As part of their ongoing engagement with global political affairs, students at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) attended a special online learning session titled “The European Union and Its Challenges in the 21st Century” on 7 May 2025. The session featured guest speaker Dr. Simant Shankar Bharti, Assistant Professor at the School of Social Sciences, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw, and author of The European Union's Role in South Asia: Development Policy and Soft Power (Routledge, 2025).  

Organized by Dr. Shwan Azeez, Assistant Professor at AUIS, the event exposed students to contemporary issues shaping the EU’s global role. Dr. Bharti opened the session with a presentation outlining the key geopolitical, economic, and strategic challenges facing the EU today, including its relations with the United States and its position on the Russia–Ukraine conflict.  

Following the presentation, students engaged in a moderated discussion exploring topics such as the US–EU trade dispute, Europe's defense dependency on NATO and the United States, and the EU’s foreign policy dilemmas regarding Russia and the war in Ukraine. These interactive segments encouraged critical reflection and helped students apply academic knowledge to real-world developments.  

The session offered a valuable opportunity for students to connect with an international scholar, broaden their perspectives on EU foreign policy, and foster intellectual curiosity beyond the standard curriculum. Events like this reinforce AUIS’s dedication to experiential learning and global academic engagement, strengthening the university’s role as a hub for informed and critical debate.