Name: Aryan Dilshad Ali
Hometown: Vienna, Austria
Major: Business
Occupation: Small Business Owner

My name is Aryan Dilshad Ali. I am 23 years old. I was born in Germany and I have Austrian citizenship. I studied at Shahid Jabar exemplary high school and was among the first group who graduated from that school. When I was getting to the end of high school I was worried about which university to choose to continue my studies.

I was very excited when I heard about AUIS, even though I didn’t have much information. The only thing I expected was that I would provide a western-style education, so I applied. I had the opportunity to study at a European university but I preferred to study at AUIS. I am happy that I have studied at such a university because AUIS has given me an education that I most likely wouldn’t have gotten at any other Iraqi university. Despite a few rocky patches due to our being the first undergraduate class, we received a very solid education. AUIS was very helpful at helping me understand western business style and at the same time it provides general knowledge in many other fields including history, science, psychology and philosophy.

Another aspect of AUIS that I enjoyed was its athletic offerings. During my second year of the university I asked former staff member Misel Jevtic to set up a men basketball team. The team and I practiced twice a week and we really enjoyed ourselves.It made the students have a feeling of unity as a university. The academic environment at AUIS is different from other universities in Iraq. It focuses on comprehension of key ideas, not rote memorization. This is a new system of education in Iraq. It makes you focus more on critical thinking, analyzing information, and focusing more on your own opinions. It boosts your self-esteem and makes you believe in yourself.

So at the end of the day, I think AUIS was the best choice for me to make. It was a great balance of a Western-style education with the comfort of living in a familiar environment. I recently graduated with a B.A in Business and minors in both Economics and Politics. Even though I had the opportunity to study in a European university, I am confident in my decision to study at AUIS.