Students and scholars are first Iraqi Fulbrighters in 14 years

Twenty-three students and two scholars from Iraq will arrive in the United States in February on U.S. government grants, marking the re-establishment of the Iraqi Fulbright program after a 14-year hiatus.

According to a January 23 State Department media note, the 25 individuals were chosen out of an applicant pool of 400 candidates and will study or conduct research in areas such as public health, public administration, business, journalism, law, and English teaching.

Iraqi's Minister of High Education, Dr. Zaied Abdel Razzak Mohammed Aswad, said Iraq's inclusion in the Fulbright program is "a great step forward in improving Iraq's education system," according to the media note.

Coalition Provisional Authority head Ambassador Paul Bremer added that, "The real value of the Fulbright program will begin when the participants return to Iraq and share both the academic knowledge and the practical experience they have gained during their time in the United States."

Following is the text of the State Department media note:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
January 23, 2004

MEDIA NOTE

2004 IRAQI FULBRIGHTERS CHOSEN

The first group of Fulbright grantees to come to the United States from Iraq in 14 years has been selected. This group of Iraqi Fulbright grantees, including 23 students and 2 scholars, will come to the United States to study in Masters programs or conduct research, arriving in February of 2004. The Fulbright grants are being awarded in the following areas: Public Health, Public Administration, Business, Journalism, Law, and English teaching, among others. The Fulbrighters were selected from an applicant pool of nearly 400 candidates who met Fulbright standards. Two independent, bi-national committees in Iraq reviewed the applications and nominated the finalists who were selected by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Ambassador L. Paul Bremer and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage announced the reestablishment of the Fulbright program in Iraq in October. In addition to this initial group of Fulbrighters, plans have been announced to bring Iraqis to the United States under the Fulbright American Studies Institutes Program and the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program, one of the components of the Fulbright Student program.

"America is making good on its promise of opening the doors to higher education for all people of Iraq." Ambassador Bremer stated. "The real value of the Fulbright program will begin when the participants return to Iraq and share both the academic knowledge and the practical experience they have gained during their time in the United States."

Dr. Zaied Abdel Razzak Mohammed Aswad, the Iraqi Minister of Higher Education, stated, "The Fulbright programs are a great step forward in improving Iraq's education system. These 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."

Patricia Harrison, the Assistant Secretary for the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, stated, "This initiative is representative of America's long-term commitment to Iraq through exchange programs. Our two nations worked together to make music with the December visit to the United States of the Iraq National Symphony Orchestra. Today we are renewing our work together in academic fields."

Since its inception in 1946, 255,000 individuals have participated in the Fulbright program, with 96,400 from the United States and 158,600 from other countries. Fulbright alumni include Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, governors and members of Congress, ambassadors and artists, prime ministers and heads of state, university faculty, scientists, CEOs and Supreme Court justices.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)