Spotlight on Iraq – The Role of Higher Education

The cultural attaché of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in the United States, Dr. Abdul Hadi Al Khalili, spoke at the AED Globe Theater on Tuesday in a symposium about the role of higher education in the future of Iraq. Joining Dr. Al Khalili on a panel were educators from three Iraqi institutions of higher education.

“Iraq’s universities will play a leading role in securing long-term peace,” said panelist Abdul Jaleel Jasim Haichal, assistant professor of Al-Mustansiriyah University College of Arts in Baghdad.

Haichal, along with Dr. Wissam Kadhim Hamdan from the University of Technology in Baghdad and Dr. Lazha A. Talat from the College of Medicine in Arbil, are visiting the United States on a professional tour funded by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and administered by AED.

Dr. Al Khalili, the cultural attaché, noted in his remarks the long history of education in Iraq, and how critical it is to rebuild a strong system of higher education in order to move the nation forward.

Two students from Iraq who are pursuing graduate studies in the United States with scholarships from the Iraqi government’s Iraq Education Initiative, for which AED has played an advisory role, also addressed the audience, which was largely composed of professionals in higher education. They shared their experiences as Iraqis studying in a foreign country, focusing on the value of both their formal education as well as the cultural exchange that takes place every day.

“I learned here in the United States to use my own words,” said Ahmed Freidoon Fadhil, a PhD student at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, noting the emphasis Iraqi universities currently place on rote memorization.

Both students stressed their commitment to return to Iraq to help rebuild the country after they earn their degrees, rather than look for opportunities to remain in the United States. “Iraq needs me more,” Fadhil said passionately.

Moderating the event was AED’s Gary Gaffield, who directs the Iraq University Linkages Program. AED President and CEO Stephen F. Moseley offered welcoming remarks, while Vice President and Director of the AED Center for Academic Partnerships, Sandra MacDonald-Davis, gave closing remarks.