By Jennifer Kiilerich
From July 27-31, 菠萝视频 of education and human development welcomed Staff Excellence Fellows (SEF) from the American University of Iraq-Baghdad鈥檚 new Center for the Advancement of Higher Education in Iraq (CAHEI). The visit was an inflection point in the collaboration between Peabody and AUIB as the institutions work to improve higher education and build a stronger teacher workforce in Iraq. The visiting professionals discussed sustainable approaches to education and prepared for the next phase of growth for the .
鈥淲e were honored to host our colleagues from AUIB this summer,鈥� said , SEF co-lead and lecturer, Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations. 鈥淭his visit was a wonderful opportunity to connect in person, strengthening relationships not only among colleagues, but also between AUIB and 菠萝视频, and Iraq and the United States.鈥�
鈥淲e hope the fellows will return home with a clear sense of objectives and a toolkit of learner-centered educational strategies that are informed by their own experiences and communities,鈥� shared , SEF lead and senior lecturer, Department of Human and Organizational Development.
, professor of the practice of leadership, policy, and organizations, and , EdD鈥�19, assistant dean, Peabody Global Initiatives, are principal investigators for the U.S. Department of State grants ($2.5M in 2022 and $2.1M in 2024) that have made this work possible. Since its inception, the initiative has:
- Launched a college of education and human development at AUIB
- Established the Center for the Advancement of Higher Education in Iraq
- Designed undergraduate and master鈥檚 programs in education and human development
- Brought education professionals together to collaborate and expand their knowledge
Ongoing coordination with Peabody leaders will support the progress of these AUIB programs. The immersive week in Nashville included job shadowing, workshops with Peabody faculty, and visits to sites like Tennessee State University, the Entrepreneur Center and the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Taylor Swift Education Center.
Other highlights included a lunch and conversation with , Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development, in which the group considered student-centered and practice-driven higher education approaches, and a talk with Professor about the balance of structured and trust-focused leadership styles. Goldring serves as distinguished research dean, Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor and professor of educational leadership and policy.
Xiu Cravens, PhD鈥�08, and Balkis Boum, MEd鈥�23, a project manager for the initiative, led a session that explored the use of skills and hands-on learning as an alternative to traditional lectures. CAHEI Fellow Anita Arshagian, executive assistant, coordinator and translator at AUIB, said that the workshop 鈥渃hallenged the way I think about teaching and training, reminding me that real learning happens when participants are actively engaged and empowered to contribute.鈥�
CAHEI Fellow Rasha Ibrahim is an AUIB executive assistant with a background in humanitarian logistics and engineering. 鈥淲e left not only with new skills but also with a commitment to implement meaningful change within our institutions,鈥� she shared, 鈥渁nd to support one another as a growing community of educational leaders.鈥�
The CAHEI fellows consist of 11 distinguished higher education professionals spanning administrative, student services and faculty roles. The CAHEI鈥檚 mission is to provide tailored leadership and faculty development programs throughout Iraq focused on promoting governance, academic integrity and accessibility across higher education.
