Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s Speech at AUK 2025 Graduation
Erbil, Kurdistan Region (GOV.KRD) – Today, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani attended the Class of 2025 graduation ceremony of the American University of Kurdistan in Duhok. The Prime Minister delivered the following commencement speech:
Distinguished guests, members of the Board of Trustees, esteemed AUK President, faculty and staff, proud parents, and most importantly, the graduating Class of 2025 – good evening.
It is an immense honor to stand before you today as both the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Kurdistan and as the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Today, we gather not only to celebrate your hard-earned academic success but to honor the determination, resilience, and vision that brought you here. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and all of Kurdistan, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each and every one of you. Today’s ceremony is more than just a celebration to mark your hard-earned achievement – it is a turning point. Today, you formally exit a structured path of learning and enter a vast landscape of opportunity, responsibility, and purpose. You are architects of Kurdistan’s future and begin this journey empowered with the skills, knowledge and relationships that you have developed since beginning your studies at AUK.
AUK is a stepping-stone; a launch-pad for making a meaningful impact in Kurdistan and the wider world. I am confident that the values AUK has instilled in you – intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, aspiration, collaboration, service, and integrity – will guide and elevate you, as much as they will inspire and motivate your peers, friends and colleagues. We are driving transformational reforms across the Kurdistan Region. These reforms are not abstract ideas but policies that will have an immediate impact by significantly improving the well-being of Kurdistanis – they will enable prosperity, deliver inclusive economic growth and integrate Kurdistan into regional and global markets. My recent visit to the United States marked a defining chapter in this journey. We reaffirmed our enduring, values-driven partnership with the United States and its people – a bond that has grown exponentially since the 1990s. During this trip, we signed strategic agreements with leading American energy companies that will serve as engines of economic growth, investment, and innovation. Most importantly, they will generate high-quality jobs and opportunities across key sectors – opportunities that align perfectly with your skills, your ambitions, and your readiness to lead.
Most importantly, for the first time in our history, Kurdistan presented the progress we have made in achieving economic independence that is not premised on oil, an economic vision that is based on the emergence of non-oil sectors, such as banking and agriculture. Indeed, through this economic vision we are building the very foundations of a stronger, more resilient Kurdistan. Across our region, major road networks are being constructed, vital water supply systems are being expanded, and new dams are being developed to safeguard our future. We are securing the essentials of modern life – not just for today, but for generations to come. And at the heart of this progress is a commitment to reliable electricity. Through the ambitious “Runakî” project, we are turning one of our greatest challenges into one of our greatest breakthroughs – lighting homes, powering industries, and energizing the promise of a brighter Kurdistan. To modernize our financial systems, we have launched the “MyAccount” banking initiative – the first of its kind in our region. This project empowers citizens by providing easier access to digital banking, improving transparency and enabling a broader culture of entrepreneurship and accountability.
At the heart of all this progress lies one driving force: technology. Artificial intelligence and digital transformation are no longer distant concepts; they are here, reshaping our economy and society. That’s why we are investing in innovation hubs and encouraging partnerships between universities and the tech sector. I encourage all of you to stay curious, to explore these fields, and to ensure Kurdistan is an integral part of the global AI revolution. Our population’s potential can only be realized with a strong, reliable healthcare system – and that starts with skilled, compassionate healthcare professionals who underpin a healthy and productive society. At AUK, we envisioned a nursing program that would not only meet international standards but serve as a model for the entire country. Today marks a historic milestone: I am proud to witness the very first cohort of nursing graduates – each of them supported by a full scholarship. They represent more than academic achievement; they embody our hope for a healthier and thriving Kurdistan. And our commitment doesn’t stop here. We are also investing in professional development programs to empower practicing nurses, equipping them with the skills and support they need to elevate healthcare across Kurdistan and Iraq.
Let us not forget the fundamentals: the enabler of technological progress, economic growth and innovation is our education system. Our education reform agenda continues, and we are as determined as ever to ensure our education system is strengthened by reviewing and revising quality assurance mechanisms, by introducing governance reforms and by putting in place clear, measurable objectives to evaluate institutional and educational effectiveness. At the same time, we are prioritizing student well-being and placing students at the heart of the learning experience. Through the national standards we have introduced for elementary and secondary schools and higher education institutions, we are laying the groundwork for academic independence – empowering institutions to manage themselves administratively and financially. This is a strategic shift that puts innovation at the core of our education system. Our goal is clear: to build a “Knowledge Nation” – one where learning is lifelong and where excellence and equality of opportunity are the norm.
As graduates of AUK – one of Kurdistan’s leading institutions – you are among the best equipped to lead this transformation. I urge you to uphold the highest ethical standards in your professions. Stay rooted in your identity and your homeland, even as you explore opportunities across the world. Give back to the community that has supported your journey. Be citizens in the truest sense – those who serve, uplift, and shape society. Let me also remind you that success and prosperity begin with purpose: Be fearless and relentless in your ambitions but never forget the values that brought you here. Kurdistan needs your energy, your ideas, and your leadership – now more than ever. Like the generations of Peshmerga who have fought bravely and sacrificed so much to protect our land, like the visionaries who built our institutions, and like the countless citizens who work tirelessly each day to strengthen our nation – you too must carry the torch forward.
Congratulations, Class of 2025.
