Why the American University of Iraq—Baghdad? Opening its doors in January 2021, the new American University of Iraq—Baghdad (AUIB) began as a dream of influential individuals in Iraq and the United States in business, industry and government who wanted to see a world-class institution of higher learning established in the city, reminiscent of the days when Baghdad was an educational mecca and the flourishing capital of the Muslim world. With a great library, palatial college buildings and stude…