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Baghdad – October 21, 2003 – Ambassador L. Paul Bremer announced
today that the United States is re-starting the Fulbright Scholarship program
in Iraq.
“A
well educated population is essential to the success of any democracy,” Bremer
said in a statement. “The policies of Saddam Hussein isolated Iraq from a world of
knowledge and prevented Iraqis from learning the latest information in such
vital areas as health, law and science. After the program’s absence in this
country for the last 14 years, Iraq’s
university students and teachers will once again be able to use this opportunity
to improve themselves, their nation, and their world.”
Dr. Zaied Abdel Razzak Mohammed Aswad, the Iraqi Minister
of Higher Education, said, “Iraqi students, faculty, people and the Iraqi government
are grateful to the American people and government for restarting the Fulbright
Program in Iraq after 14 years of absence. The Fulbright scholarships will
strengthen the bilateral relations between our two nations in the area of
education. We thank the Americans for their assistance in this vital domain of
human endeavors.”
Prior
to its suspension 14 years ago, the Fulbright Program between the U.S. and Iraq had a rich history of
promoting mutual respect and understanding through educational and cultural
exchange. Beginning in 1952, 190 Iraqi Fulbright participants studied, taught
or conducted research in the United States. This year, a minimum of 20 participants will
be selected.
The
scholarships will be offered to Iraqi students and professors under the
following programs: Foreign Language Teaching Assistants Program, Fulbright
Visiting Student Program and Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program for Faculty.
The
deadline for this round of applications is November 20, 2003. Those seeking
application are encouraged to contact their university president, their student
body president, or the Ministry of Higher Education. Applications can also be
found on the CPA website at www.cpa-iraq.org.
Fulbright
Program details:
ELIGIBILITY - Fulbright scholarships are exclusively
restricted to Iraqi citizens teaching or studying at Iraqi universities,
colleges and technical institutes. Iraqis living or studying outside Iraq are
not eligible. At the time of application, candidates must have resided in Iraq
for at least one year.
- more -
VISA – Applicants must be in compliance with the J-visa
requirement for exchange visitors. Applicants who will be awarded the
scholarships should be in possession of a valid Iraqi passport, so as not to
lose time in obtaining their US J-visa.
INSTITUTIONAL TOEFL - Candidates applying for the Visiting
Student Program or the Visiting Scholar Program will have to demonstrate a
degree of English comprehension. For that reason, each applicant will have to
take the Test of English As A Foreign Language (“TOEFL”). The CPA and Ministry
of Higher Education will administer a variant of the TOEFL known as the
Institutional Testing Program (“ITP”) for Iraqi applicants. The test will be
given in several locations in Iraq.
CONDITION TO RETURN TO IRAQ - Candidates who are awarded a
Fulbright scholarship must return to Iraq for a minimum of two years home
residency upon completion of their studies in the United States.
DEADLINES - Candidates seeking to enroll in the spring
semester of 2004, must submit their application with all required documents
submitted no later than November 20, 2003. Candidates seeking to enroll in the
fall semester of 2004, must submit their application with all required
documents no later than March 10, 2004.
Note: Ambassador Bremer’s full statement on
the Fulbright Scholarship program is included.
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Statement by
Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III
Coalition
Provisional Authority Administrator
Fulbright
Scholarships for Iraqis Resume
21 October 2003
A
well educated population is essential to the success of any democracy. The
policies of Saddam Hussein isolated Iraq from a world of knowledge and
prevented Iraqis from learning the latest information in such vital areas as
health, law and science. In the last six months, we have made many
improvements in Iraq’s education system.
Now,
we are taking another major step in the liberation of the Iraqi people. Today,
I am pleased to announce the re-establishment of the Fulbright Scholarship
program between the United States and Iraq.
Beginning
in 1951 and continuing for almost 40 years the Fulbright scholarship program
brought together the finest minds from the Fertile Crescent and America as students, as
teachers and as researchers.
This
year, the program will award a minimum of 20 scholarships to Iraqi citizens
studying or teaching in Iraq. The scholarship will be awarded in the Foreign
Language Teaching Assistants Program, Fulbright Visiting Student Program and
Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program for Faculty
After
the program’s absence in this country for the last 14 years, Iraq’s university students
and teachers will once again be able to use this opportunity to improve
themselves, their nation, and their world.
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