ECA A/S GOLI AMERI'S MEETING WITH IRAQI HIGHER EDUCATION

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003455 SIPDIS STATE PASS TO ECA/A/E/NEA, NEA/PPD, NEA/I E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO OEXC SCUL IZ SUBJECT: ECA A/S GOLI AMERI'S MEETING WITH IRAQI HIGHER EDUCATION OFFICIALS ¶1. (U) Summary. Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Barham Salih hosted A/S Goli Ameri and Iraq's most important higher education officials for a roundtable discussion in his home on October 20. The participants from both countries stressed their commitment to revitalize higher education in Iraq and their readiness to act. The DPM expressed support for a higher education council and a willingness to match Fulbright scholarships one-for-one, doubling the size of the current Fulbright program in Iraq. Higher education officials also expressed their desire to establish institutional linkages between U.S. and Iraqi universities. End summary. ¶2. (U) On October 20, senior education officials of the Government of Iraq (GOI) met with Goli Ameri, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. The GOI team was led by Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Barham Salih and included Dr. Abdul Dhiab Ojaili, the Minister of Higher Eduation and Scientific Research; Dr. Taqi Al-Musawi, President of Mustansiriyah University; Dr. Adnan Al-Janabi, President of Nahrain University; Dr. Qahtan Al-Khazraji, President of University of Technology, Dr. Mahmoud Shakir, Head of the Technical Education Commission; and Dr. Zuhair Humadi, Advisor to Vice President Adel Abd Al-Mahdi and Director of the Prime Minister's Iraq Education Initiative. The U.S. side was represented by A/S Goli Ameri; Counselor for Public Affairs, Ambassador Adam Ereli; ECA Policy Advisor, Rick Ruth; Cultural Affairs Officer, Helen LaFave; Fulbright Program Manager, Jay Taylor; and Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer, Jinnie Lee (note taker). ¶3. (U) DPM Barham Salih convened Iraq's leading players in higher education. He opened the discussion stating the people he invited were ready to engage on promoting and improving higher education in Iraq. He stated there may be disagreement on U.S. policy but none at the table doubted the value and quality of American education, or the fact that Iraq's future is tied to the success of its education. He spoke of Iraq's role as the center of higher education in the Middle East during the seventies and the desire to regain their status as quickly as possible. He stressed the importance of restoring linkages between U.S. and Iraqi institutions of higher education. ¶4. (U) The Minister of Higher Education stated there are 25 public universities, 25 private universities, and 40 technical/professional schools in Iraq, including the Kurdistan region. There are a total of 550,000 students, about a fifth of whom are post-graduate students. His top priorities are international accreditation issues, curriculum development, and collaboration in research. He stated repeatedly that GOI is willing to pay, they just want the U.S. to provide expertise and facilitation. ¶5. (U) The President of Nahrain University reiterated the group's desires to see Iraqi education return to its pinnacle in the seventies. He stressed the importance of exchanges with U.S. institutions. He stated "Iraq has money, the U.S. just needs to give us opportunities." He mentioned linking Iraqi universities with American universities, matching departments based on specialties. ¶6. (U) The President of Mustansiriyah University, which claims to be the world's first university in the world (established 1227) and the second largest in Iraq, said his staff is in desperate need of training. He also emphasized the importance of Internet access, connection to U.S. institutions, and access to their virtual libraries. He stated student and faculty exchanges were critical to democracy; "Students need to see democracy to believe it." A physician by profession, as a specific deliverable, he requested access to the National Institute of Health's online resources. ¶7. (U) The DPM and higher education leaders definitely share a clear, unified mission with specific initiatives: -- Establishment of a Bi-national Commission for Higher Education -- Increasing the number of educational exchanges, with GOI sharing costs -- Establishing institutional linkages with U.S. universities and colleges -- Access to online education, libraries and other resources on the Internet -- Training and train-the-trainer programs, especially for management of higher education institutions -- Assistance with GOI scholarships - seeking relief on visas, receiving assistance for trained educational advisors and counselors ¶8. (U) A/S Ameri thanked the group for their insights and proposed bringing the Iraqi officials together with the higher education community in the U.S. to present firsthand their needs and ambitions for Iraq. A/S Ameri offered to convene U.S. higher education professional associations (AAU, AACU) in D.C. to lay the groundwork for partnership with Iraqi universities. She also stated her support for a higher education council similar to the one in India, at which point the DPM looked at the Minister of Higher Education and stated that the Cabinet would find the funds and it was his directive to get this mechanism established. ¶9. (U) Conclusion: With improvements in security, Iraqis are ready to focus on education. GOI is willing to commit not only their efforts but funds to these initiatives and seeks U.S. support and expertise. We look forward to working with ECA to implement Fulbright matching funds by GOI, to establish a higher education council and to forge linkages with U.S. universities. CROCKER