Hemin Latif, Founding Director
Hemin Latif is a faculty member in the Information Technology Department at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. Dr. Hemin is the founding director of the Center and reports directly to the Dean of Faculty. He manages, oversees and directs all the activities of the center and functions as the budget holder for the Center. His research interests include Creative Coding and Computing, Data Analysis and Visualization, and Physical Computing and Robotics.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +964535112020, ext: 1318
Chopi Muhammed Arif, CIDA Coordinator
Chopi's journey with CIDA began in March 2017 when she signed up as a volunteer coordinator. Her primary goal is to provide support for the project and coordinate to implement plans for the Center's public event. She has a backgroung in information analysis, presentation, leadership and adminstrative management. She considers it awesome to work with CIDA team at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani.
Chopi has B.A. from the University of Sulaimani. She has participated and completed many professional training course of Leadership, Methods of Teaching and Psychology, Shaping the Way We Teach English and Using Technology Inside the Classroom. She is a member of "Vincent on Leadership" and "iEARN Global Connections and Exchange Program of the United States".
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +964535112020, ext: 1932
Student and Alumni Ambassadors
The Center builds a group of ambassadors from AUIS students and alumni to support its activities including preparing for events, promoting the Center's role and other tasks as assigned by the Director. Ambassadors work voluntarily under the direct supervision of the Director. AUIS students and alumni must apply to become ambassadors for the Center.
Active Student and Alumni Ambassadors
Ms. Aveen Azad, CIDA Alumni Ambassador
In 2014, Aveen graduated from the AUIS with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and currently she is doing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Warsaw in Poland/Warsaw. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in an exchange program with Ball State University in Indiana, United States. She also has been volunteering with a series of projects to support refugees, and has joined several competitions, local and international events and conferences. She has been honored by AUIS Alumni Association as a member of the board of directors for 2015. Aveen started her career life as a business consultant, with Pathway of Commerce, a European-Kurdish trading organization. She also has worked with ACTED, a French organization for helping Syrian refugees and Iraqi IDPs, Moonline Travel & Tourism as a Channel Manager, and in start-up independent consulting. Currently, she is working on the management board of Pathway of Commerce, and is the volunteer event organizer of leading thinkers in the field of Border Business Cooperation of Kurdistan and Europe.
Ms. Wud Salam
Wud is a Junior IT student at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, and she is an active member of CIDA. Currently, she is working on Kurdistan Open Data project to improve data sharing and access in Kurdistan. Beside her work in CIDA, she also have received Ericsson ICT Professional Foundation Program Certificate. Along with Academic work, she is very interested in photography and she practices photography as hobby during her free time.
Ms. Lano Hunar
Lano Hunar is a junior APP student at the American University of Iraq Sulaimani. She works as a volunteer translator and research assistant at CIDA. She always loves English Language and she is very interested in translating. Since she was eleven years old, she translated short books from English into Kurdish Language at Everest Institute. In her free time, Lano likes listening to music, reading books and swimming.
Mr. Akar Ibrahim
Akar Ibrahim is a senior IT student with a minor in Business Administration at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. Akar worked for Indigo Advertising Agency as a researcher in 2016. He has also been working as a volunteer for local and international organizations including Hiwa Foundation and UNHCR. He has also volunteered in various campaigns and events including the European Union Film Festival, Hiwa Mini Cancer Campaign, and Refugee Got Talent. In 2016, he volunteered to organize a campaign to collect money and provide educational supplies and clothes for indigent students who are willing to drop out of school because of poverty.
Ms. Lubna Ghazi
Lubna is a freshman IT student with a minor in Business Administration at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. She is interested in drawing, photography, and designing. Lubna started working in CIDA on March 2017 with the aim to continue her hard work on this project.
Former Student and Alumni Ambassadors
Ms. Snur Hamid, CIDA Student Ambassador
Snur is a senior IT student at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, and has been working as a certified Microsoft Sales Specialist at Avesta Group since 2014. Besides working, she has volunteered for local and international organizations to serve the community. She also received Marry E. Geyer Scholarship for AUIS Women in IT award, and Ericsson ICT Professional Foundation Program Certificate. Snur is currently a member of CIDA and is working on the project, Google Street View, for improving Google Maps in Kurdistan Region.
Mr. Karzan Suhbat, CIDA Student Ambassador
Karzan is currently a senior IT major with concentration in web systems. He has worked for AsiaHawala, Mobile Money Service Company, as social media developer. After a short period of time working as developer, he was asked to join AsiaHawala, and he is now IT product and support officer. He has developed several IT related projects driven by ongoing initiatives to help the university and society as well in both mobile development and web fields. Along with that, he has extensive experience in voluntary work with both international and local NGOs in addition to working with UNFCCC as a lobbyist.
Mr. Mohammed Sofi, CIDA Student Ambassador
Mohammed is a senior international studies student attending American University of Iraq-Sulaimani. He has partaken in community initiatives both on and off campus. He coauthored the constitution of the student association at AUIS. He launched a fundraiser in the very first days of the displacement of Syrian refugees to cover settlement needs and arranged art projects to ease psychological difficulties at a refugee camp. He is now part of the leaders' initiative program at AUIS. His commitment for community work and development has driven him to volunteer for various developmental research centers such as the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) and the Center for Development and Natural Resources (CDNR).