Twenty-five years have passed since the founding of the College of Medicine at the University of Nineveh… but these years have not merely passed for the building itself; they have passed for the lives of the people who spent some of the most beautiful years of their lives here. Here, a student entered for the first time, fearful of the long journey ahead… and then, years later, emerged as a doctor carrying the name of his college with him wherever he went. Here, our professors and staff stood, giving of their time and knowledge to generations… and their legacy lives on in every doctor they taught and in every step this college has taken forward. Tonight, with preparations complete, I stand before twenty-five years of this story to say a few words that are not meant for today’s generation alone… to those who founded, taught, graduated, and served: this jubilee carries a part of you. And to our students who walk these very same hallways today: a day will come when you look back at these places from afar and realize that you weren’t just studying medicine here… but that you were leaving a part of your lives here. And to the generations who have not yet entered the doors of Nineveh Medical School: We will leave you what those who came before us left for us… a name worthy of your preservation, and a story waiting for you to complete it. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)