praised the students and their teachers for their success and expressed his support for the competition. After the meeting, the participants were hosted for lunch by the Ministry.
AUIS is extremely proud to be organizing events that help schools provide opportunities for their students to grow further. The English Public Speaking Competition is an annual event so each year new schools can join the competition.
The 2nd English Public Speaking Competition will take place at AUIS on February 6, 2025. Schools are encouraged to run competitions in their schools to choose the best student who will represent the school at the main competition at AUIS.