پەرلەمانی کوردستان
October 10, 2026
President Nechirvan Barzani attended the graduation ceremony of the 15th graduating class of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. The ceremony was also attended by Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, as well as other guests and the families of the graduates.
During the ceremony, President Nechirvan Barzani delivered a speech. His remarks are as follows:
Dear Mr. Qubad Talabani,
Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region,
Dear graduates,
Respected parents and families of the graduates,
Dear University President and faculty members,
Ms. Elina, who has traveled from Washington to join us today, welcome.
I would also like to extend a special welcome to the representative of Mr. Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi, Prime Minister of Iraq, who has come from Baghdad to join us. Welcome.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Omer Fattah, a respected colleague who is with us today. Welcome, Mr. Omer.
Mr. Omer and I worked closely together in forming the cabinet that brought the two administrations together. I said it then, and I say it again: Mr. Omer is among those for whom I hold the deepest respect, and it was an honor to have served with him. I am truly happy to see him here today in good health. Welcome, Mr. Omer, and thank you for your significant contributions to Kurdistan. Thank you very much. Your absence has indeed been felt, and I want to assure you that you remain in our thoughts and that we still look back on those days. Welcome.
It is my pleasure to join you this evening at the graduation ceremony of the fifteenth graduating class of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, as we celebrate the graduation of 288 young people from our country.
I extend my congratulations to all of you, as well as to your parents and families, who have consistently supported you, your teachers, your university, and everyone who has contributed to your success.
Dear graduates,
Every generation has its own challenges and responsibilities in relation to its time and its country. My generation experienced a period in which the foremost challenges were protecting Kurdistan, our identity, striving for freedom, rebuilding what wars had destroyed, establishing institutions, and opening the country’s doors to the world.
Yours, however, is a different era, with a new set of questions:
How can we build a productive economy that creates opportunities for young people?
How can we acknowledge our shortcomings and make our institutions better and more efficient?
How can we benefit from technology while preserving our human values?
And how can Iraq and the Kurdistan Region compete and advance in a rapidly changing world?
These are the questions of your generation, and the answers you offer will play a crucial role in shaping the future of our country.
Today, we live in a world where information that once took days or months to obtain is available within minutes. Yet access to vast amounts of information does not necessarily mean a deep understanding of it.
Therefore, what sets you apart is no longer simply who knows more, but who knows how to think. It is the ability to distinguish between fact and assertion, between knowledge and opinion, and to examine matters carefully before reaching a decision or judgment.
In my view, one of the most important values a university should instill in you is an independent and critical mind, one that asks questions and learns with courage and without fear of censorship, while also having the courage to reflect on itself and correct its mistakes.
Dear graduates,
The degree you receive today opens doors for you, but it does not determine the path you will follow. That path is yours to choose.
Let your first question not be: What will the government provide for me? Rather, ask yourselves: What can I contribute? What problem can I help solve? Through what work or project can I create opportunities for myself and for others?
This is where true citizenship begins. A homeland grows greater not through how much one takes from it, but through how much one contributes to building it. Our future is not determined by natural resources alone. True wealth does not lie in oil and underground resources; the real wealth of today lies in your minds and initiative.
Dear friends,
There is another important lesson you have learned at this university, one not reflected in your degrees: you came from different cities, regions, and cultures, and you have learned together, worked together, and come to know one another. This is an experience Iraq greatly needs.
We do not need to be alike in order to live together and rebuild our country. Differences of opinion should not lead to division, as our strength lies in our diversity rather than in uniformity. Iraq and the Kurdistan Region need a generation that turns diversity into a source of strength and maintains strong channels of dialogue with others. I encourage you to carry the bridges you have built here with you into your professional lives.
Dear graduates,
I recognize that many young people view the future with concern as they reflect on the challenges facing the world, from ongoing conflicts and the effects of climate change to the rapid advancement of technology and artificial intelligence. These concerns are understandable. However, as we have consistently emphasized, while technological progress can offer solutions to many challenges, it cannot replace human judgment or our national will in shaping our future.
The experience of the people of Kurdistan has taught us that reality, however difficult, is not fixed. There was a time when the progress we have achieved today seemed beyond imagination. Yet life went on, and our people persevered in learning, rebuilding, and laying the foundations for a better future.
Therefore, I encourage you to see reality as it is, with all its difficulties, while continuing to believe in your ability to change it. This is the hope we need, a hope accompanied by work, responsibility, and initiative.
Preserve your identity and broaden your horizons to the world. Measure your success not solely by what you achieve for yourselves, but also by what you contribute to people’s lives and to the advancement of this country.
I hope you will strive and work so that, one day, you can look back on this period and say: Our generation did not merely rely on what was handed down to it; it opened greater opportunities for the generations that followed.
Here at this university, I would like to reiterate my gratitude for the role and dedication of my dear brother, Dr. Barham Salih, the founder of this university, and for his efforts to advance and ensure the success of this academic institution.
Once more, I extend my congratulations to you, your proud families, your teachers, and the leadership and staff of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani.
I wish you all a future filled with success.
Have a great evening, and welcome.
Thank you very much.
