2009 Press Releases
American Ambassador Lauds Iraqi Funding of an Expansion of the Fulbright Scholar Program
U.S. Embassy Baghdad
News Release
For Immediate Release
June 10, 2009
2009/24
Phone: +964-770-443-0048
BaghdadPressOffice@state.gov <mailto:BaghdadPressOffice@
Joint Statement
At a ceremony conducted under the auspices of Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Barham Salih, U.S. Ambassador Christopher R. Hill praisedn the Government of Iraq's commitment of $2.5 million to expand the Fulbright Student Scholar Program for Iraqi students. The Iraqi funding will double from 35 to 70 the number of scholarships available to Iraqis.
The Fulbright Scholarship Program is the flagship international educational exchange program operated by the U.S. Government. It provides outstanding foreign students opportunities for graduate-level studies in the United States in the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences. In his remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih spoke of the importance of forging enduring ties between American and Iraqi institutions and how the exchange of young scholars benefits both countries. U.S. Ambassador Christopher R. Hill praised the vision of Iraqi leaders in committing funds to expand the scholarship program and reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to support Iraq in the rebuilding of its education system. He noted that Fulbright and other academic exchange programs contribute directly to the educational goals of the U.S. - Iraqi Strategic Framework Agreement.
Dr. Zuhair Humadi, Senior Advisor to the Vice President and Iraqi Fulbright students who are scheduled to depart this summer for their programs in the United States were also present for the announcement at the Deputy Prime Minister's residence in Baghdad.
Information on the Fulbright Scholar Program, including qualification criteria and application instructions, can be found at the websitehttp://iraq.usembassy.gov/fvsprogram.html.