(MENAFN Press) Last week, the Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund held a conference in Amman, Jordan on “The Reconstruction of Higher Education in Post-Conflict Iraq,” in collaboration with the Post-war Reconstruction Development Unit (PRDU) of the University of York. An estimated 170 Iraqi scholars, Iraqi public university presidents, ministers of higher education, international experts and key regional strategic partners took part in this important academic event, as did HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, HRH Prince Talal bin Muhammad and HRH Princess Ghida Talal of Jordan.
The three-day event provided a forum for strategic dialog on rebuilding Iraqi higher education and for scholarly discussion of original research papers authored by Iraqi scholars. These included topics such as “Application of Quality Assurance for Higher Education in Iraq,” “Restoration of Order to Universities: A Key Factor for the Reconstruction of Higher Education in Iraq,” and “Iraqi Higher Education Improvement Using Learning Management Systems,” and “A Leading Role for Universities on Gender.”
Proceedings opened with remarks by IIE Vice Chairman and SRF Chairman Dr. Henry Jarecki. HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal provided the conference’s keynote address. IIE President & CEO Allan E. Goodman presented on “Re-building the House of Wisdom” in Iraq. Professor Sultan Barakat, the founding Director of PRDU, served as the conference facilitator. He also discussed the specific manner in which higher education has and has not been factored into the international community’s thinking on post-conflict recovery. HRH Prince Talal bin Muhammad provided the closing remarks for the conference.
According the HRH Princess Ghida, member of the Advisory Board of IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund,
“"The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was proud to host this ground-breaking conference. Just as Jordan prides itself in providing a safe haven where threatened Iraqi scholars can continue their work in freedom and safety, so do the scholars enrich our academic and scientific progress."
According to Dr. Jarecki,
“This conference was a gathering of historic proportion. We are ready to make history and to get results, to leverage the investment that many have made in protecting and developing Iraqi scholarship through some of its darkest days to turn now to the larger purpose of all of this work: the reconstruction of higher education in Iraq.”
About IIE and SRF
The Institute of International Education (IIE) was founded in 1919. It is one of the world’s most experienced higher education and exchange organizations. IIE’s mission is to foster mutual understanding and develop global leaders through international education.
In 2002, IIE launched the Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) to provide fellowships for scholars threatened in their home countries. These fellowships support temporary academic positions at safe universities and colleges anywhere in the world. SRF scholars contribute to their host universities through teaching, research, lectures and other activities. In return, host universities provide professional guidance and financial and in-kind support. Scholars from any country may qualify.
The Iraq Scholar Rescue Project was launched in August 2007. SRF incepted this project with the goal to rescue Iraq’s most senior academics – from any academic discipline – by placing them at institutions of higher learning mainly in countries within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. To date, the IIE Iraq Scholar Rescue Project has granted fellowship assistance to 213 established Iraqi academics who have faced threats to their lives and careers since the war in Iraq began in 2003. In addition to carrying out their fellowships at host institutions, Iraq Project scholar-grantees are invited to attend training workshops and conferences organized by IIE/SRF in an effort to fuel their professional development and prepare them, as academics, to contribute to the rebuilding of Iraq.
This conference is funded, in part, through the US Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Office of Iraq Economic and Assistance Affairs and Office of Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) under Cooperative Agreement number S-NEAIR-07-CA-105. The opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of State.
