Scholars begin stay at IU

Eight of the 25 Iraqis awarded J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarships in January arrived in Bloomington Feb. 6. \nSince then, they have been busy searching for accommodation, attending orientation classes and adjusting to their new environment. The recipients of the Fulbright Scholarship come from all over Iraq and represent several of the various ethnic groups in the country. \nTwo of the eight Fulbright scholars in Bloomington will conduct academic research during their time in the United States, and the other six will pursue various master's degrees after first completing their pre-academic sessions at IU. The sessions include completing the Intensive English Program. \nAfter their session, the students will apply for various postgraduate programs at a number of universities, including IU. The other Fulbright scholars are spread across the United States and study at the University of Arizona, University of California at Santa Cruz and the University of Oregon.\nThe Fulbright Scholarship is offered by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The United States and Iraq have engaged in the exchange program since 1951, but the program was suspended after the Gulf War in 1991. \nThe program was restarted last year after a 14-year hiatus, and the process of selecting the current scholars began in October 2003. Testing centers administered the Test of English as a Foreign Language and other exams in several cities in Iraq in October 2003, and the scholars were chosen by committees composed of both Iraqis and Americans. \nThe Scholarship was intended to get a diverse mix of students from Iraq. \nDalia Kaikhasraw, one of the scholars, is from Sulaimany, a city in northeastern Iraq. Kaikhasraw was surprised when she learned she had been selected for the scholarship. \n"Before, in the education system, there were preferences for certain people," she said. "It was not about how clever you were or how you did on an exam or test. What mattered was if you were a follower of a certain political party or a relative of a high-ranking official. But this time, it was not like that." \nShaheen Jihad hopes to receive a master's degree in public health. Jihad is trying to adjust from living in bustling Baghdad to quiet Bloomington. \n"I have found Bloomington a very nice city. The nature is very beautiful. It is very calm, in fact, almost too calm," he said.\nAfter receiving his master's in public health, Jihad wants to continue on to pursue a doctorate degree in Iraq.\nZeyad Al-Dial is a linguistics teacher from Mosul who is planning on receiving a master's degree in applied linguistics. \nAl-Dial said re-establishing the Fulbright Scholarship is an important way to restore Iraqi and American ties. \n"Iraqi's were prevented from going abroad to see other countries and people. This is a chance for me to share with others about their life and my life and about my country," he said.\nSome of the students who were selected had to travel to Baghdad from different cities in Iraq. \nAdministrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority Paul Bremer hosted a reception for the scholars in the Iraqi capital. The students then flew to Amman, Jordan, where they spent a week filling out paper work and touring the city. From Amman, the scholars had a direct flight to New York City, where they spent a night before going to Washington D.C. There, they met with Rend Francke, the Iraqi representative to the U.S., Colin Powell and Kofi Annan. The scholars were also received at the White House by President Bush. After a week in Washington D.C., the scholars finally arrived in Bloomington. \nAl-Dial said he is looking forward to studying in the United States but added that he is eager to return to Iraq to help in the reconstruction of his country.\n"I am planning to go back home and to participate in the process of construction in Iraq," Al-Dial said. "According to my fielding of study, linguistics, I am planning to apply what I learn here to support the process of teaching and learning in my country, so we can compensate for the years we lost under the sanctions."\n-- Contact staff writer Rami Chami at rchami@indiana.edu.