19-05-2025
AUIS hosts Iraq's 1st nationwide forum for English studies
Shafaq News/ The American University of Iraq–Sulaimani (AUIS) has spotlighted the success of a first-of-its-kind academic forum in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, bringing together more than 80 scholars and students from across the country to explore emerging research in English literature, linguistics, translation, and language education.
Held on April 26, the '1st Annual Forum for Research in Progress in the English Fields' welcomed participants from as far north as Duhok to central provinces like Babil. Organized by AUIS's English department faculty and students, the event featured 19 research papers presented across six panels.
The initiative, conceived by English Department Chair Dr. Alistair Chetwynd, aimed to fill a gap in Iraq's academic landscape. 'In the UK and US, it's common to present unfinished research to receive feedback that helps improve it before publication,' Chetwynd said. 'In Iraq, most humanities conferences focus on nearly completed work.'
The AUIS forum provided a rare space for scholars from diverse universities to interact and exchange feedback during the research process. Participants hailed from 13 institutions across Iraq and presented papers in areas including Anglophone literature, linguistics, translation studies, and language teaching.
Third-year AUIS student Sara Sarbast said the event broadened her research horizons, inspiring her to explore underexamined topics in literature. Ansam Riyadh Abdullah, a participant from Tikrit University, praised the forum for promoting academic exchange and introducing innovative methodologies aligned with her research interests.
'This forum stood out for its inclusive, collaborative spirit,' Abdullah noted. 'Unlike formal conferences, it encouraged meaningful interaction among attendees from various academic levels and backgrounds.'
Dr. Hussein Mayouf of the University of Babil described the forum as 'pioneering' compared to other domestic events.
Chetwynd said the inaugural forum was intended as a pilot. 'We wanted to gauge interest. Now that we've seen the positive response to the focus on feedback, we hope to organize a larger, more ambitious event in the future,' he said.
