Introduction
As a part of Wikimedia Iraq strategy to expand our activities across Iraq, During September 2025, Wikimedia Iraq established communications with the American university of Iraq, Sulaimani through a very dedicated and passionate student named User:ZheenSalih is a software engineering student who after learning from her own domain’s community about open source access, became very interested in open source information and started being interested in working on WikiProjects
Local Context:
Sulaimani or Sulaymaniyah, colloquially known as “the city of culture”, is a governorate located in northern Iraq within the Kurdistan region where The American University of Iraq Sulaymaniyah exists. AUIS was established in 2007, and it is a liberal education university that encourages intensive on campus involvement from students through volunteer work and club activity.
One of the students on campus, earlier mentioned, reached out to the Wikimedia Iraq branch sparking After all efforts made, the Wikimedia students club at AUIS was established and led entirely by AUIS students. On the 6th of October 2025 The AUIS Wikimedian’s Club made its debut on Club Day, where members, wearing traditional attire, focused on recruitment. They engaged students with an interactive, tablet-based trivia game designed to educate them on Wikimedia foundation and wiki projects . This initial, successful activity led to over 30 people attending the launch day on the 8th of october
On the 8th of October 2025 We officially launched the Club at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimania (AUIS) through an introductory workshop for Wiki projects. The event brought together passionate students and Wikimedia community members from across Iraq to celebrate the beginning of a new and first club for learning, sharing, and contributing to Wikimedia projects in Iraq.
Ali Khalil, Director of the Wikimedia Iraq User Group, came from Baghdad, to open the session with a fun, interactive game to test the students’ knowledge about Wikimedia. The activity sparked laughter and curiosity, setting a friendly tone for the event. Afterwards, Ravan Al-Taie, the founder of the Iraqi Wikimedia User Group, who traveled from Erbil, delivered an inspiring speech about the beginnings of Wikimedia Iraq sharing its journey, mission, and the essence of Wikimedia and Wikipedia.
Two dedicated Iraqi Wikimedians also traveled to attend the event: Tiba from Baghdad and Shaween from Erbil. Their participation highlighted the collaborative nature of the Wikimedia community in Iraq, connecting volunteers from different cities through a shared mission.
During the session, participants discussed the importance of Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects as tools for education, digital literacy, and community engagement. The discussion also explored how the new AUIS Wikimedia Club can support students to become contributors to Arabic, Kurdish, and English Wikipedia, bridging cultural and linguistic gaps through knowledge sharing.
What is next?
On Saturday, November First, the American University of Iraq Sulaymaniyah will host an open house day where the Wikimedian’s Club will be present and happy to recruit more students and alumni that feel they are aligned with the movement.
The establishment of this club marks an important step toward expanding the Wikimedia Movement within Iraq universities and regions, inspiring a new generation of editors and advocates for open knowledge. And we plan to expand this culture within the Iraqi universities
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